I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 737 
To authorize a State to transfer or consolidate funds made available to 
such State under certain transportation, education, and job training 
programs after the United States experiences economic growth at an 
annual rate of less than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2009 
Mr. HOEKSTRA (for himself, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. 
GALLEGLY, Mr. PAUL, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, and Mr. LINDER) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and Ways and Means, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize a State to transfer or consolidate funds made 
available to such State under certain transportation, edu-
cation, and job training programs after the United States 
experiences economic growth at an annual rate of less 
than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters. 
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 ‘‘State Temporary Eco-
nomic Priority (STEP) Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
It is the purpose of this Act to authorize a State to 
transfer or consolidate funds made available to such State 
under certain transportation, education, and job training 
programs after the United States experiences economic 
growth at an annual rate of less than 1 percent for 2 cal-
endar quarters. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER OR CONSOLIDATE CER-
TAIN FUNDS. 
(a) AUTHORITY AVAILABLE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A State may transfer or 
consolidate funds under subsections (b), (c), and (d) 
beginning with the calendar quarter after the United 
States experiences economic growth at an annual 
rate of less than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters 
and continuing until 18 months after the United 
States experiences economic growth at an annual 
rate of 1 percent or more for 2 calendar quarters. 
(2) TREATMENT
OF
TRANSFERRED
OR
CON-
SOLIDATED FUNDS.—Funds transferred or consoli-
dated under subsections (b), (c), or (d) shall be used 
in accordance with the statutory and regulatory re-
quirements applicable to the program to which the 
funds are transferred or consolidated. 
(b) TRANSPORTATION FUNDS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In applying subsection (a), a 
State may transfer, in such amounts as the State 
determines appropriate, any funds apportioned and 
allocated to such State from amounts made available 
from the Highway Trust Fund (26 U.S.C. 9503 et 
seq.), other than the Mass Transit Account, to any 
of the apportionments and allocations for the fol-
lowing programs authorized by title 23, United 
States Code: 
(A) The interstate maintenance program 
under section 119. 
(B) The National Highway System under 
section 103(b). 
(C) The surface transportation program 
under section 133. 
(D) The highway bridge replacement and 
rehabilitation program under section 144. 
(2) EXEMPT
TRANSPORTATION
FUNDS.—The 
funds made available for the highway safety im-
provement programs authorized by section 148 and 
chapter 4 of title 23, United States Code, shall not 
be subject to transfer or consolidation under sub-
section (a). 
(c) FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDS.—In applying sub-
section (a), a State may, in such amounts as the State 
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determines appropriate from any funds made available to 
such State under any formula grant programs carried out 
under any of the following provisions of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.), transfer or consolidate such funds between and 
among such programs: 
(1) Part A of title I (Improving Basic Pro-
grams Operated by Local Educational Agencies). 
(2) Subpart 1 of part B of title I (Reading 
First). 
(3) Subpart 3 of part B of title I (William F. 
Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs). 
(4) Subpart 4 of part B of title I (Improving 
Literacy Through School Libraries). 
(5) Part C of title I (Education of Migratory 
Children). 
(6) Part D of title I (Prevention and Interven-
tion Programs for Children and Youth who are Ne-
glected, Delinquent, or At-Risk). 
(7) Part F of title I (Comprehensive School Re-
form). 
(8) Part H of title I (School Dropout Preven-
tion). 
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(9) Subpart 1 of part A of title II (Teacher and 
Principal Training and Recruiting Fund (Grants to 
States)). 
(10) Part B of title II (Mathematics and 
Science Partnerships). 
(11) Part D of title II (Enhancing Education 
Through Technology). 
(12) Part A of title III (English Language Ac-
quisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic 
Achievement). 
(13) Part A of title IV (Safe and Drug-Free 
Schools and Communities). 
(14) Part B of title IV (21st Century Commu-
nity Learning Centers). 
(15) Subpart 2 of part A of title V (Innovative 
Programs (State Programs)). 
(16) Subpart 1 of part A of title VI (Improving 
Academic Achievement (Accountability)). 
(d) JOB TRAINING FUNDS.—In applying subsection 
(a), a State may, in such amounts as the State determines 
appropriate from any funds made available to such State 
under the following job training programs, transfer or con-
solidate such funds between and among such programs: 
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(1) Any formula grant program carried out 
under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
U.S.C. 2801 et seq.). 
(2) Any funds made available to the State 
under part II of subchapter B of chapter 2 of title 
II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2295 et 
seq.). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act— 
(1) the phrase ‘‘economic growth at an annual 
rate of less than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters’’ 
means, that for 2 consecutive calendar quarters, real 
gross domestic product, as announced by Bureau of 
Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce, 
has experienced— 
(A) an annual rate of decrease for such 
quarters; 
(B) no change in the annual rate for such 
quarters; or 
(C) an increase at an annual rate of less 
than 1 percent for such quarters; and 
(2) the phrase ‘‘economic growth at an annual 
rate of 1 percent or more for 2 calendar quarters’’ 
means an increase in real gross domestic product at 
an annual rate of 1 percent or more for 2 consecu-
tive calendar quarters, as announced by the Bureau 
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of Economic Analysis of the Department of Com-
merce for such quarters. 
Æ 
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