I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6928 
To award grants to improve after-school interdisciplinary education programs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 
Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota (for herself and Mrs. LOWEY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To award grants to improve after-school interdisciplinary 
education programs, 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 ‘‘After School Partner-
ships Improve Results in Education Act’’ or ‘‘ASPIRE’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Nearly 14,000,000 students have no place 
to go after school hours, which are associated with 
high rates of juvenile crime. 
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(2) Studies show that almost one-third of all 
public high school students in the United States fail 
to graduate. 
(3) High school dropouts on average earn less 
than high school graduates and are more likely to be 
unemployed. 
(4) High dropout rates have a significant effect 
on communities through loss of productivity and rev-
enues, and higher costs associated with incarcer-
ation, health care, and social services. 
(5) Students consistently cite a lack of interest 
in core curriculum and a lack of relevancy to their 
future careers as the major reason for dropping out 
of high school. 
(6) It is in the best interest of the United 
States to ensure students are qualified to compete in 
the global economy. 
(7) Eighty percent of jobs are classified as 
skilled and only 32 percent of high school graduates 
are prepared for college. 
(8) Microsoft’s Bill Gates warned that Amer-
ican companies ‘‘face a severe shortfall of scientists 
and engineers with expertise to develop the next gen-
eration of breakthroughs’’. 
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(9) Business leaders have stated that a quali-
fied workforce is important to keeping jobs in the 
United States. 
(10) Corporate Voices for Working Families 
has called for public and private efforts to create 
after-school programs in which young people can de-
velop skills for the 21st century. 
(11) Opportunities for real-world learning and 
seeing the connection between school and getting a 
good job improves students’ chances of staying in 
school. 
(12) Students involved in after-school programs 
have significantly higher attendance rates, score 
higher on mathematics and writing assessments, and 
are more likely to graduate from high school than 
those who are not involved in such programs. 
(13) Reinforcing core curriculum by integrating 
academic work within alternative course material 
can lead to significant improvements in student 
achievement and engagement, as was shown by the 
National Research Center for Career and Technical 
Education. 
(14) After-school programs and community 
partnerships offer youth opportunities to develop so-
cial and citizenship skills, and to have access to a 
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variety of mentors and role models from their own 
communities. 
(15) After-school programs can also provide 
youth who have extra time for the academic enrich-
ment, career exploration, and skills development they 
need to succeed. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are to establish and to ex-
pand after-school programs (and other similar pro-
grams)— 
(1) to improve high school student academic 
achievement, overall school success, and graduation 
rates by reinforcing core curriculum; 
(2) to increase student knowledge of, and inter-
est in, high-demand career opportunities; 
(3) to increase student engagement in learning 
by demonstrating how academic content relates to 
career opportunities, providing opportunities for civic 
engagement and service learning, and providing stu-
dents with marketable skills; and 
(4) to provide opportunities for students to 
broaden their curriculum, to expose students to 
learning opportunities outside of their core cur-
riculum of study, and to provide opportunities for 
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students to gain credit towards graduation through 
learning outside the traditional classroom. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MODEL AFTER-SCHOOL INTERDISCIPLI-
NARY EDUCATION PROGRAM GRANTS. 
(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—From the amounts made 
available to carry out this section, the Secretary of 
Education shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible entities to establish or to expand, 
in accordance with section 8, national model after- 
school interdisciplinary education programs that 
would serve to expand the knowledge base for other 
after-school interdisciplinary education programs 
and to disseminate effective practices. 
(2) 
DURATION
OF
GRANTS.—Each 
grant 
awarded under this section shall be for a period of 
not less than 3 years and not more than 5 years and 
shall be renewable, based on grant performance, for 
a period of not less than 3 years and not more than 
5 years. 
(3) GRANT
AMOUNTS.—The grant amounts 
awarded pursuant to this section may not be less 
than $5,000,000 total for all grant years. 
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(4) REQUIRED MATCH.—Eligible entities shall 
match the grant amount with private funding on an 
equal basis. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To qualify to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli-
cation to the Secretary in such form and manner as the 
Secretary may specify, and containing the information de-
scribed in section 7. 
(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that 
propose to target services to— 
(1) a high percentage of students who— 
(A) are from low income families; 
(B) are struggling students; or 
(C) attend schools located in a rural, 
sparsely populated area; and 
(2) the families of students described in sub-
paragraph (1). 
SEC. 5. STATE GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants 
in accordance with the allotments under subsection (b) to 
each State with an approved application. 
