I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3421
To provide adequate school facilities within Yosemite National Park, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 6, 2001
Mr. RADANOVICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide adequate school facilities within Yosemite
National Park, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Yosemite National
Park Educational Facilities Improvement Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The three elementary schools serving the
children of employees of Yosemite National Park are
provided by the Bass Lake Joint Union Elementary
School District and the Mariposa Unified School
District.
(2) The schools are in remote mountainous
areas and long distances from other educational and
administrative facilities that are located elsewhere in
the two school districts.
(3) Because of their remote locations and rel-
atively small number of students, students of the
Yosemite schools are vastly underserved in compari-
son to the educational services and facilities provided
to students that attend schools elsewhere in the two
school districts.
(4) Because of the long distances involved and
adverse weather and road conditions that occur dur-
ing much of the school year, it is impractical for the
children of employees who live within or near Yosem-
ite National Park to attend schools elsewhere in the
two school districts.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author-
ize the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this Act
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) to provide supplemental funding and
other services and facilities that are necessary to assist
the State of California or local school districts in providing
educational services and facilities for students attending
schools located within Yosemite National Park (referred
to in this Act as the ‘‘Park’’).
SEC. 3. PAYMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND FA-
CILITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide funds
to appropriate school districts or for school facilities serv-
icing the Park to supplement the educational services and
facilities (including transportation to and from school) al-
ready provided by such districts or facilities to students
who are dependents of persons engaged in the administra-
tion, operation, and maintenance of the Park or students
who live at or near the Park upon real property of the
United States. Payment of such funds may be made from
revenues derived from Park entrance and user fees or
from donated funds.
(b) LIMITATION.—Payments made under this section
shall not exceed the amount necessary to provide students
described in subsection (a) with educational services and
facilities that are normally provided and generally avail-
able to students who attend public schools elsewhere in
the State of California.
(c) ADJUSTMENT OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary is
authorized to adjust payments made under this section if
the State of California or appropriate school districts do
not continue to provide funding for educational services
and facilities at Park schools at per student levels that
are equivalent to or greater than those provided in the
fiscal year prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.
The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative
agreements with the State of California or local agencies
for—
(1) the operation of school facilities located
within or near the Park at Federal expense;
(2) the construction or expansion of school fa-
cilities located within or near the Park on real prop-
erty of the United States at Federal expense; or
(3) providing educational services at schools
within the Park for—
(A) students who meet the criteria de-
scribed in section 3(a); and
(B) students who do not meet the criteria
described in section 3(a) but who live near the
Park or within the exterior boundaries of the
Park, if those students would have to travel fur-
ther to attend schools outside of the Park.
Æ