Reese

Macmillan

-Basic Information-

Name: Arthur James Reese

Gender: Male

Age: 58

State: Pennsylvania

Class: 1

Political Party: Democratic Party

Caucus: New Democrat

Avatar: Sherrod Brown

 

-Personal Information-

Date of Birth: 4/26/1950

Place of Birth: Des Moines, Iowa

Place of Residence: Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Religion: Roman Catholic 

 

-Family Information-

Father: Robert Reese (1913- 1999)

Mother: Susan Reese (1916-2004)

Siblings: Jonathan Reese 

 

Wife: Elaine Reese (1954-)

Children: Elizabeth Craton (1975-), Sarah Reese (1977-), Robert Reese (1980-)

 

-Educational History-

B.S. in Economics from University of Iowa

Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania   

 

-Occupational History-

Labor Attorney (1977-1993)

Pennsylvainia State Representative (1993-1997)

Congressman from Pennsylvania’s 12th District (1997-2007)

United States Senator (2007-Present)

 

Points

 

Gender: Male (0 points)

Age: 50-65 years old (0 points)

Sexuality: Straight, married with < 3 children (-5 Points)

Race: White (0 points)

Religion: Roman Catholic (0 points)

Education:

College Degree at Public Ivy (5 points)

JD at Top University (20 points)

Family History: Working Class (10 points)

Career Information: Lawyer (10 points)

Political Experience:

State House Terms (1 point x 2 terms = 2 points)

House of Representatives Terms (3 points x 5 terms = 15 points)

Senate Terms (0 points)

-Basic Information-

Name: Henry “Hank” Reese

Gender: Male

Age: 64

State: Texas 

Class: 1

Political Party: Democratic Party

Caucus: Bull Moose Democrats

Avatar: Roy Cooper

 

-Personal Information-

Date of Birth: 6/19/1958

Place of Birth: Austin, Texas 

Place of Residence: Dallas, Texas

Religion: Southern Baptist 

 

-Family Information-

Father: Jefferson Reese (1940- 2022)

Mother: Ethel Reese (1942-Present)

Siblings: Mark Reese 

 

Wife: Robbie Reese (1958-)

Children: Lori Jones (1979-), Matthew Reese (1983-), Shawn Reese (1986-)

 

-Educational History-

B.A. in History from the University of Texas  

Masters in Education Administration from Baylor University

Doctorate of Educational Leadership University of Texas

 

-Occupational History-

2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army (1978 - 1979)

1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army (1979 - 1981)

Captain, U.S. Army (1981 - 1985)

High School History and Civics Teacher (1985-1990) 

Vice Principal at Baranoff Elementary School (1990-1992)

Principal at Baranoff Elementary School (1992-1995)

Assistant Superintendent of Austin ISD  (1995-2000)

Superintendent of Dallas ISD (2000-2010) 

Dallas County Judge (2011-2019)

United States Senator (2019-Present)

 

Male: 0 Points

Straight, married with < 3 children: 0 Points

White: 0 points

Evangelical or Mainline Protestant: 0 points

College Degree at Public Ivy: 5 points

Master's Degree at Private University: 15 points

Doctoral Degree At Top University: 25 points

Middle Class: 5 points

Public School Subject Teacher: 15 points

Public School Administration: 15 points

Commissioned Officer: 10 Points

Local Judge (3 terms): 9

 

Total: 84 Points

Aye

Aye

Aye

Aye

Aye

Aye

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, with thanks to Mrs. Clinton) introduced the following bill

 

A BILL

To recruit, train, and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic achievement.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “National Principal Recruitment Act”.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.

(a) Program Authorization.—Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

 

“Subpart 6—National Principal Recruitment Program

 

“SEC. 2161. NATIONAL PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.

“(a) Purpose.—The purpose of this section is to recruit, train, and support principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic achievement.

“(b) Definitions.—In this section:

“(1) ELIGIBLE GRANTEE.—The term ‘eligible grantee’ means a partnership—

“(A) consisting of a nonprofit organization working with a research organization and local educational agencies in States and regions across the Nation, that has a track record of selecting, training, and supporting principals;

“(B) that has the capacity to engage in world-class research and evaluation with access to student-level data in all local educational agencies in the partnership needed to—

“(i) do value-add analysis of academic achievement; and

“(ii) correlate academic achievement gains with principal skills and characteristics; and

“(C) that may work with institutions of higher education.

“(2) HIGH-NEED SCHOOL.—The term ‘high-need school’ means a public elementary school or public secondary school (including a charter school) in which not less than 40 percent of the students enrolled are eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).

“(3) PRINCIPAL.—The term ‘principal’ includes an assistant principal.

“(c) Multiyear Grant Program.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—

“(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a multiyear national principal recruitment grant program to enable not more than 3 eligible grantees to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3).

“(B) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to at least one eligible grantee focused on urban schools and at least one eligible grantee focused on rural schools.

“(2) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this section, an eligible grantee shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(3) ACTIVITIES.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall use grant funds provided under this section for the following:

“(i) To recruit, select, train, and support, up to the capacity of the eligible grantee, new principals for high-need schools through—

“(I) a year-long preservice residency; and

“(II) ongoing support and professional development.

“(ii) To rigorously research, evaluate, and report on the activities described in this paragraph in order to create—

“(I) a national research and knowledge base to inform the recruitment, selection, and training of principals for high-need schools; and

“(II) a model of a performance-based program under which Federal funding to maintain and expand activities will be contingent on a rigorous demonstration of impact on student academic achievement.

“(B) SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES.—The activities described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall include the following:

“(i) Recruiting, selecting, and providing preservice training to individuals who—

“(I) aspire to be principals in high-need schools;

“(II) share the belief that all students, regardless of background, can achieve at high levels;

“(III) have knowledge of effective instruction and adult leadership, and a focus on goals and results; and

“(IV) agree to sign a compact committing to serve high-need schools and to work toward substantial improvement in student academic achievement in the schools they will lead within approximately 5 to 6 years of their becoming principals.

“(ii) Providing training during the year-long preservice residency to selected aspiring principals that includes coaching from an effective principal, hands-on instructional leadership experience, and a curriculum that includes topics such as—

“(I) creating and maintaining a data-driven, professional learning community within the new principal’s school;

“(II) providing a climate conducive to the professional development of teachers, with a focus on improving student academic achievement;

“(III) using data to effectively evaluate teacher instruction and drive teacher and student learning;

“(IV) managing resources and school time to improve student academic achievement; and

“(V) engaging community members, including parents, the local educational agency, and other community leaders, to leverage additional resources to improve student academic achievement.

“(iii) Providing additional professional development and training to the individuals described in clauses (i) and (ii) after the individuals commence work as principals of high-need schools, including a focus on—

“(I) teaching and learning;

“(II) school culture; and

“(III) management and operations.

“(iv) Developing and delivering high-quality, differentiated, school-level support services to meet the specific needs of high-need schools led by individuals described in clause (iii), which may include—

“(I) support for data-driven design of school-wide improvement plans;

“(II) support in conducting successful school-wide assessments; and

“(III) other assistance from—

“(aa) content expert coaches to support professional development; and

“(bb) data and assessment specialists.

“(v) Developing and maintaining the organizational capacity needed to drive the long-term success of the efforts described in this paragraph at scale.

“(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT; SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—

“(A) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible grantee shall contribute to the activities assisted under such grant matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 100 percent of the amount of the grant. Such matching requirement may be met by contributions that are in cash or in kind. Partner local educational agencies whose support contributes to the matching requirement may choose to use funds from any private source or local educational agency-determined allocation of public funding.

“(B) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive part of the matching requirement described in subparagraph (A) if—

“(i) the eligible grantee demonstrates a commitment to provide an amount equal to not less than 75 percent of the amount of the grant and provides a plan for providing the remainder of the 25 percent; or

“(ii) the Secretary determines that applying the matching requirement would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3).

