[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2512 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2512
To provide grants for training court reporters and closed captioners to
meet requirements for realtime writers under the Telecommunications Act
of 1996, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 14 (legislative day, May 9), 2002
Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Cochran, Mr.
Dodd, Mr. Helms, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Reid, Mr. Smith of
Oregon, and Mr. Wellstone) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants for training court reporters and closed captioners to
meet requirements for realtime writers under the Telecommunications Act
of 1996, 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 ``Training for Realtime Writers Act of
2002''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) As directed by Congress in section 723 of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613), as added by section
305 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-104;
110 Stat. 126), the Federal Communications Commission adopted
rules requiring closed captioning of most television
programming, which gradually require new video programming to
be fully captioned beginning in 2006.
(2) More than 28,000,000 Americans, or 8 percent of the
population, are considered deaf or hard of hearing and many
require captioning services to participate in mainstream
activities.
(3) More than 24,000 children are born in the United States
each year with some form of hearing loss.
(4) According to the United States Department of Health and
Human Services and a study done by the National Council on
Aging--
(A) 25 percent of Americans over 65 years old are
hearing impaired;
(B) 33 percent of Americans over 70 years old are
hearing impaired; and
(C) 41 percent of Americans over 75 years old are
hearing impaired.
(5) The National Council on Aging study also found that
depression in older adults may be directly related to hearing
loss and disconnection with the spoken word.
(6) Over the past 5 years, student enrollment in programs
that train court reporters to become realtime writers has
decreased significantly, causing such programs to close on many
campuses.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE TRAINING AND JOB
PLACEMENT OF REALTIME WRITERS.
(a) In General.--The National Telecommunications and Information
Administration shall make grants to not more than 20 eligible entities
under subsection (b) to promote training and placement of individuals,
including individuals who have completed a court reporting training
program, as realtime writers in order to meet the requirements for
closed captioning of video programming set forth in section 723 of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613) and the rules prescribed
thereunder.
(b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of this Act, an eligible
entity is a court reporting program that is--
(1) approved by the National Court Reporters Association;
(2) accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the
Department of Education; and
(3) participating in student aid programs under title IV of
the Higher Education Act of 1965.
(c) Duration of Grant.--A grant under this section shall be for a
period of two years.
(d) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided under
subsection (a) to an entity eligible may not exceed $1,000,000 for the
two-year period of the grant under subsection (c).
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
(a) In General.--To receive a grant under section 3, an eligible
entity shall submit an application to the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration at such time and in such manner as the
Administration may require. The application shall contain the
information set forth under subsection (b).
(b) Information.--Information in the application of an eligible
entity under subsection (a) for a grant under section 3 shall include
the following:
(1) A description of the training and assistance to be
funded using the grant amount, including how such training and
assistance will increase the number of realtime writers.
(2) A description of performance measures to be utilized to
evaluate the progress of individuals receiving such training
and assistance in matters relating to enrollment, completion of
training, and job placement and retention.
(3) A description of the manner in which the eligible
entity will ensure that recipients of scholarships, if any,
funded by the grant will be employed and retained as realtime
writers.
(4) A description of the manner in which the eligible
entity intends to continue providing the training and
assistance to be funded by the grant after the end of the grant
period, including any partnerships or arrangements established
for that purpose.
(5) A description of how the eligible entity will work with
local workforce investment boards to ensure that training and
assistance to be funded with the grant will further local
workforce goals, including the creation of educational
opportunities for individuals who are from economically
disadvantaged backgrounds or are displaced workers.
(6) Such other information as the Administration may
require.
SEC. 5. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under section
3 shall use the grant amount for purposes relating to the recruitment,
training and assistance, and job placement of individuals, including
individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as
realtime writers, including--
(1) recruitment;
(2) subject to subsection (b), the provision of
scholarships;
(3) distance learning;
(4) education and training;
(5) job placement assistance;
(6) encouragement of individuals with disabilities to
pursue a career in realtime writing; and
(7) the employment and payment of personnel for such
purposes.
(b) Scholarships.--
(1) Amount.--The amount of a scholarship under subsection
(a)(2) shall be based on the amount of need of the recipient of
the scholarship for financial assistance, as determined in
accordance with part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk).
(2) Agreement.--Each recipient of a scholarship under
subsection (a)(2) shall enter into an agreement with the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration to
provide realtime writing services for a period of time (as
determined by the Administration) that is appropriate (as so
determined) for the amount of the scholarship received.
(3) Coursework and employment.--The Administration shall
establish requirements for coursework and employment for
recipients of scholarships under subsection (a)(2), including
requirements for repayment of scholarship amounts in the event
of failure to meet such requirements for coursework and
employment. Requirements for repayment of scholarship amounts
shall take into account the effect of economic conditions on
the capacity of scholarship recipients to find work as realtime
writers.
(c) Administrative Costs.--The recipient of a grant under section 3
may not use more than 5 percent of the grant amount to pay
administrative costs associated with activities funded by the grant.
(d) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grants amounts under this Act shall
supplement and not supplant other Federal or non-Federal funds of the
grant recipient for purposes of promoting the training and placement of
individuals as realtime writers
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
(a) Annual Reports.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant under
section 3 shall submit to the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration, at the end of each year of the grant
period, a report on the activities of such entity with respect to the
use of grant amounts during such year.
(b) Report Information.--
(1) In general.--Each report of an entity for a year under
subsection (a) shall include a description of the use of grant
amounts by the entity during such year, including an assessment
by the entity of the effectiveness of activities carried out
using such funds in increasing the number of realtime writers.
The assessment shall utilize the performance measures submitted
by the entity in the application for the grant under section
4(b).
(2) Final report.--The final report of an entity on a grant
under subsection (a) shall include a description of the best
practices identified by the entity as a result of the grant for
increasing the number of individuals who are trained, employed,
and retained in employment as realtime writers.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act,
amounts as follows:
(1) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, and
2005.
(2) Such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2006 and 2007.
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