(b) ALLOTMENTS.— 
(1) FORMULA.—From the amounts made avail-
able to carry out this section and remaining after 
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the Secretary makes a reservation under subsection 
(d), the Secretary shall allot to each State for each 
fiscal year an amount that bears the same relation-
ship to the remainder as the amount the State re-
ceived under subpart 2 of part A of title I of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6331 et seq.) for the preceding fiscal year 
bears to the amount all States received under that 
subpart for the preceding fiscal year, except that no 
State shall receive less than an amount equal to one- 
half of 1 percent of the total amount made available 
to all States under this subsection. 
(2) REALLOTMENT OF UNUSED FUNDS.—If a 
State does not receive an allotment under this sec-
tion for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reallot the 
amount of the State’s allotment to the remaining 
States in accordance with this section. 
(c) APPLICATION AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES.— 
(1) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—In order to 
receive a grant under this section for any fiscal year, 
a State shall submit to the Secretary, in such form 
and manner as the Secretary may require, an appli-
cation that— 
(A) designates the State educational agen-
cy in such State as the agency responsible for 
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the administration and supervision of programs 
assisted under this Act; 
(B) describes how the State educational 
agency will use funds received under this Act, 
including funds reserved for State-level activi-
ties; 
(C) contains an assurance that the State 
educational agency will make subgrants under 
section 6 only to eligible partnerships that pro-
pose to serve— 
(i) a high percentage of students 
who— 
(I) are from low income families; 
(II) are struggling students; or 
(III) attend schools located in a 
rural, sparsely populated area; and 
(ii) the families of students described 
in clause (i); 
(D) describes the procedures and criteria 
the State educational agency will use for review-
ing applications and awarding subgrants under 
section 6 to eligible entities on a competitive 
basis, which shall include procedures and cri-
teria that take into consideration the likelihood 
that a proposed program will help participating 
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students meet local content and student aca-
demic achievement standards; 
(E) describes how the State educational 
agency will ensure that subgrant awards made 
under this section 6 are— 
(i) of sufficient size and scope to sup-
port high-quality, effective programs that 
are consistent with the purpose of this Act; 
and 
(ii) in amounts that are consistent 
with section 6(a)(4); 
(F) describes the steps the State edu-
cational agency will take to ensure that such 
programs implement effective strategies, includ-
ing providing ongoing technical assistance and 
training, evaluation, and dissemination of prom-
ising practices; 
(G) describes how programs under section 
6 will be coordinated with programs under this 
Act, and other programs as appropriate; 
(H) contains an assurance that the State 
educational agency— 
(i) will make awards for subgrants 
under section 6 for a period of not less 
than 3 years and not more than 5 years 
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and that are renewable, based on grant 
performance, for a period of not less than 
3 years and not more than 5 years; and 
(ii) will require each eligible entity 
seeking such subgrant to submit a plan de-
scribing how the program funded through 
such subgrant will continue after funding 
under this Act ends; 
(I) contains an assurance that funds ap-
propriated to carry out this section will be used 
to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, 
State, and local public funds expended to pro-
vide programs and activities authorized under 
this Act and other similar programs; 
(J) contains an assurance that the State 
educational agency will require eligible entities 
to describe in their applications under section 7 
how the transportation needs of participating 
students will be addressed; 
(K) contains an assurance that the State’s 
application was developed in consultation and 
coordination with appropriate State officials, in-
cluding the chief State school officer and the 
State director of career technical education, and 
other State agencies administering before and 
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after school (or summer school) programs, and 
representatives of teacher organizations, par-
ents, students, the business community, com-
munity-based organizations, and labor unions; 
(L) describes the results of the State’s 
needs and resources assessment for before- and 
after-school activities, which shall be based on 
the results of on-going State evaluation activi-
ties; 
(M) describes how the State educational 
agency will evaluate the effectiveness of pro-
grams and activities carried out under section 
6, which shall include, at a minimum— 
(i) a description of the performance 
indicators and performance measures that 
will be used to evaluate programs and ac-
tivities; and 
(ii) public dissemination of the evalua-
tions of programs and activities carried out 
under section 6; and 
(N) provides for timely public notice of in-
tent to file an application under this section 
and an assurance that the application will be 
available for public review after submission. 
(2) APPLICATION PROCEDURES.— 
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(A) DEEMED APPROVAL.—An application 
submitted by a State pursuant to paragraph (1) 
shall be deemed to be approved by the Sec-
retary unless the Secretary makes a written de-
termination, prior to the expiration of the 120- 
day period beginning on the date on which the 
Secretary received the application, that the ap-
plication is not in compliance with this section. 