“(C) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal or State funds otherwise available to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3).

“(5) PERFORMANCE-BASED TRIGGERS OF FUNDING DECISIONS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—

“(i) RESEARCH, EVALUATION, AND REPORTING PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall work with each eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section (including the partner research organization) to develop a reporting schedule for a research and evaluation plan that is approved by the Secretary.

“(ii) SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES.—The research and evaluation plan described in clause (i) shall accomplish the following:

“(I) Assess the impact of the eligible grantee’s program, including examining student academic achievement on the State academic assessments and other student-level achievement data, to make possible a value-added analysis of academic achievement gains in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from the eligible grantee with funds made available under the grant, as compared to other schools. The assessment may include an examination of retention rates of high-performing educators in high-need schools, student attendance, and secondary school graduation rates.

“(II) Identify factors that foster or hinder the successful implementation of the eligible grantee’s program.

“(III) Develop understanding of the internal and external factors, including principal characteristics and skills, that need to be aligned in order to improve student learning, including an analysis of the impact of increased principal autonomy and accountability.

“(IV) Rigorously evaluate the school-level support provided through the eligible grantee.

“(V) Utilize the data described in subclauses (I) through (IV) to analyze progress and drive continuous program improvement.

“(VI) Generate and disseminate information for the field about what types of principal recruitment, selection, training, and supports correlate to student academic achievement gains.

“(B) PERFORMANCE-BASED INCREASE.—Beginning after the end of the third full school year in which a grant is implemented by an eligible grantee awarded a grant under this section, the Secretary shall provide an increase of 50 percent of the original grant amount for such eligible grantee if—

“(i) the activities carried out by the eligible grantee described in subparagraph (A) demonstrate that students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant are making more gains in academic achievement than comparable students elsewhere, as determined by the research and evaluation plan approved by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)(i); and

“(ii) the eligible grantee has the capacity to scale up the services of the eligible grantee.

“(C) GRANT TERMINATION.—By the end of the fourth full school year in which a grant is implemented by an eligible grantee awarded a grant under this section, the Secretary shall terminate such grant if students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant are not making more gains in academic achievement than comparable students elsewhere, as determined by the research and evaluation plan approved by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)(i).

“(D) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall submit an annual report to Congress on—

“(i) the lessons learned through the performance-based approach to Federal funding described in this paragraph; and

“(ii) the implications for ensuring a performance orientation in other Federal education programs.

“(6) ANNUAL REPORT.—An eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall provide to Congress and the Secretary an annual report that includes—

“(A) data on the number and characteristics of the aspiring principals trained to lead high-need schools through the grant under this section; and

“(B) levels of academic achievement growth for students in high-need schools led, for not less than 2 years, by principals who have received training, development, coaching, and support from a program carried out with funds from such grant.”.

(b) Conforming Amendments.—Section 2103 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “(other than subpart 5)” and inserting “(other than subparts 5 and 6)”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(c) National Principal Recruitment Program.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out subpart 6 such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal year 2009 through 2013.”.

(c) Table Of Contents.—The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2151 the following:

“SUBPART 6—NATIONAL PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT PROGRAM

 

PES: 

National Principal Recruitment Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a National Principal Recruitment program awarding matching grants to up to three partnerships each of which consist of a nonprofit organization working with a research organization and local educational agencies to: (1) recruit new principals for high-need schools and provide them with a year-long preservice residency and ongoing support and professional development; and (2) rigorously research, evaluate, and report on such activities so that successful practices can be replicated and each grantee's success in improving student academic performance can be measured.

Increases a grant by 50% after the third full school year of its implementation if: (1) such research and evaluation demonstrates that students in high-need schools led, for at least two years, by principals recruited, trained, and supported by the grantee are making greater academic gains than comparable students elsewhere; and (2) the grantee has the capacity to scale up its services.

Terminates a grant by the end of the fourth year of its implementation if the students in high-need schools led, for at least two years, by such principals are not making greater academic gains than comparable students elsewhere.

Defines "high-need schools" as public elementary or secondary schools where at least 40% of the students receive a free or reduced price lunch under the school lunch program.

CS

CS

CS

CS

Miller

CS

Aye

I accept 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, Mr. Gerbhardt, Mr. Hughes of Indiana, Mr. Calllahan and Mr. Hobson, with thanks to Mrs. Lee) introduced the following bill

 

A BILL

 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States for assistance in hiring additional school-based mental health and student service providers.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “The Student Support Act”.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICE PROVIDERS.

(a) In General.—Subpart 14 of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7269 et seq.) is amended—

(1) by inserting after the subpart heading the following:

“CHAPTER A—SYSTEMS INTEGRATION; PROMOTION OF SCHOOL READINESS

and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“CHAPTER B—SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICE PROVIDERS

“SEC. 5545. FINDINGS.

“Congress finds the following:

“(1) The Surgeon General of the Public Health Service has found that although 1 in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, in any given year fewer than 1 in 5 of these children receives needed treatment. The short- and long-term consequences of untreated childhood mental disorders are costly, in both human and fiscal terms.

“(2) School counselors, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and school social workers are needed to help these children and to provide a variety of crucial support services.

“(3) Across the United States, there are insufficient resources for school-based counseling professionals, and often students do not get the help they need. The current national average ratio of students to school counselors in elementary and secondary schools is 561 to 1.

“(4) United States schools need more mental health professionals, and they need the flexibility to hire the professionals that will best serve their students.

“(5) According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the maximum recommended ratio of—

“(A) students to school counselors is 250 to 1;

“(B) students to school psychologists is 1,000 to 1; and

“(C) students to school social workers is 800 to 1.

“(6) In some States, 1 school counselor typically serves over 1,000 students. Ratios for school psychologists and school social workers are also extremely high. In some schools, there are no school-based mental health and student service providers available to assist students in times of crisis, or at any other time.

“(7) The number of students is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. During this time, many school-based mental health professionals who currently serve the Nation’s youth will retire.

“(8) Model programs using school-based mental health and student service providers have reduced school suspensions, reduced referrals to the principal’s office, reduced the use of weapons, force, and threats, and increased students’ feelings of safety.

“SEC. 5546. PURPOSES.

“The purposes of this chapter are to assist States and local educational agencies in hiring additional school-based mental health providers, including additional school counselors, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and school social workers to achieve each of the following:

“(1) To reduce the ratios of school-based mental health and student service providers to students in elementary and secondary schools in the United States to the following minimum ratios recommended by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in its 1997 report ‘Schools and Health: Our Nation’s Investment’:

“(A) 1 school counselor for every 250 students;

“(B) 1 school psychologist for every 1,000 students; and

“(C) 1 school social worker for every 800 students.

“(2) To provide school-based mental health and student services.

“(3) To remove emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial barriers to learning so as to enhance students classroom preparedness and ability to learn.

“(4) To support school staff and teachers in improving classroom management, conducting behavioral interventions to improve school discipline, and developing the awareness and skills to identify early warning signs of violence and the need for mental health services.

“(5) To support parental involvement in improving the school behavior and academic success of their children.

“SEC. 5547. DEFINITIONS.

“In this chapter, the following definitions apply:

“(1) CHILD.—The term ‘child’ means an individual who is not less than 5 years old and not more than 17 years old.

“(2) CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST.—The term ‘child and adolescent psychiatrist’ has the meaning given such term in section 5421(e).

“(3) CHILD IN POVERTY.—The term ‘child in poverty’ means a child from a family with an income below the poverty line.

“(4) MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICE PROVIDER.—The term ‘mental health and student service provider’ means a qualified individual who provides mental health and student services, including any individual who is a qualified school counselor, a qualified school psychologist or any other qualified psychologist, a child or adolescent psychiatrist, or a qualified school social worker.

“(5) MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICES.—The term ‘mental health and student services’ includes direct, individual, and group services provided to students, parents, and school personnel by mental health and student service providers, and the coordination of prevention strategies in schools or community-based programs.

