In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
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Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor 
Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL.

    After September 1, 2001, the President may award, and present in 
the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design, with 
ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who is cited by 
the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor 
Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of 
duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor shall be the highest national 
award for valor by a public safety officer.

SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR BOARD.

    (a) Establishment of Board.--There is established a Medal of Valor 
Review Board (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Board''), 
which shall be composed of 11 members appointed in accordance with 
subsection (b) and shall conduct its business in accordance with this 
Act.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Members.--The members of the Board shall be individuals 
        with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or training, 
        in the field of public safety, of which--
                    (A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader 
                of the Senate;
                    (B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader 
                of the Senate;
                    (C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives;
                    (D) two shall be appointed by the minority leader 
                of the House of Representatives; and
                    (E) three shall be appointed by the President, 
                including one with experience in firefighting, one with 
                experience in law enforcement, and one with experience 
                in emergency services.
            (2) Term.--The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.
            (3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Board 
        shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be filled in 
        the same manner as the original appointment.
            (4) Operation of the board.--
                    (A) Chairman.--The Chairman of the Board shall be 
                elected by the members of the Board from among the 
                members of the Board.
                    (B) Meetings.--The Board shall conduct its first 
                meeting not later than 90 days after the appointment of 
                the last member appointed of the initial group of 
                members appointed to the Board. Thereafter, the Board 
                shall meet at the call of the Chairman of the Board. 
                The Board shall meet not less often than twice each 
                year.
                    (C) Voting and rules.--A majority of the members 
                shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the 
                Board may establish a lesser quorum for conducting 
                hearings scheduled by the Board. The Board may 
                establish by majority vote any other rules for the 
                conduct of the Board's business, if such rules are not 
                inconsistent with this Act or other applicable law.
    (c) Duties.--The Board shall select candidates as recipients of the 
Medal of Valor from among those applications received by the National 
Medal of Valor Office. Not more often than once each year, the Board 
shall present to the Attorney General the name or names of those it 
recommends as Medal of Valor recipients. In a given year, the Board 
shall not be required to select any recipients but may not select more 
than 5 recipients. The Attorney General may in extraordinary cases 
increase the number of recipients in a given year. The Board shall set 
an annual timetable for fulfilling its duties under this Act.
    (d) Hearings.--
            (1) In general.--The Board may hold such hearings, sit and 
        act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take such 
        testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board considers 
        advisable to carry out its duties.
            (2) Witness expenses.--Witnesses requested to appear before 
        the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to witnesses 
        under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code. The per 
        diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be paid from 
        funds appropriated to the Board.
    (e) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Board may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Board considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon the request of 
the Board, the head of such department or agency may furnish such 
information to the Board.
    (f) Information To Be Kept Confidential.--The Board shall not 
disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law 
enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to be kept 
confidential.

SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph 
(2), each member of the Board shall be compensated at a rate equal to 
the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which 
such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Board.
    (2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or employees of 
the United States, a State, or a local government, shall serve without 
compensation in addition to that received for those services.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Board shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of service for the Board.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Public safety officer.--The term ``public safety 
        officer'' means a person serving a public agency, with or 
        without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement 
        officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the 
        Attorney General. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term 
        ``law enforcement officer'' includes a person who is a 
        corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
        Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR OFFICE.

    There is established within the Department of Justice a National 
Medal of Valor Office. The Office shall provide staff support to the 
Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of 
recommendations of nominees for the Medal of Valor and for the final 
design of the Medal of Valor.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

    Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2214) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following 
        new subsection (a):
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established an honorary award 
for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by public 
safety officers to be known as the Director's Award For Distinguished 
Public Safety Service (`Director's Award').'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by striking ``(2)'';
            (3) by striking subsections (c) and (d) and redesignating 
        subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), 
        respectively; and
            (4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by striking ``(2)''.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

    The Board shall consult with the Institute of Heraldry within the 
Department of Defense regarding the design and artistry of the Medal of 
Valor. The Board may also consider suggestions received by the 
Department of Justice regarding the design of the medal, including 
those made by persons not employed by the Department.

