I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1570
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide
up-to-date school library media resources and well-trained, professionally
certified school library media specialists for elementary schools and sec-
ondary schools, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 24, 2001
Mr. OWENS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 to provide up-to-date school library media re-
sources and well-trained, professionally certified school
library media specialists for elementary schools and sec-
ondary schools, 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 ‘‘Improving Literacy
Through School Libraries Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA RESOURCES.
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating part E as part F; and
(2) by inserting after part D the following:
‘‘PART E—ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES
TO IMPROVE LITERACY
‘‘Subpart 1—Library Media Resources
‘‘SEC. 2350. PURPOSE.
‘‘The purposes of this subpart are—
‘‘(1) to improve literacy skills and academic
achievement of students by providing students with
increased access to up-to-date school library mate-
rials, a well-equipped, technologically advanced
school library media center, and well-trained, profes-
sionally certified school library media specialists;
‘‘(2) to support the acquisition of up-to-date
school library media resources for the use of stu-
dents, school library media specialists, and teachers
in elementary schools and secondary schools;
‘‘(3) to provide school library media specialists
with the tools and training opportunities necessary
for the specialists to facilitate the development and
enhancement of the information literacy, information
retrieval, and critical thinking skills of students; and
‘‘(4)(A) to ensure the effective coordination of
resources for library, technology, and professional
development activities for elementary schools and
secondary schools; and
‘‘(B) to ensure collaboration between school li-
brary media specialists, and elementary school and
secondary school teachers and administrators, in de-
veloping curriculum-based instructional activities for
students so that school library media specialists are
partners in the learning process of students.
‘‘SEC. 2351. STATE ALLOTMENTS.
‘‘The Secretary shall allot to each eligible State edu-
cational agency for a fiscal year an amount that bears the
same relation to the amount appropriated under section
2360 and not reserved under section 2359 for the fiscal
year as the amount the State educational agency received
under part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year bears
to the amount all eligible State educational agencies re-
ceived under part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year.
‘‘SEC. 2352. STATE APPLICATIONS.
‘‘To be eligible to receive an allotment under section
2351 for a State for a fiscal year, the State educational
agency shall submit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
‘‘(1) the greatest need for school library media
improvement according to the needs assessment de-
scribed in section 2355(1); and
‘‘(2) the highest percentages of poverty, as
measured in accordance with section 1113(a)(5).
‘‘SEC. 2355. LOCAL APPLICATION.
‘‘To be eligible to receive an allocation under section
2354 for a fiscal year, a local educational agency shall sub-
mit to the State educational agency an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the State educational agency shall require. The application
shall contain—
‘‘(1) a needs assessment relating to need for
school library media improvement, based on the age
and condition of school library media resources (in-
cluding book collections), access of school library
media centers to advanced technology, including
Internet connections, and the availability of well-
trained, professionally certified school library media
specialists, in schools served by the local educational
agency;
‘‘(2) a description of the manner in which the
local educational agency will use the needs assess-
ment to assist schools with the greatest need for
school library media improvement;
‘‘(3) a description of the manner in which the
local educational agency will use the funds provided
through the allocation to carry out the activities de-
scribed in section 2356;
‘‘(4) a description of the manner in which the
local educational agency will develop and carry out
the activities described in section 2356 with the ex-
tensive participation of school library media special-
ists, elementary school and secondary school teach-
ers and administrators, and parents;
‘‘(5) a description of the manner in which the
local educational agency will effectively coordinate—
‘‘(A) funds provided under this subpart
with the Federal, State, and local funds re-
ceived by the agency for literacy, library, tech-
nology, and professional development activities;
and
‘‘(B) activities carried out under this sub-
part with the Federal, State, and local library,
technology, and professional development activi-
ties carried out by the local educational agency;
and
‘‘(6) a description of the manner in which the
local educational agency will collect and analyze data
on the quality and impact of activities carried out
under this subpart by schools served by the local
educational agency.
‘‘SEC. 2356. LOCAL ACTIVITIES.
‘‘A local educational agency that receives a local allo-
cation under section 2354 may use the funds made avail-
able through the allocation—
‘‘(1) to acquire up-to-date school library media
resources, including books;
‘‘(2) to acquire and utilize advanced technology,
incorporated into the curricula of the schools, to de-
velop and enhance the information literacy, informa-
tion retrieval, and critical thinking skills of students;
‘‘(3) to acquire and utilize advanced technology,
including Internet links, to facilitate resource-shar-
ing among schools and school library media centers,
and public and academic libraries, where possible;
‘‘(4) to provide professional development oppor-
tunities for school library media specialists; and
‘‘(5) to foster increased collaboration between
school library media specialists and elementary
school and secondary school teachers and adminis-
trators.
‘‘SEC. 2357. ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUATION OF
FUNDS.
‘‘Each local educational agency that receives funding
under this subpart for a fiscal year shall be eligible to con-
tinue to receive the funding—
‘‘(1) for each of the 2 following fiscal years; and
‘‘(2) for each fiscal year subsequent to the 2
following fiscal years, if the local educational agency
demonstrates that the agency has increased—
‘‘(A) the availability of, and the access of
students, school library media specialists, and
elementary school and secondary school teach-
ers to, up-to-date school library media re-
sources, including books and advanced tech-
nology, in elementary schools and secondary
schools served by the local educational agency;
‘‘(B) the number of well-trained, profes-
sionally certified school library media specialists
in those schools; and
‘‘(C) collaboration between school library
media specialists and elementary school and
secondary school teachers and administrators
for those schools.
‘‘SEC. 2358. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.
‘‘Funds made available under this subpart shall be
used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State,
and local funds expended to carry out activities relating
to library, technology, or professional development activi-
ties.
‘‘SEC. 2359. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
‘‘The Secretary shall reserve not more than 3 percent
of the amount appropriated under section 2360 for a fiscal
year—
‘‘(1) for an annual, independent, national eval-
uation of the activities assisted under this subpart,
to be conducted not later than 3 years after the date
of enactment of this subpart; and
‘‘(2) to broadly disseminate information to help
States, local educational agencies, school library
media specialists, and elementary school and sec-
ondary school teachers and administrators learn
about effective school library media programs.
‘‘SEC. 2360. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this subpart $475,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003
through 2006.
‘‘Subpart 2—School Library Access Program
‘‘SEC. 2361. PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants
to local educational agencies to provide students with ac-
cess to libraries in elementary schools and secondary
schools during non-school hours, including the hours be-
fore and after school, weekends, and summer vacation pe-
riods.
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a
grant under subsection (a), a local educational agency
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In making grants under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to local educational
agencies that demonstrate, in applications submitted
under subsection (b), that the agencies—
‘‘(1) seek to provide activities that will increase
literacy skills and student achievement;
‘‘(2) have effectively coordinated services and
funding with entities involved in other Federal,
State, and local efforts, to provide programs and ac-
tivities for students during the non-school hours de-
scribed in subsection (a); and
‘‘(3) have a high level of community support.
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2006.’’.
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