“(6) OTHER QUALIFIED PSYCHOLOGIST.—The term ‘other qualified psychologist’ has the meaning given such term in section 5421(e).

“(7) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘poverty line’ means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable to a family of the size involved.

“(8) SCHOOL COUNSELOR.—The term ‘school counselor’ means an individual who has documented competence in counseling children and adolescents in a school setting and who—

“(A) possesses State licensure or certification granted by an independent professional regulatory authority;

“(B) possesses national certification in school counseling or a specialty of counseling granted by an independent professional organization; or

“(C) holds a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs or the equivalent.

“(9) SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST.—The term ‘school psychologist’ means an individual who—

“(A) possesses a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours in school psychology from an institution of higher education and has completed 1,200 clock hours in a supervised school psychology internship, of which 600 hours shall be in a school setting;

“(B) possesses State licensure or certification in school psychology in the State in which the individual works; or

“(C) possesses national certification by the National School Psychology Certification Board.

“(10) SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER.—The term ‘school social worker’ means an individual who—

“(A) holds a master’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;

“(B) is licensed or certified by the State in which services are provided; or

“(C) possesses a national credential or national certification as a school social work specialist granted by an independent professional organization.

“(11) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

“SEC. 5548. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICE PROVIDER GRANT PROGRAM.

“(a) In General.—In accordance with this chapter, the Secretary shall make grants to eligible States to assist local educational agencies in those States in hiring additional school-based mental health and student service providers.

“(b) Allocation Of Funds.—From the total amount appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall—

“(1) make available 1 percent of such amount to the Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs) and the outlying areas for activities that carry out the purposes of this chapter; and

“(2) make available in the form of grants to each eligible State an amount equal to the sum of—

“(A) an amount that bears the same relationship to 50 percent of such total amount as the number of children in poverty who reside in the State bears to the number of such children in all States; and

“(B) an amount that bears the same relationship to 50 percent of such total amount as the number of children enrolled in public and private nonprofit elementary schools and secondary schools in the State bears to the number of children enrolled in all such schools in all States.

“(c) Minimum Grant.—Notwithstanding subsection (b), no grant under this section shall be for an amount less than $1,000,000.

“(d) Reallocation.—The Secretary shall reallocate to States that have received approval under subsection (e)(2) any funds allocated under subsection (b) to a State that fails to submit an application that is approved by the Secretary.

“(e) Application By State.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this chapter, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(2) APPROVAL.—The Secretary may not approve an application under this subsection unless the State submitting the application—

“(A) presents a plan, which the Secretary considers to be reasonable, under which the State will make grants, in accordance with the purposes of this chapter, to local educational agencies to fund the hiring of additional school counselors, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and school social workers; and

“(B) provides an assurance that the State will provide the matching amount required under subsection (g).

“(f) Use Of Funds By State.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with this subsection, the total of the amounts made available to a State under this section and the amounts of the non-Federal match required under subsection (g) may only be used by a State to make grants to local educational agencies to assist such agencies in hiring additional school-based mental health and student service providers.

“(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—In each fiscal year, a State may use not more than 5 percent of the assistance made available to it under this chapter for the administrative costs of the State in carrying out the State’s responsibilities under this chapter.

“(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—In making grants in accordance with this subsection, the State shall allocate from the total described in paragraph (1) to each local educational agency an amount equal to the sum of—

“(A) an amount that bears the same relationship to 50 percent of such total as the number of children in poverty who reside in the school district served by the local educational agency bears to the number of such children who reside in all the school districts in the State; and

“(B) an amount that bears the same relationship to 50 percent of such total as the number of children enrolled in public and private nonprofit elementary schools and secondary schools in the school district served by the local educational agency bears to the number of children enrolled in all such schools in the State.

“(4) MINIMUM GRANT.—Notwithstanding paragraph (3), no grant made by a State in accordance with this subsection shall be for an amount less than $50,000.

“(5) SOURCE OF DATA.—For purposes of paragraph (3), the State shall use data from the most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory data are available, except that the State may adjust such data, or use alternative child poverty data, if the State demonstrates to the Secretary’s satisfaction that such adjusted or alternative data more accurately reflect the relative incidence of children who are living in poverty and who reside in the school districts in the State.

“(6) APPLICATION BY LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—A State may require that, in order to be eligible for a grant made by the State in accordance with this subsection, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the State at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State may require.

“(g) Matching Funds.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require that a State provide from non-Federal sources an amount equal to the amount of the grant.

“(2) LOCAL CONTRIBUTION.—In making grants to local educational agencies in accordance with this subsection, a State may require that a local educational agency match a portion of the amount of the grant made to the agency.

“(3) FORM.—The non-Federal share required by this subsection may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, and may include facilities, equipment, or services.

“(h) Funds To Be Supplementary.—Assistance made available under this chapter shall be used to supplement, and may not supplant, Federal, State, or local funds used for employing school-based mental health and student service providers.

“(i) Data Collection And Report.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year for which it receives assistance under this chapter, a State shall collect data describing how the assistance is used.

“(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after assistance is made available to a State under this chapter, the State shall transmit to the Secretary a report on the data described in paragraph (1), including information with respect to each local educational agency to which the State made a grant with assistance made available under this chapter—

“(A) the number of school counselors, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and school social workers employed by local educational agency; and

“(B) the ratio of students to school counselors, the ratio of students to school psychologists or other qualified psychologists, the ratio of students to child and adolescent psychiatrists, and the ratio of students to school social workers.

“(3) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—A State may use a portion of the assistance permitted to be used for administrative costs to carry out its responsibilities under this subsection.

“(4) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall make data received under this subsection publicly available on an annual basis.

“SEC. 5549. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

“There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this chapter $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2016.”.

(b) Clerical Amendments.—The table of contents for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by amending the items relating to subpart 14 of title V to read as follows:
 

“Subpart 14—Grants to Improve the Mental Health of Children“CHAPTER A—SYSTEMS INTEGRATION; PROMOTION OF SCHOOL READINESS 

“Sec. 5541. Grants for the integration of schools and mental health systems. 

“Sec. 5542. Promotion of school readiness through early childhood emotional and social development.“CHAPTER B—SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICE PROVIDERS 

“Sec. 5545. Findings. 

“Sec. 5546. Purposes. 

“Sec. 5547. Definitions. 

“Sec. 5548. School-based mental health and student service provider grant program. 

“Sec. 5549. Authorization of appropriations.”.

 

PES: 

Student Support Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to make matching grants of at least $1 million to states for allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs) so that additional school-based mental health and student service providers may be hired, thereby reducing the student-to-provider ratios in elementary and secondary schools to specified levels recommended by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Includes school counselors, school psychologists or other psychologists, child or adolescent psychiatrists, and school social workers among such providers.

 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, Mr. Hughes of Indiana, and Mr. Calahan, with thanks to Mrs. Christensen) introduced the following bill

 

 

A BILL

To expand the eligibility of individuals to qualify for loan forgiveness for teachers in order to provide additional incentives for teachers currently employed or seeking employment in economically depressed rural areas, Territories, and Indian Reservations.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Teacher Recruitment Act of 2007”.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS.

(a) Guaranteed Student Loans.—Part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by—

(1) redesignating section 428K (20 U.S.C. 1078–11) as section 428L; and

(2) by inserting after section 428J the following new section:

“SEC. 428K. EXPANDED LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS.

“(a) Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to expand, subject to the availability of appropriations therefor, the eligibility of individuals to qualify for loan forgiveness for teachers beyond that available under section 428J, in order to provide additional incentives for such individuals to teach in economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural areas.

“(b) Program Authorized.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—From the sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (i), the Secretary shall carry out a program, through the holder of the loan, of assuming the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for a loan made under section 428 or 428H, in accordance with subsection (c), for any new borrower on or after October 1, 1998, who—

“(A) is employed as a full-time teacher in a public elementary or secondary school in an economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural area;

“(B) has a State certification (which may include certification obtained through alternative means) or a State license to teach, and has not failed to comply with State or local accountability standards; and

“(C) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness.