            Passed the Senate May 14, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
107th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 39

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To provide a national medal for public safety officers who act with 
 extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty, and for other 
                               purposes.

Answer: Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 - Allows the President to award, and present in the name of the Congress, a Medal of Valor to a public safety officer cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. Provides that the Public Safety Medal of Valor shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.Establishes a Medal of Valor Review Board to select candidates to receive the Medal from among applications received by the National Medal of Valor Office. Requires the Board to consult with the Institute of Heraldry in the Department of Defense regarding the design of the Medal.Authorizes appropriations.Establishes within the Department of Justice a National Medal of Valor Office to provide staff support to the Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of nominee recommendations for the Medal and for the final design of the Medal.Amends the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to establish an honorary Director's (Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency) Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by public safety officers (repeals provisions regarding the President's Award for Outstanding Public Safety Service and the Secretary of Commerce's Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service).


Question: SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) It is in the national interest that all citizens, 
        including active-duty service members, be allowed to vote in 
        Federal elections.
            (2) Since 1977, active-duty service members serving 
        overseas or on the United States mainland have been excluded 
        from fully participating and voting in both general and runoff 
        Federal elections in American Samoa due to several factors, 
        including local law that requires active duty military members 
        to register in person, limited air and mail service between the 
        U.S. mainland and American Samoa, and delays in the preparation 
        of new ballots in the case of runoff elections.
            (3) American Samoa law requiring uniformed service voters 
        to register to vote in person is contrary to the Uniformed and 
        Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et 
        seq.).
            (4) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
        has been in effect for over 15 years, and American Samoa has 
        not addressed this discrepancy between Federal and territorial 
        law, despite notice that the discrepancy exists.
            (5) It is necessary to take additional action to ensure 
        that the votes of uniformed voters are counted in Federal 
        elections conducted in American Samoa and that active duty 
        service members (including reservists called to active duty) do 
        not need to appear in person to register to vote.
            (6) It is necessary to state that the Uniformed and 
        Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act supersedes American Samoa 
        law and American Samoa must comply with this Federal law.
            (7) It is also in the national interest that, to the extent 
        possible, Members of the United States House of Representatives 
        and non-voting Delegates be elected in the first week of 
        November in even-numbered years.
            (8) Since 1980, when the first election for the 
        Congressional Delegate from American Samoa was held, there have 
        been several general elections at which there was no final 
        resolution of who was elected as the Delegate for the next 
        Congress, and run-off elections were required.
            (9) When the outcome of the Delegate election is not 
        resolved until a runoff election is held, a final determination 
        of who the Delegate will be is not made known until late 
        November.
            (10) A delayed outcome may place a newly elected Delegate 
        in a more junior position to other Members of Congress elected 
        on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in an 
        election year.
            (11) When more than 2 candidates file to run for election 
        for the office of Delegate, holding a primary election to 
        reduce the number of candidates to 2 will greatly increase the 
        likelihood that the general election will produce a candidate 
        who receives a majority of the votes cast.

SEC. 2. PRIMARY ELECTION REQUIRED.

    Section 2(a) of the Act entitled ``An Act to provide that the 
Territory of American Samoa be represented by a nonvoting Delegate to 
the United States House of Representatives, and for other purposes'', 
approved October 31, 1978 (48 U.S.C. 1732(a)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(2) In any general election year when 3 or more eligible 
individuals file by the first Tuesday of July as candidates for the 
office of Delegate, a primary election shall be held on the first 
Tuesday of August of that general election year. If the primary 
election results in 1 candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the 
votes cast, then that candidate shall be the only candidate on the 
ballot for the general election for Delegate that year. If the primary 
election results in no candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the 
votes cast, then the 2 candidates receiving the most votes cast shall 
be on the ballot for the general election year. If there is a tie for 
the 2 candidates receiving the most votes, the names of the 2 
candidates shall be listed on the ballot for that general election 
year.
    ``(3) Candidates for the office of Delegate to the United States 
House of Representatives must file their candidacy not later than the 
first Tuesday of July each year that a general election referred to in 
paragraph (1) is scheduled to be held.''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    Section 4 of the Act entitled ``An Act to provide that the 
Territory of American Samoa be represented by a nonvoting Delegate to 
the United States House of Representatives, and for other purposes'', 
approved October 31, 1978 (48 U.S.C. 1734), is amended by inserting 
``in a general Federal election'' after ``ties between candidates''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on January 1, 
2003.

