An amendment numbered 13 printed in House Report 109-399 to allow students with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) access to Federal work-study funds for enrollment in comprehensive post-secondary education programs that improve students' academic and personal skills, independence, and employability.

1. Adds SEC. 447. WORK ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS IN COMPREHENSIVE POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION on page 206, line 11

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SEC. 447. WORK ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS IN COMPREHENSIVE POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION.

   Inserted: (a) Amendment.--Part C of title IV (42 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

   Inserted: "SEC. 449. WORK ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS IN COMPREHENSIVE POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION.

   Inserted: "(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to enable an institution participating under this part that offers a comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation to provide work assistance to such students enrolled in that program in order to assist these students with the costs of postsecondary education and improve their academic and personal skills, independence, and employability.

   Inserted: "(b) Program Authority.--(1) An institution of higher education participating under this part may, pursuant to a plan developed in accordance with subsection (c) and approved by the Secretary, transfer funds allocated under section 442 for use under this section to award work assistance to students with mental retardation who are enrolled and maintaining satisfactory progress in a comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation at that institution.

   Inserted: "(2)(A) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the following requirements do not apply to students seeking work assistance under this section:

   Inserted: "(i) Student eligibility requirements relating to enrollment in a program leading to a recognized education credential under section 484(a)(1).

   Inserted: "(ii) Satisfactory progress requirements under sections 484(a)(2) and (c).

   Inserted: "(iii) Student eligibility requirements relating to the satisfaction of secondary education standards under section 484(d).

   Inserted: "(iv) Determination of need in accordance with part F.

   Inserted: "(v) The common financial reporting form developed and processed pursuant to section 483, and any related aid processing, disbursement, and delivery requirements as the Secretary may specify.

   Inserted: "(vi) Any reporting requirements that the Secretary may specify.

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   Inserted: "(B) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the requirement that a program lead to a degree or certificate, or meet the requirements of section 481(b), shall not apply to comprehensive postsecondary programs for students with mental retardation at institutions of higher education that are otherwise eligible to participate under this part.

   Inserted: "(c) Agreement With the Secretary.--An institution of higher education that wishes to provide work assistance under this section shall prepare, and submit to the Secretary for approval, a plan describing how work assistance will be awarded under this section to students with mental retardation who are enrolled in a comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation at that institution. That plan shall include--

   Inserted: "(1) a description of how the institution will determine which students in the program will receive work assistance, including what criteria will be used for determining the student's financial need for the assistance in lieu of a determination under part F;

   Inserted: "(2) a description of the types of jobs in which students in the program will be employed, at what rates of compensation, and the number of hours that a student may work;

   Inserted: "(3) the maximum dollar amount of assistance that the institution may award to a student in the program; and

   Inserted: "(4) a requirement that the Federal share of the compensation of a student in the program shall not exceed 75 percent.

   Inserted: "(d) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section:

   Inserted: "(1) Comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation.--The term 'comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation' means a degree, certificate, or nondegree program offered by an institution of higher education that--

   Inserted: "(A) is designed for students with mental retardation who seek to continue academic, vocational, and independent living instruction at the institution to prepare for gainful employment;

   Inserted: "(B) includes an advising and curriculum structure; and

   Inserted: "(C) includes enrollment by the student (through regular enrollment, auditing courses, participation in internships, or enrollment in noncredit, nondegree courses) in the equivalent of not less than half-time enrollment, as defined by the institution.

   Inserted: "(2) Student with mental retardation.--The term 'student with mental retardation' means a student with significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a student's educational performance.

   Inserted: "(3) Satisfactory progress.--A student with mental retardation enrolled in a comprehensive postsecondary program for students with mental retardation is maintaining satisfactory progress if--

   Inserted: "(A) the institution at which that student is enrolled reviews the progress of the student at the end of each academic year, or its equivalent, as determined by the institution; and

   Inserted: "(B) the institution determines that the student is meeting or exceeding the program requirements and adequately progressing toward program completion.".

   Inserted: (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall be effective for academic year 2007-2008 and succeeding academic years.

   Original wording

   Page 206, after line 11, insert the following new section:

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As printed