[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8494 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8494
To provide that certain local parks are eligible for E-Rate support, to
provide that local parks are eligible for the loan, lease, or transfer
of certain excess research equipment, and to direct the Secretary of
Labor to carry out a program to make grants for conducting technology
training programs in local parks, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2024
Mr. Davis of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the
Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Science, Space, and Technology,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide that certain local parks are eligible for E-Rate support, to
provide that local parks are eligible for the loan, lease, or transfer
of certain excess research equipment, and to direct the Secretary of
Labor to carry out a program to make grants for conducting technology
training programs in local parks, 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 ``Technology in the Parks Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. E-RATE SUPPORT FOR COVERED LOCAL PARKS.
Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(6)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``and libraries''
and inserting ``libraries, and covered local parks'';
and
(B) by striking ``and libraries'' and inserting
``libraries, and covered local parks'';
(2) in subsection (c)(3), by striking ``and health care
providers'' and inserting ``health care providers, and covered
local parks'';
(3) in subsection (h)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``and
libraries'' and inserting ``, libraries, and
covered local parks''; and
(ii) by striking ``and libraries'' and
inserting ``libraries, and covered local
parks'';
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by inserting ``or a covered local
park'' after ``telecommunications user'';
(ii) by inserting ``or park'' after ``such
user''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a
covered local park may transfer
telecommunications services and network
capacity to an entity with which such park has
a contract as described in subsection (m) to
enable such entity to conduct a qualified
technology training program as described in
such subsection.'';
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``paragraph
(7)(A)'' and inserting ``paragraph (8)(A)'';
(D) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph
(8); and
(E) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Internet safety requirements for covered local
parks.--Not later than 14 days after the date of the enactment
of this paragraph, the Commission shall promulgate regulations
that provide for internet safety requirements for covered local
parks receiving services at discount rates under paragraph
(1)(B) that are substantially similar to the requirements under
paragraphs (5) and (6) and subsection (l) for schools and
libraries receiving services at discount rates under paragraph
(1)(B).''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(m) Covered Local Park Defined.--In this section, the term
`covered local park' means a local park, as defined in subsection (h)
of section 4 of the Technology in the Parks Act of 2024, that has a
contract with an entity to allow such entity to conduct in such park a
qualified technology training program using a grant received by such
entity under such section.''.
SEC. 3. LOAN, LEASE, OR TRANSFER OF CERTAIN EXCESS RESEARCH EQUIPMENT.
Subsection (i) of section 11 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710) is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Director'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--The Director'';
(2) in paragraph (1), as so inserted, by striking ``or
nonprofit organization'' and inserting ``, nonprofit
organization, or local park''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `local
park' means a park owned and maintained by a local
government.''.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR TECHNOLOGY IN THE PARK.
(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor (referred to in this
section as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program under which the
Secretary makes grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to
pay the Federal share of the costs of conducting a qualified technology
training program in local parks.
(b) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, 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.
(c) Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall use the grant to conduct a qualified technology
training program in a local park, which may include the use of grant
funds to--
(1) pay labor costs involved in conducting the qualified
technology training program described in subsection (d);
(2) purchase or otherwise obtain necessary equipment for
the qualified technology training program described in
subsection (d);
(3) create or modify infrastructure to facilitate the
qualified technology training program described in subsection
(d); or
(4) carry out other activities directly related to the
activities needed to conduct the qualified technology training
program described in subsection (d).
(d) Qualified Technology Training Program Described.--A qualified
technology training program described in this subsection is a program--
(1) the completion of which results in the award of a
recognized postsecondary credential (as defined in section 3 of
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102));
(2) that occurs, to the extent practicable--
(A) after school;
(B) as a summer program; or
(C) as a continuing education program; and
(3) that is designed to train or provide instruction to
covered individuals in--
(A) coding;
(B) cyber security;
(C) network security;
(D) digital manufacturing;
(E) technology assistance;
(F) software development;
(G) database administration;
(H) web development;
(I) video production;
(J) robotics;
(K) artificial intelligence;
(L) video game design;
(M) reading;
(N) math; or
(O) a combination of the subjects described in
subparagraphs (A) through (N).
(e) Grant Duration and Amount.--
(1) Duration.--Each grant under this section shall be made
for a period of 2 years.
(2) Amount.--The Secretary shall determine the maximum
amount of each grant under this section.
(f) Federal Share.--The Federal share of a grant under this section
shall not exceed 10 percent of the costs of carrying out the activities
described in subsection (c).
(g) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity shall use a grant
received under this section only to supplement funds that would, in the
absence of such grant, be made available from other Federal, State, or
local sources for activities supported by the grant, not to supplant
such funds.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''
means an individual who is--
(A) receiving--
(i) unemployment compensation under any
State or Federal law;
(ii) assistance under a State program for
temporary assistance to needy families funded
under part A of title IV of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
(iii) services under a State program funded
by the Social Services Block Grant program
under subtitle A of title XX of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.); or
(iv) maternal and child health services
under a State program funded by title V of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.); or
(B) entitled to monthly insurance benefits under
section 202 or 223 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
non-profit organization.
(3) Local park.--The term ``local park'' means a park owned
and maintained by a local government--
(A) that has a physical structure suitable for
conducting a qualified technology training program
described in subsection (d); or
(B) at which such a physical structure may be
constructed.
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