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

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Student Dropout Prevention 
and Recovery Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Lowering the student dropout rate is one of the most 
        significant challenges facing educators today. Students must 
        stay in school in order to receive the education they need to 
        succeed in the new economy and contribute fully to American 
        society.
            (2) The ability of local educational agencies to lower the 
        student dropout rate has been inhibited by the lack of focus at 
        the Federal level and the limited availability of appropriate 
        dropout prevention-focused curriculum, instruction, 
        professional development, and administrative support services.
            (3) According to the National Dropout Prevention Network, 
        it is at the local and community level where school 
        improvements and change occur that will eventually have an 
        impact on the graduation rate of students. The focus of these 
        efforts should be concentrated on the most successful 
        strategies that research has identified as having an impact on 
        increasing the graduation rate. These strategies encompass--
                    (A) systemic renewal;
                    (B) community collaboration;
                    (C) professional development;
                    (D) family involvement;
                    (E) early childhood education;
                    (F) reading and writing programs;
                    (G) individualized instruction;
                    (H) instructional technologies;
                    (I) mentoring and tutoring;
                    (J) service learning;
                    (K) learning styles and multiple intelligences;
                    (L) violence prevention and conflict resolution;
                    (M) career education and workforce readiness;
                    (N) out-of-school experiences; and
                    (O) alternative public schooling.
            (4) The National Dropout Prevention Network has found that 
        the strategies described in paragraph (3) have been successful 
        in all school levels from K-12 in rural, suburban, or urban 
        centers. When schools or school districts develop a program 
        improvement plan that encompasses most or all of these 
        strategies, positive outcomes will result.
            (5) It is necessary to develop a number of model dropout 
        prevention programs to fully develop the effective strategies 
        listed above into comprehensive dropout prevention programs. 
        These model programs should be used as examples by schools 
        across the country that wish to implement similar programs. 
        Subsequently, a nationwide dropout prevention program, in order 
        to be effective, should be based on these model programs.
            (6) Dropout prevention and recovery programs which are 
        proven to be successful in lowering dropout rates need to be 
        disseminated to school and community leaders willing to adapt 
        and support these innovative programs in their schools and 
        community.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAMS.

    Part C of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7261 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

           ``PART C--SCHOOL DROPOUT PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAMS

       ``Subpart 1--Model School Dropout Prevention Grant Program

``SEC. 5311. AUTHORIZATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention 
and Program Completion shall award grants to public elementary schools, 
middle schools, and secondary schools that have established and are 
carrying out school dropout prevention programs to provide those 
schools with additional resources to develop such programs further, 
develop methods to assist other schools to implement similar programs, 
and provide for research on the effects of such programs on the student 
populations of the schools involved.
    ``(b) Duration.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be awarded for 
a period of not more than 5 years. A school that desires to continue to 
receive funding for the purposes described in subsection (a) shall 
apply for a grant under the national school dropout prevention grant 
program under subpart 2.

``SEC. 5312. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.

    ``A school that receives a grant under section 5311 shall use 
amounts under the grant to establish and carry out, or further develop, 
school dropout prevention programs, intervention programs, and recovery 
programs, including as many of the following activities as possible: 
systemic renewal, community and family participation, professional 
development, early childhood education, reading and writing programs, 
alternative public schooling, individualized instruction, use of 
instructional technologies, mentoring and tutoring, service learning, 
instruction that recognizes that students learn in different ways 
(commonly referred to as `learning styles instruction'), violence 
prevention and conflict resolution, career education and workforce 
readiness, out-of-school experiences, and a comprehensive plan for 
dropout prevention.

``SEC. 5313. APPLICATION; SELECTION OF SCHOOLS; FISCAL AGENT.