Answer: Declares that it is necessary to state that the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act supersedes American Samoa law and American Samoa must comply with it.Requires a primary election to be held in American Samoa on the first Tuesday of August of any general election year when three or more eligible individuals have filed by the first Tuesday of July as candidates for the office of Delegate representing American Samoa in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCE.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``GEAR UP 
Enhancement Act of 2007''.
    (b) References.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever 
in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference 
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.).

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 1998, Congress created the Gaining Early Awareness 
        and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) following 
        the leadership and innovation of successful programs such as 
        Say Yes to Education, 21st Century Scholars Program, Tell Them 
        We Are Rising, ``I Have a Dream'' Foundation, Project GRAD, and 
        others. GEAR UP, originally conceived of as High Hopes, is now 
        one of the most innovative and successful national college 
        access programs.
            (2) Though college has become a reality for more families 
        now than ever before, an opportunity gap continues to exist in 
        which low-income students are far less likely to earn a high 
        school diploma, and enroll in and complete college. Whereas 
        73.9 percent of all students nationally graduate from high 
        school, only 52.1 percent of children from low-income families 
        achieve this educational milestone. While 76 percent of high-
        income high school graduates enroll in college or trade school, 
        only 49 percent of low-income graduates do so.
            (3) Since its enactment, GEAR UP has served approximately 2 
        million students in 48 states, the District of Columbia, 
        American Samoa, Guam, Palau and Puerto Rico. The Department of 
        Education reports that 84.4 percent of the first class of GEAR 
        UP students graduated from high school, while only 52.1 percent 
        of low-income students and 73.9 percent all students nationally 
        achieved this same educational milestone. An ACT study found 
        that students from GEAR UP schools had greater changes in 
        academic performance, were more likely to be on track to be 
        college-ready in English and Reading, more likely to take the 
        core high school curriculum, and more likely to have plans for 
        college at grade 10.

SEC. 3. AWARD PERIOD; PRIORITY.

    Section 404A(b) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-21(b)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Award period.--The Secretary may award a grant under 
        this chapter to an eligible entity described in paragraphs (1) 
        and (2) of subsection (c) for 7 years.
            ``(3) Priority.--In making awards to eligible entities 
        described in subsection (c)(1), the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) give priority to eligible entities that--
                            ``(i) on the day before the date of 
                        enactment of the GEAR UP Enhancement Act of 
                        2007, carried out successful educational 
                        opportunity programs under this chapter (as 
                        this chapter was in effect on such day); and
                            ``(ii) have a prior, demonstrated 
                        commitment to early intervention leading to 
                        college access through collaboration and 
                        replication of successful strategies; and
                    ``(B) ensure that students served under this 
                chapter on the day before the date of enactment of the 
                GEAR UP Enhancement Act of 2007 continue to receive 
                assistance through the completion of secondary 
                school.''.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS: CONTINUITY OF SERVICES.

    (a) Cohort Approach.--Section 404B(g)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-22(g)(1)) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
            (2) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and provide the option of 
                continued services through the student's first year of 
                attendance at an institution of higher education'' 
                after ``grade level''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) provide services under this chapter to 
                students who have received services under a previous 
                GEAR UP grant award but have not yet completed the 12th 
                grade.''.
    (b) Early Intervention.--Section 404D (20 U.S.C. 1070a-24) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of clause 
                (iii) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iv) the transition to college or post-
                        secondary education through continuity of 
                        services to support students in and through the 
                        first year of attendance at an institution of 
                        higher education.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting ``and students in 
        the first year of attendance at an institution of higher 
        education'' after ``grade 12''; and
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``, and may consider 
        students in their first year of attendance at an institution,'' 
        after ``grade 12''.