“(2) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary shall by regulation establish a formula that ensures fairness and equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan repayment under this section, based on the amount available pursuant to subsection (i).

“(c) Qualified Loans Amount.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall repay not more than the percentage specified in paragraph (2) of the loan obligation on a loan made under section 428 or 428H that is outstanding after the completion of each complete school year of teaching described in subsection (b)(1). No borrower may receive a reduction of loan obligations under both this section and section 460.

“(2) PERCENTAGE ELIGIBLE.—The percent of the loan obligation which the Secretary shall repay under paragraph (1) of this subsection is 15 percent for the first or second year of such service, 20 percent for the third or fourth year of such service, and 30 percent for the fifth year of such service.

“(3) TREATMENT OF CONSOLIDATION LOANS.—A loan amount for a loan made under section 428C may be a qualified loan amount for the purposes of this subsection only to the extent that such loan amount was used to repay a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a loan made under section 428 or 428H for a borrower who meets the requirements of subsection (b), as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

“(4) TREATMENT OF YEARS OF SERVICE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION LOANS.—For purposes of paragraph (2), the year of service is determined on the basis of the academic year that the borrower began the service as a full-time teacher, except that in the case of a borrower who incurs a loan obligation for continuing education expenses while teaching, the year of service is determined on the basis of the academic year following the academic year for which the loan obligation was incurred.

“(d) Regulations.—The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

“(e) Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment of a loan.

“(f) List.—If the list of schools in which a teacher may perform service pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A) is not available before May 1 of any year, the Secretary may use the list for the year preceding the year for which the determination is made to make such service determination.

“(g) Additional Eligibility Provisions.—

“(1) CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY.—Any teacher who performs service in a school that—

“(A) meets the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) in any year during such service; and

“(B) in a subsequent year fails to meet the requirements of such subsection,

may continue to teach in such school and shall be eligible for loan forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b).

“(2) PREVENTION OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.—No borrower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.).

“(h) Definition.—For purposes of this section:

“(1) AREA.—The term ‘economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural area’ means any of the following areas in any State:

“(A) A rural area that has a chronically high rate of unemployment.

“(B) A rural area in which at least 30 percent of the households have household incomes of less than $15,000, as determined on the basis of the most recent decennial census.

“(C) An Indian reservation.

“(D) Any other rural area that, as determined by regulations, has a significant shortage of educational and employment opportunities.

“(2) INDIAN RESERVATION.—The term ‘Indian reservation’ includes Indian reservations, public domain Indian allotments, former Indian reservations in Oklahoma, and land held by incorporated Native Alaskan groups, regional corporations, and village corporations under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

“(3) YEAR.—The term ‘year’, where applied to service as a teacher, means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.

“(i) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.”.

(b) Direct Student Loans.—Part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 460 the following new section:

“SEC. 460A. EXPANDED LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS.

“(a) Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to expand, subject to the availability of appropriations therefor, the eligibility of individuals to qualify for loan forgiveness for teachers beyond that available under section 460, in order to provide additional incentives for such individuals to teach in economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural areas.

“(b) Program Authorized.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—From the sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (i), the Secretary shall carry out canceling the obligation to repay a qualified loan amount in accordance with subsection (c) for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans made under this part for any new borrower on or after October 1, 1998, but who—

“(A) is employed as a full-time teacher in a public elementary or secondary school in an economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural area;

“(B) has a State certification (which may include certification obtained through alternative means) or a State license to teach, and has not failed to comply with State or local accountability standards; and

“(C) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness.

“(2) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary shall by regulation establish a formula that ensures fairness and equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan repayment under this section, based on the amount available pursuant to subsection (i).

“(c) Qualified Loans Amount.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall cancel not more than the percentage specified in paragraph (2) of the loan obligation on a loan made under this part that is outstanding after the completion of each complete school year of teaching described in subsection (b)(1). No borrower may receive a reduction of loan obligations under both this section and section 428J.

“(2) PERCENTAGE ELIGIBLE.—The percent of the loan obligation which the Secretary shall repay under paragraph (1) of this subsection is 15 percent for the first or second year of such service, 20 percent for the third or fourth year of such service, and 30 percent for the fifth year of such service.

“(3) TREATMENT OF CONSOLIDATION LOANS.—A loan amount for a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan may be a qualified loan amount for the purposes of this subsection only to the extent that such loan amount was used to repay a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a loan made under section 428 or 428H for a borrower who meets the requirements of subsection (b), as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

“(4) TREATMENT OF YEARS OF SERVICE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION LOANS.—For purposes of paragraph (2), the year of service is determined on the basis of the academic year that the borrower began the service as a full-time teacher, except that in the case of a borrower who incurs a loan obligation for continuing education expenses while teaching, the year of service is determined on the basis of the academic year following the academic year for which the loan obligation was incurred.

“(d) Regulations.—The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

“(e) Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment of a loan.

“(f) List.—If the list of schools in which a teacher may perform service pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A) is not available before May 1 of any year, the Secretary may use the list for the year preceding the year for which the determination is made to make such service determination.

“(g) Additional Eligibility Provisions.—

“(1) CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY.—Any teacher who performs service in a school that—

“(A) meets the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) in any year during such service; and

“(B) in a subsequent year fails to meet the requirements of such subsection,

may continue to teach in such school and shall be eligible for loan forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b).

“(2) PREVENTION OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.—No borrower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.).

“(h) Definition.—For purposes of this section:

“(1) AREA.—The term ‘economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural area’ means any of the following areas in any State:

“(A) A rural area that has a chronically high rate of unemployment.

“(B) A rural area in which at least 30 percent of the households have household incomes of less than $15,000, as determined on the basis of the most recent decennial census.

“(C) An Indian reservation.

“(D) Any other rural area that, as determined by regulations, has a significant shortage of educational and employment opportunities.

“(2) INDIAN RESERVATION.—The term ‘Indian reservation’ includes Indian reservations, public domain Indian allotments, former Indian reservations in Oklahoma, and land held by incorporated Native Alaskan groups, regional corporations, and village corporations under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

“(3) YEAR.—The term ‘year’, where applied to service as a teacher, means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.

“(i) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.”.

 

PES: Teacher Recruitment Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish new programs for teacher student loan forgiveness under the guaranteed loan program and the direct loan program.

Makes eligible for such student loan forgiveness any new borrower on or after October 1, 1998, who is: (1) employed as a full-time teacher in a public elementary or secondary school in an economically disadvantaged or depressed and underserved rural area; (2) state-certified or state-licensed to teach, and in compliance with state or local accountability standards; and (3) not in default on the loan.

Directs the Secretary to establish a formula that ensures fairness and equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for such loan repayment under this section, based on the amount available.

Limits the portion of the outstanding loan obligation which the Secretary may repay to 15% for the first or second year of such service, 20% for the third or fourth year, and 30% for the fifth year

 

I nominate Sophia Miller

I second OA

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, and Mr. Gerbhardt, with thanks to Mr. Dingell) introduced the following bill

 

A BILL

To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries

 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007”.

SEC. 2. NEGOTIATION OF LOWER COVERED PART D DRUG PRICES ON BEHALF OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

(a) Negotiation By HHS.—Section 1860D–11 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–111) is amended by striking subsection (i) (relating to noninterference) and inserting the following:

“(i) Negotiation Of Lower Drug Prices.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices (including discounts, rebates, and other price concessions) that may be charged to PDP sponsors and MA organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a prescription drug plan or under an MA–PD plan.

“(2) NO CHANGE IN RULES FOR FORMULARIES.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to establish or require a particular formulary.

“(B) CONSTRUCTION.—Subparagraph (A) shall not be construed as affecting the Secretary’s authority to ensure appropriate and adequate access to covered part D drugs under prescription drug plans and under MA–PD plans, including compliance of such plans with formulary requirements under section 1860D–4(b)(3).