    ``(a) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each school desiring a grant under 
        section 5311 shall submit an application, after review by the 
        local educational agency of the school, to the Director at such 
        time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
        the Director may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--A school desiring a grant under section 
        5311 shall submit an application, through the local educational 
        agency of the school under paragraph (1), that contains a 
        description of the current dropout prevention program of the 
        school.
    ``(b) Selection of Schools.--
            ``(1) Limitation.--The Director may award grants to not 
        more than 20 schools under section 5311. Such schools shall 
        have demonstrated success in establishing and carrying out 
        activities described in section 5312.
            ``(2) Allocation.--Grants awarded under section 5311 shall 
        be allocated among schools that meet the following 
        requirements:
                    ``(A) 4 elementary schools that have established 
                and are carrying out early childhood education 
                programs.
                    ``(B) 4 secondary schools that have established and 
                are carrying out academic intervention programs and 
                mediation programs.
                    ``(C) 4 secondary schools that have established and 
                are carrying out intervention programs and recovery 
                programs.
                    ``(D) 4 schools (either elementary, middle, or 
                secondary) that are located in rural school districts 
                and that have demonstrated success in establishing and 
                carrying out 12 or more of the activities described in 
                section 5312.
                    ``(E) 4 schools (either elementary, middle, or 
                secondary) that are located in urban school districts 
                and that have demonstrated success in establishing and 
                carrying out all of the activities described in section 
                5312.
            ``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under section 5311, the 
        Director shall give priority to schools that have demonstrated 
        success in establishing and carrying out the highest number of 
        activities described in section 5312.
    ``(c) Fiscal Agent.--The local educational agency of the school 
shall act as the fiscal agent for the school and shall accept and 
administer the grant awarded to the school under section 5311, except 
that all funds shall be expended at the school level.

     ``Subpart 2--National School Dropout Prevention Grant Program

``SEC. 5321. AUTHORIZATION.

    ``(a) In General.--Beginning in the third year of the Model School 
Dropout Prevention Grant Program under subpart 1, the Director of the 
Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion shall award grants 
to public elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools to 
enable the schools to implement, or further carry out, effective, 
sustainable, and coordinated school dropout prevention programs.
    ``(b) Duration.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be awarded for 
a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 5 years.

``SEC. 5322. REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.

    ``A school that receives a grant under section 5321 shall use 
amounts under the grant to establish and carry out, or further develop, 
school dropout prevention programs, intervention programs, and recovery 
programs, including as many of the following activities as possible: 
systemic renewal, community and family participation, professional 
development, early childhood education, reading and writing programs, 
alternative public schooling, individualized instruction, use of 
instructional technologies, mentoring and tutoring, service learning, 
instruction that recognizes that students learn in different ways 
(commonly referred to as `learning styles instruction'), violence 
prevention and conflict resolution, career education and workforce 
readiness, out-of-school experiences, and a comprehensive plan for 
dropout prevention.

``SEC. 5323. APPLICATION; SELECTION OF SCHOOLS; FISCAL AGENT.

    ``(a) Application.--Each school desiring a grant under section 5321 
shall submit an application, after review by the local educational 
agency of the school, to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 
accompanied by such information as the Director may require.
    ``(b) Selection of Schools.--The Director shall establish clear and 
specific selection criteria for awarding grants to schools under 
section 5321, including the number of grants to award and the type of 
schools to be awarded grants. Such criteria shall be based on school 
dropout rates and other relevant factors, such as the quality of the 
existing or proposed dropout prevention program, the number of students 
who are dropouts, the number of students who are eligible to receive 
free or reduced price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act, the number of students who are below their grade 
level in basic skills, the number of students who are involved in 
family court or the juvenile justice system, and the number of students 
who are teen mothers.
    ``(c) Fiscal Agent.--The local educational agency of the school 
shall act as the fiscal agent for the school and shall accept and 
administer the grant awarded to the school under section 5321, except 
that all funds shall be expended at the school level.

  ``Subpart 3--Additional Requirements for Model and National Dropout 
                        Prevention Grant Program

``SEC. 5331. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES.

    ``Each school that receives a grant under section 5311 or 5321, or 
the local educational agency of the school, shall provide information 
and technical assistance, including presentations, document-sharing, 
and joint staff development, to other schools within their school 
district and to other schools in their State that are desiring to 
receive grants under section 5311 or 5321, as the case may be.

``SEC. 5332. SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE CALCULATION.

    ``For purposes of calculating a school dropout rate under subparts 
1 and 2, a school shall use--
            ``(1) the annual event school dropout rate for students 
        leaving a school in a single year determined in accordance with 
        the National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of 
        Data, if available;
            ``(2) the standard method used by the State agency; or
            ``(3) in other cases, a standard method for calculating the 
        school dropout rate as determined by the Director.

