To establish the National Advisory Committee on Rural Education in the Department of Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SCORE (Strengthening Community 
Opportunities through Rural Education) Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established in the Department of Education an advisory 
committee to be known as the ``National Advisory Committee on Rural 
Education'' (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Advisory 
Committee'').

SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS.

    The Advisory Committee shall study the unique challenges faced by 
rural public school systems in providing elementary and secondary 
education, including whether and how any of the following factors 
affect those unique challenges:
            (1) Difficulty in attracting and retaining new teachers.
            (2) Deficient or inadequate school facilities and 
        infrastructure.
            (3) Deficient or inadequate transportation infrastructure.
            (4) Difficulty in effectively incorporating information 
        technology.
            (5) Decreasing number of recent postsecondary graduates 
        returning to rural communities.
            (6) Limited and varied levels of funding.

SEC. 4. COMPOSITION.

    (a) In General.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed of 21 
members who shall serve for the life of the Advisory Committee.
    (b) Chair.--The Secretary of Education (hereinafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') or the designee of the Secretary 
shall be a member of the Advisory Committee and shall serve as the 
chair of the Advisory Committee.
    (c) Secretary of Agriculture.--The Secretary of Agriculture or the 
designee of the Secretary of Agriculture shall be a member of the 
Advisory Committee.
    (d) Appointed Members.--
            (1) The chair shall appoint the other 19 members in a 
        manner that ensures that the membership of the Advisory 
        Committee is fairly balanced in terms of the points of view 
        represented and the functions to be performed by the Advisory 
        Committee.
            (2) Such members shall be selected from among experts on 
        rural public school systems. For the purposes of this 
        paragraph, the term ``experts on rural public school systems'' 
        means any of the following:
                    (A) Teachers from such school systems.
                    (B) Administrators from such school systems.
                    (C) Members of school boards for such school 
                systems.
                    (D) Other individuals with experience or 
                qualifications that the Secretary determines relevant.
            (3) Not less than 1 member shall be an individual with 
        expertise on incorporating and expanding the role of 
        information technology in providing education in rural public 
        school systems.
            (4) Not less than 1 member shall be an individual who is 
        not a full-time or permanent part-time officer or employee of 
        the Federal Government.
            (5) The chair shall fill a vacancy on the Advisory 
        Committee in the same manner in which the original appointment 
        was made.

SEC. 5. BYLAWS AND PROCEDURES.

    (a) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of a 
majority of the members of the Advisory Committee.
    (b) Quorum.--Eleven members of the Advisory Committee shall 
constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (c) Members Not To Be Considered Federal Officers or Employees.--By 
reason of their service on the Advisory Committee, members of the 
Committee shall not be considered to be officers or employees of the 
Federal Government for purposes of any Federal law.
    (d) Travel Expenses.--Each member may receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) In General.--The Advisory Committee may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, and receive evidence as the Advisory Committee 
determines appropriate.
    (b) Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the Advisory 
Committee may, if authorized by the Advisory Committee, take any action 
that the Advisory Committee is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Mails.--The Advisory Committee may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments 
and agencies of the United States.
    (d) Contracts.--To the extent or in the amounts provided in advance 
in appropriation Acts, the Advisory Committee may contract with and 
compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies or 
services, without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes. The 
Advisory Committee may not enter into a contract if the terms of the 
contract extend beyond the date the Advisory Committee terminates.

SEC. 7. STAFF.

    On request of the Advisory Committee, the Secretary of Education 
shall detail, on a reimbursable basis, not more than 4 personnel of the 
Department of Education to the Advisory Committee to assist the 
Advisory Committee in carrying out this Act.

SEC. 8. REPORT.

    Two times each year, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the 
Congress and the President and publish a report that--
            (1) identifies the unique challenges faced by rural public 
        school systems in providing elementary and secondary education; 
        and
            (2) makes policy recommendations on a national effort to 
        reform rural education by addressing or overcoming those 
        challenges.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Advisory Committee shall terminate on the date that is 2 years 
after the effective date of this Act.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, to remain 
available for the life of the Advisory Committee, such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

Summary: SCORE (Strengthening Community Opportunities through Rural Education) Act of 2009 - Establishes, in the Department of Education, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Education to study, and make policy recommendations for overcoming, the unique challenges faced by rural public elementary and secondary school systems, including: (1) difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers; (2) deficient or inadequate school or transportation facilities; (3) difficulties in effectively incorporating information technology; (4) dwindling numbers of recent postsecondary graduates returning to rural communities; and (5) limited and varied levels of funding.

Requires the Secretary of Education or the Secretary's designee to appoint Advisory Committee members from among experts on rural public school systems.