(B) DISAPPROVAL.—The Secretary shall 
not finally disapprove the application, except 
after giving the State notice and an opportunity 
for a hearing. 
(C) NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary finds 
that the application is not in compliance, in 
whole or in part, the Secretary shall— 
(i) give the State notice and an oppor-
tunity for a hearing; and 
(ii) notify the State of the finding of 
noncompliance, and, in such notification— 
(I) cite the specific provisions in 
the application that are not in compli-
ance; and 
(II) request additional informa-
tion (only as to the noncompliant pro-
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payments to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to be allotted 
in accordance with its respective needs for assistance 
under this Act, as determined by the Secretary, to enable 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs to carry out the purposes 
of this Act. 
(e) STATE USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) AWARDING
OF
SUBGRANTS.—Each State 
that receives a grant under this section shall reserve 
not less than 93 percent of such grant for subgrant 
awards to eligible entities under section 6. 
(2) STATE ADMINISTRATION.—A State may use 
not more than 2 percent of the amount made avail-
able to such State under subsection (b) for— 
(A) the administrative costs of carrying 
out its responsibilities under this section and 
section 6; 
(B) establishing and implementing a peer 
review process for subgrant applications sub-
mitted under section 6 (including consultation 
with other State agencies responsible for admin-
istering youth development programs and adult 
learning activities); and 
(C) supervising the awarding of subgrants 
to eligible entities under section 6 (including 
consultation with other State agencies respon-
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sible for administering youth development pro-
grams and adult learning activities). 
(3) STATE ACTIVITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A State may use up to 
5 percent of the amount made available to the 
State under subsection (b) for the following ac-
tivities: 
(i) Monitoring and evaluation of pro-
grams and activities assisted under section 
6. 
(ii) Providing capacity building, train-
ing, and technical assistance under section 
6. 
(iii) Comprehensive evaluation (di-
rectly, or through a grant or contract) of 
the effectiveness of programs and activities 
assisted under section 6. 
(iv) Providing training and technical 
assistance to eligible entities who are appli-
cants for, or recipients of, subgrants under 
section 6. 
(v) Supporting State-level efforts and 
infrastructure to ensure the quality and 
availability of after-school programs. 
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(B) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, each State 
using funds under paragraph (A) shall report to 
the Secretary how such funds are spent. 
SEC. 6. SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES FOR AFTER- 
SCHOOL 
INTERDISCIPLINARY 
EDUCATION 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State (acting through the 
State educational agency in such State) that receives 
funds under section 5 shall award subgrants to eligi-
ble entities to expand and to establish after-school 
interdisciplinary education programs in accordance 
with section 8. 
(2) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—To qualify for a 
subgrant under this section, an eligible entity shall 
not have received a grant under section 4. 
(3) DURATION OF AWARDS.—Subgrants award-
ed under this section may be awarded for a period 
of not less than 3 years and not more than 5 years 
and are renewable, based on grant performance, for 
a period of not less than 3 years and not more than 
5 years. 
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(4) AMOUNT OF AWARDS.—A subgrant awarded 
under this section shall be not less than $50,000 per 
grant year. 
(5) PRIORITY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding subgrants 
under this section, a State shall give priority to 
applications— 
(i) proposing to serve— 
(I) a high percentage of students 
who— 
(aa) are from low income 
families; 
(bb) are struggling students; 
or 
(cc) attend schools located 
in a rural, sparsely populated 
area, and 
(II) the families of students de-
scribed in clause (i); or 
(ii) submitted by an eligible entity 
consisting of not less than one local edu-
cational agency serving a middle school or 
high school that receives funds under part 
A of title I of the Elementary and Sec-
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ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311 et seq.). 
(B) SPECIAL RULE.—The State shall pro-
vide the same priority under subparagraph (A) 
to an application submitted by a local edu-
cational agency if the local educational agency 
demonstrates that it is unable to partner with 
a community-based organization in reasonable 
geographic proximity and of sufficient quality 
to meet the requirements of this section. 
(C) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—To the ex-
tent practicable, a State shall distribute 
subgrant funds under this section equitably 
among geographic areas within a State, includ-
ing urban and rural communities. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—To qualify to receive a 
subgrant under this section, an eligible entity shall 
submit an application to the State in such form and 
manner as the State may specify, and containing the 
information described in section 7. 