``SEC. 5333. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

    ``(a) Reporting.--In order to receive funding under subpart 1 or 2 
for a fiscal year after the first fiscal year a school receives funding 
under subpart 1 or 2, as the case may be, the school shall provide, on 
an annual basis, to the Director a report regarding the status of the 
implementation of activities funded under subpart 1 or 2 and 
certification of progress from the eligible entity whose strategies the 
school is implementing.
    ``(b) Accountability.--On the basis of the reports submitted under 
subsection (a), the Director shall evaluate the effect of the 
activities assisted under subpart 1 or 2, as the case may be, on school 
dropout prevention compared to a control group, to the extent 
practicable.

    ``Subpart 4--National Clearinghouse on Effective School Dropout 
                               Prevention

``SEC. 5341. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE.

    ``Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this part, 
the Director shall establish a national clearinghouse on effective 
school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs. 
The clearinghouse shall be established through a competitive grant or 
contract awarded to an organization with a demonstrated capacity to 
provide technical assistance and disseminate information in the area of 
school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs. 
The clearinghouse shall--
            ``(1) collect and disseminate to educators, parents, and 
        policymakers information on research, effective programs, best 
        practices, and available Federal resources with respect to 
        school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry 
        programs, including dissemination by an electronically 
        accessible database, a worldwide Web site, and a national 
        journal;
            ``(2) provide technical assistance regarding securing 
        resources with respect to, and designing and implementing, 
        effective and comprehensive school dropout prevention, 
        intervention programs, and reentry programs; and
            ``(3) provide professional development opportunities 
        through workshops, seminars, and institutes for educators and 
        program providers responsible for planning, implementing, and 
        evaluating comprehensive school dropout prevention, 
        intervention programs, and recovery programs.

       ``Subpart 5--Definitions; Authorization of Appropriations

``SEC. 5351. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
        the Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion 
        established under section 218 of the General Education 
        Provisions Act.
            ``(2) Intervention programs.--The term `intervention 
        programs' means programs or strategies that are designed to 
        improve academic or personal problems of students that 
        negatively affect the students' performance or ability to 
        remain in school and graduate from school with a diploma.
            ``(3) Prevention programs.--The term `prevention programs' 
        means programs that anticipate, forestall, or relate to 
        cognitive, social, or personal problems of students before such 
        problems impair a student's ability to perform in school.
            ``(4) Recovery programs.--The term `recovery programs' 
        means programs or strategies designed to offer another 
        schooling option to an individual who has dropped out of 
        school.
            ``(5) School dropout.--The term `school dropout' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4(17) of the School-to-Work 
        Opportunities Act of 1994.

``SEC. 5352. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Subpart 1.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out subpart 1 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001 and 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
    ``(b) Subpart 2.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out subpart 2 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003 and 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
    ``(c) Subpart 4.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out subpart 4 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001 and 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF DROPOUT PREVENTION AND PROGRAM COMPLETION.

    (a) Establishment.--Title II of the Department of Education 
Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

         ``office of dropout prevention and program completion

    ``Sec. 218. (a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department of 
Education an Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion 
(hereafter in this section referred to as the `Office'), to be 
administered by the Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and 
Program Completion. The Director of the Office shall report directly to 
the Under Secretary of Education and shall perform such additional 
functions as the Under Secretary may prescribe.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and 
Program Completion (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
`Director'), through the Office, shall--
            ``(1) help coordinate Federal, State, and local efforts to 
        lower school dropout rates and increase program completion by 
        elementary, middle, and secondary school students;
            ``(2) recommend Federal policies, objectives, and 
        priorities to lower school dropout rates and increase program 
        completion;
            ``(3) oversee the implementation of subparts 1 and 2 of 
        part C of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
        of 1965;
            ``(4) annually prepare and submit to Congress and the 
        Secretary a national report describing efforts and recommended 
        actions regarding school dropout prevention and program 
        completion;
            ``(5) recommend action to the Secretary and the President, 
        as appropriate, regarding school dropout prevention and program 
        completion; and
            ``(6) consult with and assist State and local governments 
        regarding school dropout prevention and program completion.
    ``(c) Scope of Duties.--The scope of the Director's duties under 
subsection (b) shall include examination of all Federal and non-Federal 
efforts related to--
            ``(1) promoting program completion for children attending 
        elementary, middle, or secondary school;
            ``(2) programs to obtain a secondary school diploma or its 
        recognized equivalent (including general equivalency diploma 
        (GED) programs); and
            ``(3) reentry programs for individuals aged 12 to 24 who 
        are out of school.
    ``(d) Detailing.--In carrying out the Director's duties under this 
section, the Director may request the head of any Federal department or 
agency to detail personnel who are engaged in school dropout prevention 
activities to another Federal department or agency in order to 
implement the National School Dropout Prevention Strategy.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents of the Department 
of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3401 note) is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 217 the following new 
item:

``Sec. 218. Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion.''.

