H. R. 6—219
to work with private and civic organizations to devise and imple-
ment solutions to pressing and severe problems in their commu-
nities.
‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary is authorized to
carry out a program of providing assistance to eligible institutions
to enable such institutions to carry out the activities described
in section 754 in accordance with the provisions of this part.
‘‘SEC. 753. APPLICATION FOR URBAN COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS.
‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible institution seeking assistance
under this part shall submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such form, and containing or accompanied
by such information and assurances as the Secretary may
require by regulation.
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall—
‘‘(A) describe the activities and services for which
assistance is sought; and
‘‘(B) include a plan that is agreed to by the members
of a consortium that includes, in addition to the eligible
institution, one or more of the following entities:
‘‘(i) A community college.
‘‘(ii) An urban school system.
‘‘(iii) A local government.
‘‘(iv) A business or other employer.
‘‘(v) A nonprofit institution.
‘‘(3) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the consortium
requirements described in paragraph (2) for any applicant who
can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the
applicant has devised an integrated and coordinated plan which
meets the purpose of this part.
‘‘(b) PRIORITY IN SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary
shall give priority to applications that propose to conduct joint
projects supported by other local, State, and Federal programs.
In addition, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions
submitting applications that demonstrate the eligible institution’s
commitment to urban community service.
‘‘(c) SELECTION PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall, by regula-
tion, develop a formal procedure for the submission of applications
under this part and shall publish in the Federal Register an
announcement of that procedure and the availability of funds under
this part.
‘‘SEC. 754. ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES.
‘‘Funds made available under this part shall be used to support
planning, applied research, training, resource exchanges or tech-
nology transfers, the delivery of services, or other activities the
purpose of which is to design and implement programs to assist
urban communities to meet and address their pressing and severe
problems, such as the following:
‘‘(1) Work force preparation.
‘‘(2) Urban poverty and the alleviation of such poverty.
‘‘(3) Health care, including delivery and access.
‘‘(4) Underperforming school systems and students.
‘‘(5) Problems faced by the elderly and individuals with
disabilities in urban settings.
‘‘(6) Problems faced by families and children.
H. R. 6—220
‘‘(7) Campus and community crime prevention, including
enhanced security and safety awareness measures as well as
coordinated programs addressing the root causes of crime.
‘‘(8) Urban housing.
‘‘(9) Urban infrastructure.
‘‘(10) Economic development.
‘‘(11) Urban environmental concerns.
‘‘(12) Other problem areas which participants in the consor-
tium described in section 753(a)(2)(B) concur are of high priority
in the urban area.
‘‘(13)(A) Problems faced by individuals with disabilities
regarding accessibility to institutions of higher education and
other public and private community facilities.
‘‘(B) Amelioration of existing attitudinal barriers that pre-
vent full inclusion by individuals with disabilities in their
community.
‘‘(14) Improving access to technology in local communities.
‘‘SEC. 755. PEER REVIEW.
‘‘The Secretary shall designate a peer review panel to review
applications submitted under this part and make recommendations
for funding to the Secretary. In selecting the peer review panel,
the Secretary may consult with other appropriate Cabinet-level
officials and with non-Federal organizations, to ensure that the
panel will be geographically balanced and be composed of represent-
atives from public and private institutions of higher education,
labor, business, and State and local government, who have expertise
in urban community service or in education.
‘‘SEC. 756. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS.
‘‘(a) MULTIYEAR AVAILABILITY.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations, grants under this part may be made on a multiyear
basis, except that no institution, individually or as a participant
in a consortium of such institutions, may receive such a grant
for more than 5 years.
‘‘(b) EQUITABLE
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary
shall award grants under this part in a manner that achieves
an equitable geographic distribution of such grants.
‘‘(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—An applicant under this part
and the local governments associated with the application shall
contribute to the conduct of the program supported by the grant
an amount from non-Federal funds equal to at least one-fourth
of the amount of the grant, which contribution may be in cash
or in kind.
‘‘SEC. 757. DESIGNATION OF URBAN GRANT INSTITUTIONS.
‘‘The Secretary shall publish a list of eligible institutions under
this part and shall designate these institutions of higher education
as ‘Urban Grant Institutions’. The Secretary shall establish a
national network of Urban Grant Institutions so that the results
of individual projects achieved in one metropolitan area can then
be generalized, disseminated, replicated, and applied throughout
the Nation. The information developed as a result of this section
shall be made available to Urban Grant Institutions and to any
other interested institution of higher education by any appropriate
means.