“(3) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preventing the sponsor of a prescription drug plan, or an organization offering an MA–PD plan, from obtaining a discount or reduction of the price for a covered part D drug below the price negotiated under paragraph (1).

“(4) SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than June 1, 2007, and every six months thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on negotiations conducted by the Secretary to achieve lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries, and the prices and price discounts achieved by the Secretary as a result of such negotiations.”.

(b) Effective Date.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall first apply to negotiations and prices for plan years beginning on January 1, 2008.

Passed the House of Representatives January 12, 2007.

 

PES: Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals enrolled under a prescription drug plan or under a Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plan.

 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, with thanks to Mr. Thompson) introduced the following bill

 

A BILL

To state United States policy for Iraq, and for other purposes.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

 

 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 

This Act may be cited as the “Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007”.

 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

 

(a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings:

 

(1) Congress and the Nation honor the courage, sacrifices, and efforts of the members of the Armed Forces of the United States and their families.

 

(2) In his speech to the Nation on January 10, 2007, President George W. Bush said that “I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people. . . The Prime Minister understands this”.

 

(3) In that speech, President George W. Bush also told the Nation that “America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced. . . [T]o take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10,000,000,000 of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution”.

 

(4) In that speech, President George W. Bush also told the Nation that “only Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and secure their people”.

 

(5) On December 18, 2006, former Secretary of State Colin Powell stated: “[s]o we have tried this surge of troops over the summer. I am not persuaded that another surge of troops in Baghdad for the purpose of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work”.

 

(6) On November 15, 2006, General John Abizaid, Commander of the United States Central Command, stated before the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that “I met with every divisional commander, General Casey, the corps commander, General Dempsey. We all talked together. And I said, in your professional opinion, if we were to bring in more American troops now, does it add considerably to our ability to achieve success in Iraq? And they all said no. And the reason is, because we want the Iraqis to do more. It's easy for the Iraqis to rely upon us to do this work. I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future”.

 

(7) In testimony before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on January 11, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that unless the Government of Iraq has met certain benchmarks and reestablishes the confidence of the Iraqi people over the next several months, “this plan is not going to work”.

 

(8) In a statement on January 11, 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated “[a]nd we will probably have a better view a couple of months from now in terms of whether we are making headway in terms of getting better control of Baghdad, with the Iraqis in the lead and with the Iraqis beginning to make better progress on the reconciliation process”.

 

(9) The bipartisan Iraq Study Group headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Representative Lee Hamilton reached a bipartisan consensus on 79 separate recommendations for a new approach in Iraq. Among those recommendations were calling for a new diplomatic offensive in the region and conditioning American economic assistance to Iraq on specific benchmarks, with the expectation that “by the first quarter of 2008, subject to unexpected developments in the security situation on the ground, all combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be out of Iraq”.

 

(10) In reaction to the speech of President George W. Bush of January 10, 2007, former Secretary of State Baker and former Representative Hamilton wrote that “[t]he President did not suggest the possibility of a transition that could enable U.S. combat forces to begin to leave Iraq. The President did not state that political, military, or economic support for Iraq would be conditional on the Iraq government's ability to meet benchmarks. Within the region, the President did not announce an international support group for Iraq including all of Iraq's neighbors. . .”.

 

(b) Purposes.—The purposes of this Act are as follows:

 

(1) To formulate and provide for the implementation of an effective United States policy towards Iraq and the Middle East region that employs military, political, diplomatic, and economic assets to promote and protect the national security interests of the United States.

 

(2) To provide for the implementation of a responsible, phased redeployment of the Armed Forces of the United States from Iraq in a substantial and gradual manner that places the highest priority on protecting the lives of members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel of the United States and on promoting the national security interests of the United States in the Middle East region.

 

(3) To urge the political parties and leaders of Iraq to reach the political solution necessary to promote stability in Iraq and enhance the safety of innocent Iraqi civilians.

 

(4) To condition future economic assistance to the Government of Iraq on significant progress toward the achievement of political and economic measures to be taken by the Government of Iraq.

 

(5) To provide for the initiation of a wider and sustained diplomatic strategy aimed at promoting a political settlement in Iraq, thereby ending the civil war in Iraq, preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq, and preventing a wider regional conflict.

 

(6) To provide, through sections 4 through 7, for the implementation of key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel of experts co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Representative Lee Hamilton.

 

SEC. 3. APPROPRIATE FORCE LEVELS FOR UNITED STATES MILITARY FORCES IN IRAQ.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the levels of the Armed Forces of the United States in Iraq after the date of the enactment of this Act shall not exceed the levels of such forces in Iraq as of January 10, 2007, without specific authority in statute enacted by Congress after the date of the enactment of this Act.

 

SEC. 4. REDEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES MILITARY FORCES FROM IRAQ.

 

(a) Redeployment.—

 

(1) DEADLINE FOR COMMENCEMENT OF REDEPLOYMENT.—Except as otherwise provided in this section, the phased redeployment of the Armed Forces of the United States from Iraq shall commence not later than May 1, 2007.

 

(2) SCOPE AND MANNER OF REDEPLOYMENT.—The redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section shall be substantial, shall occur in a gradual manner, and shall be executed at a pace to achieve the goal of the complete redeployment of all United States combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, consistent with the expectation of the Iraq Study Group, if all the matters set forth in subsection (b)(1)(B) are not met by such date, subject to the exceptions for retention of forces for force protection, counter-terrorism operations, training of Iraqi forces, and other purposes as contemplated by subsection (g).

 

(3) FORMULATION OF PLAN WITH MILITARY COMMANDERS.—The redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section should be conducted pursuant to a plan formulated by United States military commanders that is developed, if practicable, in consultation with the Government of Iraq.

 

(4) PROTECTION OF UNITED STATES FORCES AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL.—In carrying out the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section, the highest priority shall be afforded to the safety of members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel of the United States in Iraq.

 

(b) Suspension Of Redeployment.—

 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may suspend, on a temporary basis as provided in paragraph (2), the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section if the President certifies to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that—

 

(A) doing so is in the national security interests of the United States; and

 

(B) the Government of Iraq—

 

(i) has lifted all restrictions concerning non-interference in operations of the Armed Forces of the United States in Iraq and does so on a continuing basis;

 

(ii) is making significant progress in reducing sectarian violence in Iraq and in reducing the size and operational effectiveness of sectarian militias in Iraq;

 

(iii) is making significant progress towards removing militia elements from the Iraqi Army, National Police, Facilities Protection Services, and other security forces of the Government of Iraq;

 

(iv) has enacted legislation or established other binding mechanisms to ensure the sharing of all Iraqi oil revenues among all segments of Iraqi society in an equitable manner;

 

(v) is making significant progress towards making available not less than $10,000,000,000 for reconstruction, job creation, and economic development in Iraq, with safeguards to prevent corruption, by January 10, 2008;

 

(vi) has deployed at least 18 Iraqi Army and National Police brigades to Baghdad and is effectively ensuring that such units are performing their security and police functions in all Baghdad neighborhoods, regardless of their sectarian composition;

 

(vii) has enacted legislation or established other binding mechanisms to revise its de-Baathification laws to encourage the employment in the Government of Iraq of qualified Iraqi professionals, irrespective of ethnic or political affiliation, including ex-Baathists who were not leading figures of the Saddam Hussein regime;

 

(viii) has established a fair process for considering amendments to the constitution of Iraq that promote lasting national reconciliation in Iraq;

 

(ix) is making significant progress towards assuming full responsibility for security in all the provinces of Iraq by November 30, 2007;

 

(x) is making significant progress towards holding free and fair provincial elections in Iraq at the earliest date practicable, but not later than December 31, 2007;

 

(xi) is making substantial progress towards increasing the size and effectiveness of Ministry of Defense forces as described on page 11 of “Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review” published by the National Security Council in January 2007;

 

(xii) is making significant progress in reforming and strengthening the civilian ministries and other government institutions that support the Iraqi Army and National Police; and

 

(xiii) is making significant progress towards reforming its civilian ministries to ensure that they are not administered on a sectarian basis and that government services are delivered in an even-handed and non-sectarian manner.