SOLUTION: Requires the Director of the Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion (established by this Act in the Department of Education) to carry out provisions for: (1) a model school dropout prevention grant program; (2) a national school dropout prevention grant program; and (3) a national clearinghouse on effective school dropout prevention, intervention programs, and reentry programs.
Authorizes appropriations for such part C programs.
Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish an Office of Dropout Prevention and Program Completion, to be administered by a Director who shall report directly to the Under Secretary of Education. Sets forth the Director's duties and their scope.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State Long-Term Care Partnership Act 
of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ALLOWANCE OF ADDITIONAL STATE LONG-TERM CARE PARTNERSHIPS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1917(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(C)(i), by striking ``shall seek 
        adjustment'' and inserting ``may seek adjustment'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting ``Qualified State 
        Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership or under a'' after 
        ``Clause (i) shall not apply in the case of an individual who 
        received medical assistance under a''; and
            (3) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ``(and shall include, 
        in the case of an individual to whom paragraph (1)(C)(i) 
        applies)''.
    (b) Definition of a Qualified State Long-Term Care Insurance 
Partnership.--Section 1917(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396p(e)) is amended by inserting at the end the following:
            ``(6) The term `Qualified State Long-Term Care Insurance 
        Partnership' means a State plan amendment that provides for the 
        disregard of any assets or resources in an amount equal to the 
        insurance benefits payments that are made under a long-term 
        care insurance policy (including a certificate issued under a 
        group insurance contract), but only if--
                    ``(A) the policy covers an insured who, at the time 
                coverage under the policy first becomes effective, is a 
                resident of such State or of a State that maintains a 
                Qualified Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership;
                    ``(B) the policy is a qualified long-term care 
                insurance contract within the meaning of section 
                7702B(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                    ``(C) the policy provides some level of inflation 
                protection;
                    ``(D) the policy satisfies any requirements of 
                State or other applicable law that apply to a long-term 
                care insurance policy; and
                    ``(E) the issuer of the policy reports--
                            ``(i) to the Secretary, such information or 
                        data as the Secretary may require; and
                            ``(ii) to the State, the information or 
                        data reported to the Secretary (if any), the 
                        information or data required under the minimum 
                        reporting requirements developed under section 
                        2(c)(1) of the State Long-Term Care Partnership 
                        Act of 2005, and such additional information or 
                        data as the State may require.
        For purposes of applying this paragraph, if a long-term care 
        insurance policy is exchanged for another such policy, the date 
        coverage became effective under the first policy shall 
        determine when coverage first becomes effective.''.
    (c) Regulatory Authority.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(in this subsection and subsection (d) referred to as the 
``Secretary''), in consultation with the National Association of 
Insurance Commissioners, issuers of long-term care insurance policies, 
States with experience with long-term care insurance partnership plans, 
and other States, shall develop the following requirements and 
standards:
            (1) Minimum, consistent reporting requirements.--
                    (A) In general.--Minimum reporting requirements for 
                issuers of long-term care insurance policies under 
                Qualified State Long-Term Care Insurance Partnerships 
                that shall specify the data and information that each 
                such issuer shall report to the State with which it has 
                such a partnership. The requirements developed in 
                accordance with this paragraph shall specify the type 
                and format of the data and information to be reported 
                and the frequency with which such reports are to be 
                made.
                    (B) State required data.--Nothing in subparagraph 
                (A) shall be construed as prohibiting a State from 
                requiring an issuer of a long-term care insurance 
                policy sold in the State (regardless of whether the 
                policy is issued under a Qualified State Long-Term Care 
                Insurance Partnership) to require the issuer to report 
                State information or data to the State that is in 
                addition to the information or data required under the 
                minimum reporting requirements developed under that 
                subparagraph.
            (2) Reciprocity standards.--Standards for ensuring that 
        long-term care insurance policies issued under a Qualified 
        State Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership are portable to 
        other States with such a partnership.
    (d) Consumer Education.--The Secretary shall establish procedures 
for educating consumers regarding Qualified State Long-Term Care 
Insurance Partnerships and long-term care insurance policies issued in 
connection with such partnerships.
    (e) Annual Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall annually 
report to Congress on the Qualified State Long-Term Care Insurance 
Partnerships established in accordance with subsections (b)(1)(C)(ii) 
and (e)(6) of section 1917 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396p).
    (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
take effect on October 1, 2005.