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‘‘SEC. 758. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘As used in this part:
‘‘(1) URBAN AREA.—The term ‘urban area’ means a metro-
politan statistical area having a population of not less than
350,000, or two contiguous metropolitan statistical areas having
a population of not less than 350,000, or, in any State which
does not have a metropolitan statistical area which has such
a population, the eligible entity in the State submitting an
application under section 753, or, if no such entity submits
an application, the Secretary, shall designate one urban area
for the purposes of this part.
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘eligible institution’
means—
‘‘(A) a nonprofit municipal university, established by
the governing body of the city in which it is located, and
operating as of the date of enactment of the Higher Edu-
cation Amendments of 1992 under that authority; or
‘‘(B) an institution of higher education, or a consortium
of such institutions any one of which meets all of the
requirements of this paragraph, which—
‘‘(i) is located in an urban area;
‘‘(ii) draws a substantial portion of its undergradu-
ate students from the urban area in which such institu-
tion is located, or from contiguous areas;
‘‘(iii) carries out programs to make postsecondary
educational opportunities more accessible to residents
of such urban area, or contiguous areas;
‘‘(iv) has the present capacity to provide resources
responsive to the needs and priorities of such urban
area and contiguous areas;
‘‘(v) offers a range of professional, technical, or
graduate programs sufficient to sustain the capacity
of such institution to provide such resources; and
‘‘(vi) has demonstrated and sustained a sense of
responsibility to such urban area and contiguous areas
and the people of such areas.
‘‘SEC. 759. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal
year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
4 succeeding fiscal years to carry out this part.
‘‘PART D—DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO EN-
SURE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES RE-
CEIVE A QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION
‘‘SEC. 761. PURPOSES.
‘‘It is the purpose of this part to support model demonstration
projects to provide technical assistance or professional development
for faculty and administrators in institutions of higher education
in order to provide students with disabilities a quality postsecondary
education.
‘‘SEC. 762. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
‘‘(a) COMPETITIVE GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may
award grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, on a competi-
tive basis, to institutions of higher education, of which at least
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two such grants shall be awarded to institutions that provide profes-
sional development and technical assistance in order for students
with learning disabilities to receive a quality postsecondary edu-
cation.
‘‘(b) DURATION; ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) DURATION.—Grants under this part shall be awarded
for a period of 3 years.
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Grants under this part shall
be used to carry out one or more of the following activities:
‘‘(A) 
TEACHING
METHODS
AND
STRATEGIES.—The
development of innovative, effective, and efficient teaching
methods and strategies to provide faculty and administra-
tors with the skills and supports necessary to teach stu-
dents with disabilities. Such methods and strategies may
include inservice training, professional development, cus-
tomized and general technical assistance, workshops, sum-
mer institutes, distance learning, and training in the use
of assistive and educational technology.
‘‘(B) SYNTHESIZING
RESEARCH
AND
INFORMATION.—
Synthesizing research and other information related to the
provision of postsecondary educational services to students
with disabilities.
‘‘(C) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING SES-
SIONS.—Conducting professional development and training
sessions for faculty and administrators from other institu-
tions of higher education to enable the faculty and adminis-
trators to meet the postsecondary educational needs of
students with disabilities.
‘‘(3) MANDATORY EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION.—Grants
under this part shall be used for evaluation, and dissemination
to other institutions of higher education, of the information
obtained through the activities described in subparagraphs (A)
through (C).
‘‘(c) CONSIDERATIONS IN MAKING AWARDS.—In awarding grants,
contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the Sec-
retary shall consider the following:
‘‘(1) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—Providing an equitable
geographic distribution of such grants.
‘‘(2) RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.—Distributing such grants
to urban and rural areas.
‘‘(3) RANGE AND TYPE OF INSTITUTION.—Ensuring that the
activities to be assisted are developed for a range of types
and sizes of institutions of higher education.
‘‘(4) PRIOR
EXPERIENCE
OR
EXCEPTIONAL
PROGRAMS.—
Institutions of higher education with demonstrated prior experi-
ence in, or exceptional programs for, meeting the postsecondary
educational needs of students with disabilities.
‘‘SEC. 763. APPLICATIONS.
‘‘Each institution of higher education desiring to receive a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement under this part shall submit
an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.
Each application shall include—
‘‘(1) a description of how such institution plans to address
each of the activities required under this part;