(2) APPROVAL
OF
CERTAIN
APPLICATIONS.— 
The State may approve an application under this 
section for a program to be located in a facility 
other than a secondary school only if the program 
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will be at least as available and accessible to the stu-
dents to be served as if the program were located in 
a secondary school. 
(3) PEER REVIEW.—In reviewing applications 
under this section, a State shall use a peer review 
process or other method of assuring the quality of 
such 
applications 
in 
accordance 
with 
section 
5(c)(1)(D). 
(c) PERMISSIVE LOCAL MATCH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State may require an eli-
gible entity to match funds awarded under this sec-
tion, except that such match may not exceed the 
amount of the subgrant award and may not be de-
rived from other Federal or State funds. 
(2) SLIDING SCALE.—The amount of a match 
under paragraph (1) shall be established based on a 
sliding fee scale that takes into account— 
(A) the relative poverty of the population 
to be targeted by the eligible entity; and 
(B) the ability of the eligible entity to ob-
tain such matching funds. 
(3) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.—Each State that 
requires an eligible entity to match funds under this 
section shall permit the eligible entity to provide all 
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or any portion of such match in the form of in-kind 
contributions. 
(4) 
CONSIDERATION.—Notwithstanding 
this 
subsection, a State shall not consider an eligible en-
tity’s ability to match funds when determining which 
eligible entities will receive subgrants under this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 7. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE ENTI-
TIES. 
To receive a grant under section 4 or a subgrant 
under section 6, an eligible entity shall submit an applica-
tion that includes— 
(1) a description of the programs and activities 
to be funded, including— 
(A) an assurance that the programs and 
activities will take place in a safe and easily ac-
cessible facility; 
(B) a description of how students partici-
pating in the programs and activities will travel 
safely to and from the location of the programs; 
and 
(C) a description of how the eligible entity 
will disseminate information about the pro-
grams and activities (including their locations) 
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to the community in a manner that is under-
standable and accessible; 
(2) a description of how the programs and ac-
tivities are expected to meet the purposes outlined in 
section 3; 
(3) an identification of Federal, State, and local 
programs that will be combined or coordinated with 
the proposed programs and activities to make the 
most effective use of public resources; 
(4) an assurance that the proposed programs 
and activities were developed, and will be carried 
out, in active collaboration with the schools the stu-
dents attend; 
(5) a description of how the programs and ac-
tivities will meet the principles of effectiveness de-
scribed in section 8(b); 
(6) an assurance that the programs and activi-
ties will primarily target students who are from low 
income families or are struggling students and the 
families of such students; 
(7) an assurance that funds under this Act will 
be used to increase the level of State, local, and 
other non-Federal funds that would, in the absence 
of funds under this Act, be made available for pro-
grams and activities authorized under this Act, and 
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in no case supplant Federal, State, local, or non- 
Federal funds; 
(8) a description of the partnership between a 
local educational agency serving a high school or 
middle school and a career technical student organi-
zation, institution of higher education or tribal col-
lege, nonprofit organization, community-based orga-
nization, tribal organization, business, or labor 
union; 
(9) a description of a preliminary plan for how 
the proposed programs and activities will continue 
after funding under this Act ends; 
(10) an assurance that the community will be 
given notice of an intent to submit an application 
and that the application and any waiver request will 
be available for public review after submission of the 
application; and 
(11) such other information and assurances as 
the State may reasonably require. 
SEC. 8. REQUIRED USES. 
(a) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under section 4 or a subgrant under 
section 6 shall use the funds to expand and to estab-
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lish after-school programs and activities that meet 
the purposes outlined in section 3, including— 
(A) not less than one— 
(i) mathematics and science education 
activity; 
(ii) language arts, writing, and read-
ing activity; or 
(iii) history, geography, or social stud-
ies activity; and 
(B) not less than one— 
(i) career technical education activity; 
(ii) business and entrepreneurial edu-
cation program; 
(iii) health and wellness activity; 
(iv) environmental and conservation 
activity; or 
(v) arts and music education activity. 
(2) ACTIVITY AND PROGRAM TIMES.—In addi-
tion to after school, the activities and programs de-
scribed in paragraph (1) may take place before 
school, or at any other time that school is not in ses-
sion, including on weekends and during vacation and 
summer recess periods. 