 

(2) PERIOD OF SUSPENSION.—A suspension of the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this subsection, including any renewal of the suspension under paragraph (3), shall be for a period not to exceed 90 days.

 

(3) RENEWAL.—A suspension of the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this subsection may be renewed. Any such renewal shall include a certification to the officers referred to in paragraph (1) on the matters set forth in clauses (i) through (xiii) of subparagraph (B) of that paragraph.

 

(c) Disapproval Of Suspension.—

 

(1) DISAPPROVAL.—If Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving the suspension of the redeployment of the Armed Forces under subsection (b), or any renewal of the suspension, the suspension shall be discontinued, and the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq under this section shall resume.

 

(2) PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF JOINT RESOLUTIONS.—

 

(A) JOINT RESOLUTION DEFINED.—For purposes of this subsection, the term “joint resolution” means only a joint resolution introduced not later than 10 days after the date on which a certification of the President under subsection (b) is received by Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That Congress disapproves the certification of the President submitted to Congress under section 4(b) of the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, on _______.”, the blank space being filled in with the appropriate date.

 

(B) PROCEDURES.—A joint resolution described in paragraph (1) shall be considered in a House of Congress in accordance with the procedures applicable to joint resolutions under paragraphs (3) through (8) of section 8066(c) of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1985 (as enacted by section 101(h) of Public Law 98–473; 98 Stat. 1936).

 

(d) Reports To Congress.—

 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall submit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report describing and assessing—

 

(A) the progress made by the Government of Iraq on each of the matters set forth in subsection (b)(1)(B); and

 

(B) the progress of the redeployment required by subsection (a).

 

(2) FORM.—Each report under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

 

(e) Sense Of Congress On Location Of Redeployment.—It is the sense of Congress that, in redeploying the Armed Forces from Iraq under this section, appropriate units of the Armed Forces should be redeployed—

 

(1) to the United States;

 

(2) to Afghanistan, in order to enhance United States military operations in that country;

 

(3) elsewhere in the region, to serve as an over-the-horizon force to prevent the conflict in Iraq from becoming a wider war, to reassure allies of the United States of the commitment of the United States to remain engaged in the region, and to position troops to strike directly at al-Qaeda; and

 

(4) elsewhere, to meet urgent United States security needs.

 

(f) Political Solution In Iraq.—The United States should use the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section, and the possible suspension of such redeployment if the benchmarks set forth in subsection (b) are met, as a tool to press the Iraqi leaders to promote national reconciliation among ethnic and religious groups in Iraq in order to establish stability in Iraq.

 

(g) Retention Of Certain Forces In Iraq.—

 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the requirement for the redeployment of the Armed Forces under subsection (a) and subject to the provisions of this subsection, personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States may be in Iraq after the completion of the redeployment of the Armed Forces under this section for the following purposes:

 

(A) To protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq.

 

(B) To conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations.

 

(C) To provide training for Iraqi security forces.

 

(D) To conduct the routine functions of the Office of Defense Attache.

 

(2) CERTIFICATION.—Personnel of the Armed Forces may not be retained in Iraq under this subsection unless the President certifies to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that—

 

(A) the retention of the Armed Forces in Iraq is necessary for one or more of the purposes set forth in paragraph (1); and

 

(B) the utilization of Armed Forces positioned outside Iraq could not result in the effective achievement of such purpose or purposes.

 

(3) DISAPPROVAL OF RETENTION.—If Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving the retention of personnel of the Armed Forces in Iraq under this subsection, or any renewal of the retention, the retention of such personnel in Iraq shall be discontinued, and such personnel shall be redeployed from Iraq.

 

(4) PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF JOINT RESOLUTIONS.—

 

(A) JOINT RESOLUTION DEFINED.—For purposes of paragraph (3), the term “joint resolution” means only a joint resolution introduced not later than 10 days after the date on which a certification of the President under paragraph (2) is received by Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That Congress disapproves the certification of the President submitted to Congress under section 4(g)(2) of the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, on _______.”, the blank space being filled in with the appropriate date.

 

(B) PROCEDURES.—A joint resolution described in subparagraph (A) shall be considered in a House of Congress in accordance with the procedures applicable to joint resolutions under paragraphs (3) through (8) of section 8066(c) of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1985 (as enacted by section 101(h) of Public Law 98–473; 98 Stat. 1936).

 

(h) No Permanent Bases.—Congress hereby reaffirms section 1519 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109–364; 120 Stat. 2444), and related provisions of law, that prohibit the establishment of military installations or bases for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq.

 

SEC. 5. INTENSIFICATION OF TRAINING OF IRAQI SECURITY FORCES.

 

It shall be the policy of the United States to immediately formulate and implement a plan that—

 

(1) with the Government of Iraq—

 

(A) removes militia elements from the Iraqi Army, National Police, and other security forces of the Government of Iraq; and

 

(B) puts such forces in charge of maintaining security in Iraq;

 

(2) focuses and intensifies United States efforts on training such forces; and

 

(3) presses the Government of Iraq to reform the civilian ministries and other government institutions that support the Iraqi Army, National Police, local police, and judicial system.

 

SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQ.

 

(a) Limitation.—Except as provided in subsection (b), after May 1, 2007, economic assistance may be furnished to the Government of Iraq only if the President submits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a certification that the Government of Iraq—

 

(1) is making measurable progress toward providing not less than $10,000,000,000 of Iraqi funds for reconstruction, job creation, and economic development in Iraq, with safeguards to prevent corruption, by January 10, 2008;

 

(2) is making progress toward meeting the conditions set forth in the International Compact for Iraq and in the stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund; and

 

(3) is making progress toward reducing sectarian violence and promoting national reconciliation.

 

(b) Exceptions.—The limitation in subsection (a) shall not apply to assistance for Iraq as follows:

 

(1) Humanitarian assistance.

 

(2) Assistance to address urgent security and employment needs.

 

(c) Assessment Of Progress.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction shall submit to Congress a report describing the progress of the Government of Iraq on each matter set forth in subsection (a).

 

SEC. 7. REGIONAL DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES ON IRAQ.

 

(a) Policy Of The United States.—It shall be the policy of the United States to undertake comprehensive regional and international initiatives, involving key nations, that will assist the Government of Iraq in achieving the purposes of this Act, including promoting a political settlement among the Iraqi people, ending the civil war in Iraq, preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq, and preventing a regional conflict.

 

(b) Special Envoy.—The President should, not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, appoint a special envoy for Iraq to carry out the policy set forth in subsection (a).

 

(c) Strategy On Preventing Wider Regional War.—

 

(1) STRATEGY.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report setting forth a strategy for preventing the conflict in Iraq from becoming a wider regional war.

 

(2) FORM.—The report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex

 

PES: 

Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 - States that: (1) U.S. Armed Forces levels in Iraq after the date of enactment of this Act shall not exceed January 10, 2007, levels without specific statutory authority enacted by Congress after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) except as otherwise provided, the phased redeployment of U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq shall begin by May 1, 2007.

Authorizes the President to temporarily suspend such redeployment upon certification to Congress that: (1) such action is in the U.S. national interest; and (2) the government of Iraq is taking specified actions. Resumes redeployment if Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving such suspension or suspension renewal.

Authorizes, upon certification by the President to Congress, post-deployment retention of certain forces in Iraq to: (1) protect U.S. personnel and facilities; (2) conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations; (3) provide training for Iraqi security forces; and (4) conduct Office of Defense Attache functions. Terminates retention if Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving such retention.

Reaffirms provisions prohibiting the establishment of bases or installations providing for the permanent stationing of U.S. forces in Iraq.