SOLUTION: State Long-Term Care Partnership Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for establishment of long-term care insurance partnerships between states and insurers (Qualified State Long-Term Care Insurance Partnerships (QSLTCIPs)). Defines a QSLTCIP as a state plan amendment that provides for the disregard of any assets or resources in an amount equal to the insurance benefits payments made under a long-term care insurance policy (including a certificate issued under a group insurance contract), but only if the policy meets certain requirements, including coverage of an insured who, at the time coverage first becomes effective, is a resident of such state or of a state that maintains a QSLTCIP.

Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for educating consumers regarding QSLTCIPs and long-term care insurance policies issued in connection with them.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Education Development 
Initiative for the 21st Century Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) While there are rural education initiatives identified 
        at the State and local level, no Federal education policy 
        focuses on the specific needs of rural school districts and 
        schools, especially those that serve poor students.
            (2) The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) 
        reports that while 46 percent of our Nation's public schools 
        serve rural areas, they only receive 22 percent of the Nation's 
        education funds annually.
            (3) A critical problem for rural school districts involves 
        the hiring and retention of qualified administrators and 
        certified teachers (especially in special education, science, 
        and mathematics). Consequently, teachers in rural schools are 
        almost twice as likely to provide instruction in two or more 
        subjects than teachers in urban schools. Rural schools also 
        face other tough challenges, such as shrinking local tax bases, 
        high transportation costs, aging buildings, limited course 
        offerings, and limited resources.
            (4) Data from the National Assessment of Educational 
        Progress (NAEP) consistently shows large gaps between the 
        achievement of students in high-poverty schools and those in 
        other schools. High-poverty schools face special challenges in 
        preparing their students to reach high standards of performance 
        on State and national assessments.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide rural school 
students in the United States with increased learning opportunities.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

     In this Act:
            (1) The terms ``elementary school'', ``local educational 
        agency'', and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings 
        given such terms in section 14101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
            (2) The term ``eligible local educational agency'' means a 
        local educational agency that serves--
                    (A) a school-age population, 20 percent or more of 
                whom are from families with incomes below the poverty 
                line; and
                    ``(B)(i) only schools designated by the Secretary 
                with a school locale code of 6, 7, or 8; or
                    (ii) a school-age population of 800 or fewer.
            (3) The term ``poverty line'' has the meaning given such 
        term by section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable to a family of the size 
        involved.
            (4) The term ``rural area'' means the area defined by the 
        Secretary using school locale codes 6, 7, and 8.
            (5) The term ``school-age population'' means the number of 
        students aged 5 through 17.
            (6) The term ``school locale code'' has the meaning given 
        such term by the Secretary.
            (7) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
            (8) The term ``specially qualified agency'' means an 
        eligible local educational agency, located in a State that does 
        not participate in a program under this Act in a fiscal year, 
        that may apply directly to the Secretary for a grant in such 
        year under section 4(a)(3).

SEC. 4. RURAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Grants to States.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), from 
        the amount appropriated under section 10 and not reserved under 
        subsection (c) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award 
        grants to State educational agencies that have applications 
        approved under section 5 to enable such agencies to award 
        grants to eligible local educational agencies for local 
        authorized activities described in subsection (c).
            (2) Formula.--
                    (A) In general.--Each State educational agency that 
                receives a grant under this section shall receive an 
                amount that bears the same relation to the amount of 
                funds appropriated under section 10 that are not 
                reserved under subsection (c) for a fiscal year as the 
                number of students in average daily attendance served 
                by eligible local education agencies in the State bears 
                to the number of all such students served by eligible 
                local education agencies in all States for that fiscal 
                year.
                    (B) Data.--In determining the school-age population 
                under subparagraph (A) the Secretary shall use the most 
                recent data available from the Bureau of the Census.
            (3) Direct awards to specially qualified agencies.--If a 
        State educational agency elects not to participate in the 
        program under this Act or does not have an application approved 
        under section 5, the Secretary may award, on a competitive 
        basis, the amount the State educational agency is eligible to  
receive under paragraph (2) directly to specially qualified agencies in 
the State.
    (b) Local Authorized Activities.--Funds made available under this 
Act may be used for--
            (1) local educational technology efforts as described in 
        section 3134 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6844);
            (2) professional development activities designed to prepare 
        teachers who are teaching out of their primary subject area;
            (3) academic enrichment programs described in section 10204 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 8034);
            (4) innovative academic enrichment programs related to the 
        educational needs of students at-risk of academic failure, 
        including remedial instruction in one or more of the core 
        subject areas of English, mathematics, science, and history; 
        and
            (5) activities to recruit and retain highly qualified 
        teachers in special education, mathematics, or science.
    (c) Reservation of Funds.--From the amount appropriated under 
section 10 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 0.5 percent 
to make awards to elementary or secondary schools operated or supported 
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to carry out the purpose of this Act.
    (d) Relation to Other Federal Funding.--Funds received under this 
Act by a State educational agency or a specially qualified agency shall 
not be taken into consideration in determining the eligibility for, or 
amount of, any other Federal funding awarded to such agency.

SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.

     Each State educational agency or specially qualified agency 
desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
information as the Secretary may require. Such application shall 
include specific measurable goals and objectives relating to increased 
student academic achievement, decreased student drop-out rates, or such 
other factors that the State educational agency or specially qualified 
agency may choose to measure.

SEC. 6. STATE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.

    (a) Award Basis.--A State educational agency that receives funds 
under this Act shall award grants to eligible local educational 
agencies or provide assistance to schools described in subsection 
(b)(2)--
            (1) on a competitive basis; or
            (2) according to a formula based on the number of students 
        served by the eligible local educational agencies or schools 
        (as appropriate) in the State, as determined by the State.

SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

     A State educational agency or specially qualified agency that 
receives funds under this Act may not use more than 5 percent of the 
grant funds for State activities or administrative costs related to the 
program.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    (a) State Educational Agency Reports.--
            (1) Contents.--Each State educational agency that receives 
        a grant under this Act shall submit an annual report to the 
        Secretary describing--
                    (A) the methods the State educational agency used 
                to award grants to eligible local educational agencies 
                under this Act;
                    (B) how eligible local educational agencies and 
                schools used funds provided under this Act; and
                    (C) the degree to which progress has been made 
                toward meeting the goals and objectives described the 
                application submitted under section 5.
            (2) Availability.--The Secretary shall make available the 
        annual State reports received under paragraph (1) for 
        dissemination to the Congress, interested parties (including 
        educators, parents, students, and advocacy and civil rights 
        organizations), and the public.
    (b) Specially Qualified Agency Reports.--Each specially qualified 
agency that receives a grant under this Act shall submit an annual 
report to the Secretary describing how such agency used funds received 
under this Act to coordinate with other Federal, State, and local 
programs.
    (c) Report by Secretary to Congress.--The Secretary shall prepare 
and submit to Congress an annual report which shall describe--
            (1) the methods the State educational agency used to award 
        grants to eligible local educational agencies and to provide 
        assistance to schools under this Act;
            (2) how eligible local educational agencies used funds 
        provided under this Act; and
            (3) progress made by State educational agencies and 
        eligible local educational agencies receiving assistance under 
        this Act in meeting specific, annual, measurable performance 
        goals and objectives established by such agencies for 
        activities assisted under this Act.

SEC. 9. ACCOUNTABILITY.

    If, at the end of the third consecutive year in which a State 
educational agency or specially qualified agency receives funds under 
this Act, the Secretary determines that such agency has not 
substantially met its performance goals and objectives described in the 
application submitted under section 5, such agency shall be ineligible 
to receive additional funds under this Act for a period of one year 
after the date of such determination.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

     There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2005.

SOLUTION:
Rural Education Development Initiative for the 21st Century Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make: (1) formula grants to applicant State educational agencies to award competitive or formula subgrants to rural local educational agencies (LEAs) for elementary and secondary education development activities; and (2) direct competitive grants for such activities to specially qualified LEAs in nonparticipating States.Authorizes local use of such funds for: (1) certain local educational technology activities; (2) professional development designed to prepare teachers who are teaching out of their primary subject area; (3) certain academic enrichment programs; (4) innovative academic enrichment programs related to the educational needs of students at-risk of academic failure, including remedial instruction in one or more of the core subject areas of English, mathematics, science, and history; and (5) recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers in special education, mathematics, or science.