(b) PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVENESS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Each program or activity de-
veloped under this Act shall meet principles of effec-
tiveness that are— 
(A) based upon an assessment of objective 
data regarding the need for the programs and 
activities described in subsection (a), including 
activities in the schools and communities; 
(B) based upon an established set of per-
formance measures, including academic, social, 
and behavioral measures, aimed at ensuring op-
portunities for high-quality academic enrich-
ment; and positive youth development; and 
(C) if appropriate, based upon scientifically 
based research that provides evidence that such 
programs or activities will help students im-
prove academic achievement, deepen student en-
gagement in learning, and promote positive 
youth development. 
(2) PERIODIC EVALUATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each program or activ-
ity developed under this Act shall undergo a 
periodic evaluation to assess its progress toward 
achieving its goal of providing high quality op-
portunities for academic enrichment and posi-
tive youth development. 
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(B) USE
OF
RESULTS.—The results of 
evaluations under subparagraph (A) shall be— 
(i) used to refine, improve, and 
strengthen each program or activity, and 
to refine the performance measures; and 
(ii) made available to the public upon 
request, with public notice of such avail-
ability provided. 
SEC. 9. SECRETARIAL PEER REVIEW AND APPROVAL. 
The Secretary shall establish— 
(1) a peer-review process to assist in the review 
and approval of grant applications submitted under 
section 4 and State applications submitted under 
section 5; and 
(2) appoint individuals to the peer-review proc-
ess who are educators and experts in educational 
standards, assessments, accountability, high school 
improvement, youth development, dropout preven-
tion, and other educational needs of high school stu-
dents. 
SEC. 10. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
(a) NATIONAL
ACTIVITIES.—From the amounts 
made available to carry out this section, the Secretary 
shall carry out national activities (directly or through 
grants and contracts), such as providing technical assist-
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ance (as described in subsection (b)) to States or eligible 
entities carrying out programs or activities under this Act 
or conducting a national evaluation of the effectiveness of 
programs and activities assisted under this Act. 
(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to provide technical assistance to States and eligi-
ble entities carrying out programs and activities under this 
Act, such as— 
(1) conducting outreach to ensure widespread 
knowledge of the availability of such programs and 
activities; 
(2) annually convening participating States, eli-
gible entities, and organizations providing support to 
such States and eligible entities to provide training 
and education on best practices; 
(3) disseminating information on best practices 
and successful program models for serving high 
school youth; and 
(4) providing capacity building and training to 
ensure high quality programming. 
SEC. 11. REGULATIONS. 
The Secretary is authorized to prescribed regulations 
necessary to implement this Act. 
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SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
$250,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, and such sums as may 
be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year. 
(b) ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amounts appropriated 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall allocate— 
(1) 45 percent for grants under section 4; 
(2) 45 percent for grants under section 5; and 
(3) 10 percent for national activities under sec-
tion 10. 
SEC. 13. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY. 
Any new spending authority or new authority to enter 
into contracts provided by this Act, and under which the 
United States is obligated to make outlays, shall be effec-
tive only to the extent, and in such amounts, as are pro-
vided in advance in appropriations Acts. 
SEC. 14. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The terms ‘‘local educational 
agency’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘State educational 
agency’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
tion 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a partnership that includes— 
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(A) not less than 1— 
(i) State educational agency; or 
(ii) local educational agency serving a 
high school or middle school; and 
(B) not less than 1— 
(i) career technical student organiza-
tion; 
(ii) institution of higher education or 
tribal college; 
(iii) nonprofit organization; 
(iv) community-based organization; 
(v) tribal organization; 
(vi) business; or 
(vii) labor union. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(4) NATIONAL MODEL AFTER-SCHOOL INTER-
DISCIPLINARY
EDUCATION
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘national model after-school interdisciplinary edu-
cation program’’ means a high quality, multisite 
after-school program, including a program that oper-
ates in multiple States. 
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(5) STRUGGLING STUDENT.—The term ‘‘strug-
gling student’’means a high school-aged student who 
is not making sufficient progress toward graduating 
from secondary school with a regular diploma in the 
standard number of years; and includes a student 
who— 
(A) has been retained in grade level; 
(B) is a high school student who lacks ei-
ther the necessary credits or courses, as deter-
mined by the local educational agency or State 
educational agency serving such student, to 
graduate from secondary school with a regular 
diploma in the standard number of years; or 
(C) is a high school student who— 
(i) enters a school served by a local 
educational agency at grade 9 or higher; 
and 
(ii) is identified by the local edu-
cational agency as being limited English 
proficient and as having experienced inter-
rupted formal education. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States of the United States, the District 
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of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and the Republic of Palau. 
Æ 
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