States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) implement a plan to intensify training of Iraqi security forces; and (2) undertake diplomatic initiatives to restore peace in Iraq and prevent a regional conflict.

Conditions continued economic assistance (with exceptions for humanitarian, employment, and security assistance) to the government of Iraq after May 1, 2007, upon the President certifying to Congress that the government of Iraq is taking specified actions with respect to economic improvements and reducing sectarian violence.

 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 

Mrs. Reese (for herself, and Mr. Gerbhardt, with thanks to Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill

 

A BILL

 

To promote economic recovery through green jobs and infrastructure, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.—This Act may be cited as the “Green Jobs and Infrastructure Act of 2007”.

(b) Table Of Contents.—The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary.

TITLE I—CLEAN TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Sec. 101. Clean technology manufacturing incentive program.

TITLE II—HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING BLOCK GRANTS

Sec. 201. High-performance building block grants.

TITLE III—GREEN ENERGY JOBS

Sec. 301. Clean Energy Service Corps.
Sec. 302. Green jobs.

 

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.

In this Act, the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.

TITLE I—CLEAN TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE PROGRAM

SEC. 101. CLEAN TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

(a) Loans.—The Secretary shall provide loans to manufacturers to help finance the cost of—

(1) reequipping, expanding, or establishing (including applicable engineering costs) a manufacturing facility in the United States to produce clean technology products and the significant component parts of those products, including—

(A) wind turbines;

(B) solar energy products;

(C) fuel cells;

(D) advanced batteries and storage devices;

(E) biomass engines;

(F) geothermal equipment;

(G) ocean energy equipment;

(H) carbon capture and storage;

(I) energy efficiency products, including appliances and products that are used to increase energy efficiency by at least 30 percent over a baseline product (and significant components of the appliances and products), subject to the condition that the parts shall be integral to the overall efficiency of the end product; and

(J) products for retrofitting a manufacturing facility to improve industrial processes and create greater energy efficiency through the use of technologies, including—

(i) combined heat and power systems;

(ii) natural gas pressure recovery;

(iii) advanced cogeneration;

(iv) gasification;

(v) anaerobic digestion; and

(vi) landfill gas recovery; and

(2) improving the energy-efficiency of the industrial processes of the manufacturers other than through the production of products and component parts described in paragraph (1)(J).

(b) Period Of Availability.—A loan under subsection (a) shall apply to—

(1) facilities and equipment placed in service before December 30, 2012; and

(2) clean technology retooling costs, retrofitting costs, worker training costs, and other costs described in subsection (a) incurred during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December 30, 2020.

(c) Direct Loan Program.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the Secretary shall carry out a program to provide a total of not more than $50,000,000,000 in loans to eligible individuals and entities (as determined by the Secretary) for the costs of activities described in subsection (a).

(2) APPLICATION.—An applicant for a loan under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a written assurance that the wages and benefits that will be provided to each individual that is employed by the applicant (including a contractor or subcontractor) in carrying out activities described in subsection (a) are at least equal to the average in the area, as determined by the Secretary.

(3) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall select eligible projects to receive loans under this subsection in cases in which, as determined by the Secretary, the loan recipient—

(A) has a viable market for the product or component described in subsection (a);

(B) will provide sufficient information to the Secretary for the Secretary to ensure that the qualified investment is expended efficiently and effectively;

(C) will provide such information as the Secretary may request to demonstrate that the qualified investment will preserve or create jobs; and

(D) has met such other criteria as may be established and published by the Secretary.

(4) RATES, TERMS, AND REPAYMENT OF LOANS.—A loan provided under this subsection—

(A) shall have an interest rate that, as of the date on which the loan is made, is equal to the cost of funds to the Department of the Treasury for obligations of comparable maturity;

(B) shall have a term equal to the lesser of—

(i) the projected life, in years, of the eligible project to be carried out using funds from the loan, as determined by the Secretary; and

(ii) 25 years;

(C) may be subject to a deferral in repayment for not more than 5 years after the date on which the eligible project carried out using funds from the loan first begins operations, as determined by the Secretary;

(D) shall be made by the Federal Financing Bank; and

(E) shall be repaid in full if the loan recipient moves production of activities described in subsection (a) outside of the United States during the term of the loan.

(5) FEES.—Administrative costs shall be no more than $100,000 or 10 basis point of the loan.

(d) Priority.—In making loans to manufacturers under this section, the Secretary—

(1) shall give priority to those facilities that are located in regions with the highest unemployment rates; and

(2) may provide awards or loan to facilities that are idle.

(e) Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce in carrying out the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program established under sections 25 and 26 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k, 278l).

(f) Funding.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, on October 1, 2008, and on each October 1 thereafter through October 1, 2012, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary for the cost of loans and loan guarantees to carry out this section such sums as are necessary to provide the amount of loans authorized under subsection (c)(1), to remain available until expended.

(2) RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this section the funds transferred under paragraph (1), without further appropriation.

 

TITLE II—HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING BLOCK GRANTS

 

SEC. 201. HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING BLOCK GRANTS.

(a) In General.—Title V of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–140; 121 Stat. 1655) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“Subtitle F—High-Performance Building Block Grants

“SEC. 551. DEFINITIONS.

“In this subtitle:

“(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means—

“(A) an eligible unit of local government;

“(B) an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian community;

“(C) a utility system; or

“(D) a public-private partnership.

“(2) ELIGIBLE UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘eligible unit of local government’ means any political subdivision of a State.

“(3) ENERGY-EFFICIENT; ENERGY EFFICIENCY.—The terms ‘energy-efficient’ and ‘energy efficiency’ with respect to a building, facility, process, or other activity, mean that the building, facility, process, or other activity uses technology or practices to reduce energy use by at least 20 percent.

“(4) HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING.—The term ‘high-performance building’ means the construction or retrofitting of a facility in a manner that achieves energy efficiency through—

“(A) an energy efficiency retrofitting activity; or

“(B) the installation and use of a renewable energy technology.

“(5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian tribe’ has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).

“(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the High-Performance Building Block Grant Program established under section 552(a).

“(7) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means—

“(A) a State;

“(B) the District of Columbia;

“(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and

“(D) any other territory or possession of the United States.

“(8) UTILITY SYSTEM.—The term ‘utility system’ has the meaning given the term in section 2688(i) of title 10, United States Code.

“SEC. 552. HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the ‘High-Performance Building Block Grant Program’, under which the Secretary shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities in accordance with this subtitle.

“(b) Purpose.—The purpose of the program shall be to assist eligible entities in implementing large-scale, multi-building residential and commercial projects to improve and provide high-performance building, green building, and renewable energy services and financing to homeowners and small businesses.

“(c) Priority.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give priority for grants to projects that—

“(1) include a cost recovery mechanism (such as on-bill financing);

“(2) use certified contractors; and

“(3) use products produced domestically.

“SEC. 553. USE OF FUNDS.