SEC. 5. FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 404C (20 U.S.C. 1070a-23) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``and accrued 
                over the full duration of the grant award period'' 
                after ``in cash or in kind'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
                following new sentence: ``Eligible entities may request 
                reduced match percentage at the time of application or 
                by petition at any time during the grant award 
                period.''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(3) Additional special rule.--To encourage eligible 
        entities described in 404A(c) to provide students under this 
        chapter with financial assistance for post-secondary education, 
        each dollar of non-Federal funds obligated under subsection 
        (c)(1) and (c)(2) shall, for purposes of paragraph (1)(A) of 
        this subsection, be treated as 2 dollars.''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paid to 
                students from State, local, institutional, or private 
                funds under this chapter'' and inserting ``obligated to 
                students from state, local, institutional, or private 
                funds under this chapter, including pre-existing , non-
                federal financial assistance programs'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (2);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (3); and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) other resources recognized by the Secretary, 
        including equipment and supplies, cash contribution from non-
        Federal sources, transportation expenses, in-kind or discounted 
        program services, indirect costs, and facility usage.''.

SEC. 6. EARLY INTERVENTION.

    Section 404D (20 U.S.C. 1070a-24) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii), by striking ``and academic 
        counseling'' and inserting ``, academic counseling, and 
        financial literacy and economic literacy education or 
        counseling'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(2), by adding at the end the 
        following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(F) Fostering and improving parent and family 
                involvement in elementary and secondary education by 
                promoting the advantages of a college education, and 
                emphasizing academic admission requirements and the 
                need to take college preparation courses, through 
                parent engagement and leadership activities.
                    ``(G) Engaging entities described in section 
                404A(c)(2)(C) in a collaborative manner to provide 
                matching resources and participate in other activities 
                authorized under this section.
                    ``(H) Disseminating information that promotes the 
                importance of higher education, explains college 
                preparation and admission requirements, and raises 
                awareness of the resources and services provided by the 
                eligible entities described in section 404A(c) to 
                eligible students, their families, and communities.''; 
                and
            (3) by adding at the end of subsection (b) the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(3) Additional permissible activities for states.--In 
        meeting the requirements of subsection (a), an eligible entity 
        described in section 404A(c) (1) receiving funds under this 
        chapter may, in addition to the activities authorized by 
        paragraph (2), use funds to providing technical assistance to--
                    ``(A) middle schools or secondary schools that are 
                located within the State; or
                    ``(B) partnerships described in section 404A(c)(2) 
                that are located within the State.''.

SEC. 7. SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENT.

    Section 404E (20 U.S.C. 1070a-25) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``scholarships to 
        students to supplement aid for which they are regularly 
        eligible'' after ``shall establish or maintain a financial 
        assistance program that awards'';
            (2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``scholarships to 
        students to supplement aid for which they are regularly 
        eligible'' after ``An eligible entity described in section 
        404A(c)(2) may award'';
            (3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``the maximum Federal 
        Pell Grant'' and inserting ``the minimum Federal Pell Grant''.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 404H (20 U.S.C. 1070a-31) is amended by striking 
``$200,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting 
``$500,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 6 succeeding fiscal years''.

Answer:
GEAR UP Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) created to facilitate the transition of low-income high school students into postsecondary education.

Establishes a seven year GEAR UP grant period.

Requires grantees to provide services to students through their first year of postsecondary education.

Revises GEAR UP matching requirements to allow: (1) matching funds to accrue over the duration of a grant; (2) grantees to request that the match be reduced; and (3) each non-federal dollar obligated for student financial aid to be treated as two dollars toward the match.

Expands permissible uses of grant funds to include promoting student financial and economic literacy and facilitating family and community involvement in the program. Permits state grantees to use program funds for technical assistance to middle or secondary schools or partnership grantees located in the state.

Provides that GEAR UP scholarships are to supplement aid to which students are already eligible. Alters the formula used in determining the minimum GEAR UP scholarship to factor in the minimum, rather than maximum, Pell Grant.

Reauthorizes GEAR UP appropriations through FY2014.