Saving Humanities, Arts, and Resources for Education Networking Act of 2000 (SHARE Net Act)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Saving Humanities, Arts, and 
Resources for Education Networking Act of 2000'' (SHARE Net Act).

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Morrill Acts enacted in 1862 and 1890 brought about 
        a significant change in the system of education in the United 
        States by providing for the sale of public lands in the West 
        and the dedication of the proceeds of those sales to funding 
        the establishment of practical, accessible land grant colleges 
        and universities in States across the Nation.
            (2) The land grant colleges and universities have a focus 
        on research, teaching, and outreach, and continue to this day 
        to be leaders in higher education by providing affordable 
        access to high-quality postsecondary education.
            (3) The land grant colleges and universities also have 
        emerged as one of the greatest sources of advanced research 
        that leverages the United States economy and powers the United 
        States global competitiveness.
            (4) The land grant colleges and universities, in 
        conjunction with the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
        Extension Service, serve to disseminate information learned 
        from research and link research activities to larger societal 
        needs.
            (5) The potential of advanced Internet, digital spectrum, 
        and other telecommunications technologies to increase the 
        quality and reach of educational resources has barely been 
        tapped.
            (6) Numerous local and regional educational and community 
        organizations are repositories of knowledge, information, and 
        educational resources and programs that, in terms of 
        accessibility to the potential beneficiaries, are fragmented 
        and uncoordinated.
            (7) The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Balanced 
        Budget Act of 1997 established a framework for the transition 
        from analog to digital television and for the auction of 
        publicly-owned analog spectrum.
            (8) The auction of the analog spectrum is expected to yield 
        over $6,000,000,000 in revenues for the Treasury of the United 
        States.
            (9) The analog spectrum, as a valuable, publicly-owned 
        asset, is today's equivalent of the public lands of the western 
        frontier of a century ago.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, following 
the principle of the Morrill Acts that public assets be used for 
broadening public education, the resources available through the 
auction of the analog spectrum should be tapped to fund the development 
of a new educational and cultural infrastructure that utilizes today's 
technologies to expand the reach and impact of existing high-quality 
community educational resources.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education may carry out a 
        grant program to support efforts to achieve the goal set forth 
        in subsection (b).
            (2) Designation.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
        be known as a ``SHARE Net Grant''.
    (b) Goal.--The goal referred to in subsection (a)(1) is to develop 
a comprehensive, accessible, high-tech infrastructure of educational 
and cultural resources for non-profit institutions, individuals, and 
others for educational purposes through a systematic effort to 
coordinate, link, and enhance existing specialized resources and 
expertise in public and private cultural and educational institutions.
    (c) Eligible Recipients.--Under the grant program the Secretary may 
award a grant to any consortium (hereafter in this section referred to 
as a ``partnership'') consisting of not less than 3 organizations from 
not less than 3 of the following categories of organizations:
            (1) Institutions of a higher education.
            (2) Libraries.
            (3) Public radio and television stations.
            (4) Museums.
            (5) Arts and cultural institutions.
            (6) State educational agencies.
            (7) Local educational agencies.
            (8) Public interest, not-for-profit organizations.
    (d) Use of Grant Funds.--
            (1) Mandatory.--A partnership awarded a grant under this 
        section shall use the grant funds for the following purposes:
                    (A) Efforts to achieve goal.--To support the 
                efforts of the partnership to achieve the goal 
                described in subsection (b).
                    (B) Survey of available resources.--To survey and 
                catalogue the educational resources of participants in 
                the partnership and other institutions in the community 
                to determine the breadth, quality, and accessibility of 
                the resources.
                    (C) Technological linkage.--To link the resources 
                of the participants and others to each other and to the 
                larger community through technology.
                    (D) Strengthening of resources.--To improve the 
                quality of and develop new educational programming to 
                address deficiencies in the available resources.
                    (E) Increased access to resources.--To broaden 
                access to the available resources.
            (2) Permissive.--A partnership awarded a grant under this 
        section may use the grant funds to provide for cooperative 
        programs with educational institutions to offer--
                    (A) high-quality professional development and 
                training in elementary and secondary education; or
                    (B) courses leading to a postsecondary degree.
    (e) Application for Grant.--Each partnership desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education 
in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. Each such application shall include the following:
            (1) Survey of available resources.--A description of how 
        the partnership will survey the educational resources of the 
        participants in the partnership and others in relation to the 
        goal described in subsection (b).
            (2) Technological linkage.--A description of how the 
        partnership will link the resources of the participants and 
        others to each other and to the larger community through 
        technology.
            (3) Enhancement of resources.--A description of how the 
        efforts of the partnership will enhance the quality and 
        interactivity of the resources.
            (4) Additional educational programming.--A description of 
        how the partnership will develop any additional educational 
        programming determined to be necessary.
            (5) Outreach.--A description of how the partnership will 
        reach out to the larger community, other cultural institutions, 
        elementary schools, secondary schools, postsecondary 
        educational institutions, and the public to recruit their 
        participation and active involvement in the system developed in 
        order to coordinate, link, and enhance, through technology, 
        existing specialized resources and expertise in public and 
        private cultural and educational institutions.
    (f) Matching Requirement.--Each partnership receiving a grant under 
this section shall provide matching funds, in an amount equal to 50 
percent of the amount received under the grant, to support the costs of 
activities assisted under the grant.
    (g) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section the Secretary 
of Education shall give priority to a partnership--
            (1) that serves a low-income community; or
            (2) with a membership that is broadly representative of the 
        region or State to be served under the grant.
    (h) Geographic Diversity.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary 
of Education shall ensure that grants under this section are awarded to 
partnerships serving different geographic areas of the United States.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of Education to carry out this section 
$1,200,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

Summary: Authorizes the Secretary of Education to carry out a SHARE Net Grant program to develop a comprehensive, accessible, high-tech infrastructure of educational and cultural resources for nonprofit institutions, individuals, and others for educational purposes through a systematic effort to coordinate, link, and enhance existing specialized resources and expertise in public and private cultural and educational institutions.
Allows such grants to be made to partnerships with at least three organizations from at least three of these categories: (1) institutions of a higher education; (2) libraries; (3) public radio and  television stations;  (4) museums; (5) arts and cultural institutions; (6) State educational agencies; (7) local educational agencies; and (8) public interest, not-for-profit organizations.
Sets forth mandatory and permissible uses of grant funds, and application and matching funds requirements. Requires grant award priority to be given to partnerships that: (1) serve a low-income community; or (2) have a membership that is broadly representative of the region or State to be served.
Authorizes appropriations.