“An eligible entity may use a grant received under this subtitle to carry out activities to achieve the purposes of the program, including—

“(1) development and implementation of a high-performance building strategy under section 554(b);

“(2) coordination with other Federal or State programs to develop and implement that strategy;

“(3) retaining technical consultant services to assist the eligible entity in the development of such a strategy, including—

“(A) formulation of high-performance building goals;

“(B) identification of strategies to achieve those goals—

“(i) through efforts to increase high-performance building; and

“(ii) by encouraging behavioral changes among the population served by the eligible entity;

“(C) development of methods to measure progress in achieving the goals;

“(D) development and publication of annual reports to the population served by the eligible entity describing—

“(i) the strategies and goals; and

“(ii) the progress made in achieving the strategies and goals during the preceding calendar year; and

“(E) other services to assist in the implementation of the high-performance building strategy;

“(4) conducting residential and commercial building energy audits;

“(5) establishment of cost recovery systems and other financial incentive programs for high-performance building improvements;

“(6) the provision of grants to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies for the purpose of performing high-performance building retrofits;

“(7) development and implementation of high-performance building programs for buildings and facilities within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity, including—

“(A) retrofitting;

“(B) design and operation of the programs;

“(C) identifying the most effective methods for achieving maximum participation and efficiency rates;

“(D) public education;

“(E) measurement and verification protocols; and

“(F) identification of smart energy efficient technologies;

“(8) application and implementation of energy distribution technologies that significantly increase high-performance building, including—

“(A) distributed resources; and

“(B) district heating and cooling systems;

“(9) activities to increase participation and efficiency rates for material conservation programs, including source reduction, recycling, and recycled content procurement programs that lead to increases in high-performance building;

“(10) coordination of or cooperation with programs to train workers to participate in projects involving high-performance buildings;

“(11) development, implementation, and installation on or in any private building within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity of onsite renewable energy technology that generates electricity from renewable resources, including—

“(A) solar energy;

“(B) wind energy;

“(C) fuel cells;

“(D) biomass; and

“(E) geothermal energy; and

“(12) any other appropriate activity, as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with—

“(A) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

“(B) the Secretary of Transportation;

“(C) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and

“(D) the Secretary of Labor.

“SEC. 554. REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS.

“(a) Applications.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this subtitle, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(b) Strategy.—

“(1) PROPOSED STRATEGY.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Before receiving a grant under this subtitle, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a proposed high-performance building strategy in accordance with this paragraph.

“(B) INCLUSIONS.—The proposed strategy under subparagraph (A) shall include—

“(i) a description of the goals of the eligible entity, in accordance with the purposes of this subtitle, for increased high-performance building in the jurisdiction of the eligible entity; and

“(ii) a plan for the use of the grant to assist the eligible entity in achieving those goals, in accordance with section 553.

“(C) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the strategy under subparagraph (A), an eligible entity shall—

“(i) take into account any plans for the use of funds by adjacent eligible entities that receive grants under the program; and

“(ii) coordinate and share information with the State in which the eligible entity is located regarding activities carried out using the grant to maximize the high-performance building benefits under this subtitle.

“(2) APPROVAL BY SECRETARY.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall approve or disapprove a proposed strategy under paragraph (1) by not later than 120 days after the date of submission of the proposed strategy.

“(B) DISAPPROVAL.—If the Secretary disapproves a proposed strategy under subparagraph (A)—

“(i) the Secretary shall provide to the eligible entity the reasons for the disapproval; and

“(ii) the eligible entity may revise and resubmit the proposed strategy as many times as necessary until the Secretary approves a proposed strategy.

“(C) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall not provide to an eligible entity any grant under the program until a proposed strategy of the eligible entity is approved by the Secretary under this paragraph.

“(3) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS.—Of amounts provided to an eligible entity under the program, the eligible entity may use—

“(A) 10 percent for administrative expenses, excluding the cost of meeting the reporting requirements of this subtitle; and

“(B) any amount for the establishment of revolving loan funds to carry out activities described in section 553.

“(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date on which funds are initially provided to an eligible entity under the program, and annually thereafter, the eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a report describing—

“(A) the status of development and implementation of the high-performance building strategy of the eligible entity;

“(B) as practicable, an assessment of high-performance building gains within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity; and

“(C) as practicable, an assessment of job training strategies and job creation relating to the high-performance building strategy of the eligible entity.

“(c) Construction Requirement.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, each eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary a written assurance that all laborers and mechanics employed by any contractor or subcontractor of the eligible entity during any construction, alteration, or repair activity funded, in whole or in part, by the grant shall be paid wages at rates not less than the prevailing wages for similar construction activities in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, in accordance with sections 3141 through 3144, 3146, and 3147 of title 40, United States Code.

“(2) SECRETARY OF LABOR.—With respect to the labor standards referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor shall have the authority and functions described in—

“(A) Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. 903 note); and

“(B) section 3145 of title 40, United States Code.

“(d) Priority.—In providing grants under this subtitle, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities—

“(1) that plan to carry out projects that would result in significant high-performance building improvements and retrofits on a large scale; and

“(2) in regions with higher rates of unemployment and housing foreclosures.

“SEC. 555. REVIEW AND EVALUATION.

“(a) In General.—The Secretary may review and evaluate the performance of any eligible entity that receives a grant under the program, including by conducting an audit, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

“(b) Withholding Of Funds.—The Secretary may withhold from an eligible entity any portion of a grant to be provided to the eligible entity under the program if the Secretary determines that the eligible entity has failed to achieve compliance with—

“(1) any applicable guideline or regulation of the Secretary relating to the program, including the misuse or misappropriation of funds provided under the program; or

“(2) the high-performance building strategy of the eligible entity.

“SEC. 556. FUNDING.

“(a) Mandatory Funding.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this subtitle, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 to remain available until expended.

“(2) RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this section the funds transferred under paragraph (1), without further appropriation.

“(b) Discretionary Funding.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013.

“(c) Maintenance Of Funding.—The funding provided under this subtitle shall supplement (and not supplant) other Federal funding provided under—

“(1) a State energy conservation plan established under part D of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.); or

“(2) the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons established under part A of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 et seq.).”.

“Subtitle F—High-Performance Building Block Grants

“Sec. 551. Definitions.
“Sec. 552. High-performance building block grant program.
“Sec. 553. Use of funds.
“Sec. 554. Requirements for grants.
“Sec. 555. Review and evaluation.
“Sec. 556. Funding.”.

TITLE III—GREEN ENERGY JOBS

 

SEC. 301. CLEAN ENERGY SERVICE CORPS.

Section 122(a) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:

“(15) A Clean Energy Service Corps program in which—

“(A) participants—

“(i) encourage or promote clean energy technologies; or

“(ii) enable communities and nonprofit organizations to assist business owners and households in matters relating to clean energy technologies, and in becoming more energy efficient; and

“(B) priority is provided for programs that enroll corps participants who will be trained for careers that promote a sustainable economy.”.

SEC. 302. GREEN JOBS.

Section 171(e)(8) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916(e)(8)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively, and indenting appropriately; and

(2) by striking “(8)” and all that follows through “of which—” and inserting the following:

“(8) FUNDING.—

“(A) MANDATORY FUNDING.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of the Green Jobs and Infrastructure Act of 2007, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out this subsection $250,000,000, to remain available until expended.

“(ii) RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this subsection the funds transferred under clause (i), without further appropriation.

“(B) DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.—In addition to the amount made available under subparagraph (A), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $125,000,000 for each fiscal year.

“(C) ALLOCATION.—Of the amount available under subparagraph (A) or (B) for a fiscal year—”.

 

PES: 

Green Jobs and Infrastructure Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to implement a program to provide loans to manufacturers to help finance the cost of: (1) reequipping, expanding, or establishing a manufacturing facility in the United States to produce clean technology products and significant component parts of those products, including wind turbines, solar energy products, fuel cells, advanced batteries and storage devices, biomass engines, and geothermal equipment; and (2) improving the energy-efficiency of the industrial processes of the manufacturers other than through the production of products and component parts for retrofitting a manufacturing facility. Applies such loans to: (1) facilities and equipment placed in service before December 30, 2012; and (2) costs incurred between the date of this Act's enactment and December 30, 2020. Requires the Secretary to give priority to facilities in regions with the highest unemployment rates. Authorizes the Secretary to provide awards or loans to idle facilities.

Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Secretary to establish the High-Performance Building Block Grant Program to provide grants to assist eligible entities in implementing large-scale, multi-building projects to improve and provide high-performance building, green building, and renewable energy services and financing to homeowners and small businesses.

Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to include among national service programs eligible for assistance under the National and Community Service State Grant Program a Clean Energy Service Corps program in which participants: (1) promote clean energy technologies; or (2) enable communities and nonprofit organizations to assist businesses and households in matters relating to clean energy technologies and in becoming more energy efficient.

Amends the Workforce Investment Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the Secretary a specified amount of funding for the energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program.