To establish a digital and wireless network technology program, and for other purposes.

1. 1

   Change 1: Adds SEC. 802. MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION at the end of title VIII

   Adds a section

   In S. 1642 · Reported to Senate

   "(2) to disseminate information concerning those policies, procedures, and practices.".

   Inserted: SEC. 802. MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION.

   Original wording

   At the end of title VIII of the bill, insert the following:

2. 2

   Change 2: Adds PART N--MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION at the end of title VIII

   Adds a section

   In S. 1642 · Reported to Senate

   "(2) to disseminate information concerning those policies, procedures, and practices.".

   Inserted: PART N--MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

   Inserted: SEC. 876. PURPOSES.

   Inserted: The purposes of the program under this part are to--

   Inserted: (1) strengthen the ability of eligible institutions to provide capacity for instruction in digital and wireless network technologies; and

   Inserted: (2) strengthen the national digital and wireless infrastructure by increasing national investment in telecommunications and technology infrastructure at eligible institutions.

   Inserted: SEC. 877. DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.

   Inserted: In this part, the term 'eligible institution' means an institution that is--

   Inserted: (1) a historically Black college or university that is a part B institution, as defined in section 322;

   Inserted: (2) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in section 502(a);

   Inserted: (3) a Tribal College or University, as defined in section 316(b);

   Inserted: (4) an Alaska Native-serving institution, as defined in section 317(b);

   Inserted: (5) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution, as defined in section 317(b); or

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   Inserted: (6) an institution determined by the Secretary to have enrolled a substantial number of minority, low-income students during the previous academic year who received a Federal Pell Grant for that year.

   Inserted: SEC. 878. MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION.

   Inserted: (a) Grants Authorized.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to enable the eligible institutions to carry out the activities described in subsection (d).

   Inserted: (2) Grant period.--The Secretary may award a grant to an eligible institution under this part for a period of not more than 5 years.

   Inserted: (b) Application and Review Procedure.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this part, an eligible institution shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. The application shall include--

   Inserted: (A) a program of activities for carrying out 1 or more of the purposes described in section 876; and

   Inserted: (B) such other policies, procedures, and assurances as the Secretary may require by regulation.

   Inserted: (2) Regulations.--After consultation with appropriate individuals with expertise in technology and education, the Secretary shall establish a procedure by which to accept and review such applications and publish an announcement of such procedure, including a statement regarding the availability of funds, in the Federal Register.

   Inserted: (3) Application review criteria.--The application review criteria used by the Secretary for grants under this part shall include consideration of--

   Inserted: (A) demonstrated need for assistance under this part; and

   Inserted: (B) diversity among the types of eligible institutions receiving assistance under this part.

   Inserted: (c) Matching Requirement.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--An eligible institution that receives a grant under this part shall agree that, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the institution in carrying out the program for which the grant is awarded, such institution will make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant awarded by the Secretary, or $500,000, whichever is the lesser amount.

   Inserted: (2) Waiver.--The Secretary shall waive the matching requirement for any eligible institution with no endowment, or an endowment that has a current dollar value as of the time of the application of less than $50,000,000.

   Inserted: (d) Uses of Funds.--An eligible institution shall use a grant awarded under this part--

   Inserted: (1) to acquire equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware and software, digital network technology, wireless technology, and infrastructure;

   Inserted: (2) to develop and provide educational services, including faculty development, related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;

   Inserted: (3) to provide teacher preparation and professional development, library and media specialist training, and early childhood educator and teacher aide certification or licensure to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom or instructional process to improve student achievement;

   Inserted: (4) to form consortia or collaborative projects with a State, State educational agency, local educational agency, community-based organization, national nonprofit organization, or business, including a minority business, to provide education regarding technology in the classroom;

   Inserted: (5) to provide professional development in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics to administrators and faculty of eligible institutions with institutional responsibility for technology education;

   Inserted: (6) to provide capacity-building technical assistance to eligible institutions through remote technical support, technical assistance workshops, distance learning, new technologies, and other technological applications; and

   Inserted: (7) to foster the use of information communications technology to increase scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical instruction and research.

   Inserted: (e) Data Collection.--An eligible institution that receives a grant under this part shall provide the Secretary with any relevant institutional statistical or demographic data requested by the Secretary.

   Inserted: (f) Information Dissemination.--The Secretary shall convene an annual meeting of eligible institutions receiving grants under this part for the purposes of--

   Inserted: (1) fostering collaboration and capacity-building activities among eligible institutions; and

   Inserted: (2) disseminating information and ideas generated by such meetings.

   Inserted: (g) Limitation.--An eligible institution that receives a grant under this part that exceeds $2,500,000 shall not be eligible to receive another grant under this part until every other eligible institution that has applied for a grant under this part has received such a grant.

   Inserted: SEC. 879. ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.

   Inserted: (a) Annual Report Required From Recipients.--Each eligible institution that receives a grant under this part shall provide an annual report to the Secretary on the eligible institution's use of the grant.

   Inserted: (b) Evaluation by Secretary.--The Secretary shall--

   Inserted: (1) review the reports provided under subsection (a) each year; and

   Inserted: (2) evaluate the program authorized under this part on the basis of those reports every 2 years.

   Inserted: (c) Contents of Evaluation.--The Secretary, in the evaluation under subsection (b), shall--

   Inserted: (1) describe the activities undertaken by the eligible institutions that receive grants under this part; and

   Inserted: (2) assess the short-range and long-range impact of activities carried out under the grant on the students, faculty, and staff of the institutions.

   Inserted: (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of the Higher Education Amendments of 2007, the Secretary shall submit a report on the program supported under this part to the authorizing committees that shall include such recommendations, including recommendations concerning the continuing need for Federal support of the program, as may be appropriate.

   Inserted: SEC. 880. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

   Inserted: There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

   Original wording

   At the end of title VIII (as added by section 801), add the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed