with a job in any occupational field, which alter-
nation shall be planned and supervised by the school
and employer so that each contributes to the edu-
cation and employability of the individual, and may
include an arrangement in which work periods and
school attendance may be on alternate half days, full
days, weeks, or other periods of time in fulfilling the
cooperative program.
‘‘(6) DISPLACED HOMEMAKER.—The term ‘dis-
placed homemaker’ means an individual who—
‘‘(A) has worked primarily without remu-
neration to care for a home and family, and for
that reason has diminished marketable skills; or
‘‘(B) is a parent whose youngest dependent
child will become ineligible to receive assistance
under title I of the Personal Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
not later than 2 years after the date of which
the parent applies for assistance under this
title.
‘‘(7) EDUCATIONAL
SERVICE
AGENCY.—The
term ‘educational service agency’ means a regional
public multiservice agency authorized by State stat-
ute to develop and manage a service or program and
provide the service or program to a local educational
agency.
‘‘(8) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘eligible
recipient’ means a local educational agency, an area
vocational-technical education school, an educational
service agency, an institution of higher education (as
such term is defined in section 1201(a) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a))), and
a consortium of such entities.
‘‘(9) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘local educational agency’ has the meaning given
such term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
‘‘(10) OUTLYING
AREA.—The term ‘outlying
area’ means the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia,
and the Republic of Palau.
‘‘(11) REPRESENTATIVES
OF
EMPLOYEES.—
The term ‘representatives of employees’ means—
‘‘(A) individuals who have been elected by
organizations, associations, or a network of
similar institutions to represent the economic
interests of employees at a significant segment
of workplaces; or
‘‘(B) individuals from organizations, asso-
ciations, or a network of similar institutions,
with expertise to represent, or experience rep-
resenting, the interests of employees with re-
spect to vocational-technical education.
‘‘(12) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘second-
ary school’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
‘‘(13) SPECIAL POPULATIONS.—The term ‘spe-
cial populations’ means individuals with disabilities,
economically disadvantaged individuals, individuals
of limited English proficiency, and individuals par-
ticipating in nontraditional training and employ-
ment.
‘‘(14) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘Secretary’
means the Secretary of Education.
‘‘(15) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of
the several States of the United States, the District
of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
‘‘(16) TECH-PREP PROGRAM.—The term ‘tech-
prep program’ means a program of study that—
‘‘(A) combines at least 2 years of second-
ary education (as determined under State law)
and 2 years of postsecondary education in a
nonduplicative sequential course of study;
‘‘(B) strengthens the applied academic
component of vocational-technical education
through the integration of academic and voca-
tional-technical instruction;
‘‘(C) provides technical preparation in an
area such as engineering technology, applied
science, a mechanical, industrial, or practical
art or trade, agriculture, a health occupation,
business, or applied economics;
‘‘(D) builds student competence in mathe-
matics, science, and communications (including
through applied academics) in a coherent se-
quence of courses; and
‘‘(E) leads to an associate degree or a cer-
tificate in a specific career field and to high
skill, high wage employment or further edu-
cation.
‘‘(17) VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL
EDUCATION.—
The term ‘vocational-technical education’ means or-
ganized educational programs that—
‘‘(A) offer a sequence of courses that pro-
vide individuals with the academic knowledge
and skills the individuals need to prepare for
further education and careers in current or
emerging occupations which require other than
a baccalaureate or an advanced degree; and
‘‘(B) include competency-based applied
learning that contributes to the academic
knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-
solving skills, work attitudes, general employ-
ability skills, and occupation-specific skills, of
an individual.
‘‘(18) VOCATIONAL STUDENT ORGANIZATION.—
The term ‘vocational student organization’ means an
organization, for individuals enrolled in programs of
vocational-technical education programs, that en-
gages in programs as an integral part of the instruc-
tional component of such programs, which organiza-
tion may have State and national units.’’.
SEC. 402. REPEAL OF SMITH-HUGHES VOCATIONAL EDU-
CATION ACT.
The Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929; 20
U.S.C. 11) (commonly known as the ‘‘Smith-Hughes Vo-
cational Education Act’’) is repealed.
SEC. 403. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Except as otherwise provided, the repeals and amend-
ments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of
the enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical
Education Act Amendments of 1997.
Passed the House of Representatives July 22, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.