1961
College Housing
S. 1922 — Public Law 87-70, approved June 30, 1961
Increased the loan authorization for college housing by $300 million for each of the 4 years beginning July 1, 1961, through 1964, and increased the limitation for other educational facilities by $30 million for each of the same 4 years.
Education of Blind Act Amendment
H.R. 9030 — Public Law 87-294, approved September 22, 1961
Authorizes wider distribution of books and special instruction materials for the blind by increasing the appropriations and the functions of the American Printing House for the Blind.
Scholarships — Eligibility
S. 539 — Public Law 87-153, approved August 17, 1961
Permits legally classified American nationals to qualify and receive financial assistance under the Fulbright Act for advanced education abroad.
The original act limited this aid to American citizens. However, through inadvertence or by an interpretation of the statute, the people of American Samoa were not considered American citizens and, as a result, could not qualify or receive financial assistance to continue their education abroad, as originally contemplated by the act.
By removal of this barrier, it is possible for these people to qualify in the same manner as other American citizens who pursue advanced education abroad.
Training for Teachers of Deaf
S. 336 — Public Law 87-276, approved September 22, 1961
This act establishes a 2-year program to assist in training additional teachers for the deaf. It authorizes appropriations of $1.5 million annually to higher education institutions which are approved as training centers for teachers of the deaf.
Provides for grants-in-aid to assist in providing and improving courses of training and study and to establish scholarships for qualified persons who wish to enroll in these training courses.
Provides for an advisory committee, composed of persons with special knowledge and interest in training teachers of the deaf and in teaching deaf children, to review the program and applications of grants-in-aid.
The national shortage or classroom teachers of the deaf began during World War II and has become more acute each year. It is the task of the teacher of the deaf to bridge the gap between the deaf child's world of silence and the world of sound and hearing, the world of language and speech. The success with which a deaf child is able to bridge this barrier, to develop language and proportionately to minimize his great education handicap, depends upon the skill, the understanding, and the professional training of his teacher.
War Orphans Education Extension
H.R. 3587 — Public Law 87-377, approved October 4, 1961
This measure provides additional time within which certain children may complete a program of education under the War Orphans Education Assistance Act of 1956. The class of eligibles afforded additional time is limited exclusively to persons whose opportunities for an education under the act have been impaired by virtue of their residence in the Republic of the Philippines.
Additional time will be available to a person who had not reached his 23d birthday on June 29, 1956, and resided in the Philippines during all or part of the period June 29, 1956, through June 18, 1958.
The 1956 act provided that the educational assistance could be afforded only to an eligible person enrolled in a school or other educational institution in the United States, its territories, or possessions. This provision prohibited eligible persons residing in the Philippines from receiving assistance under the program while enrolled in a Philippine educational institution. In 1958 Congress removed this barrier by permitting the eligible orphans to pursue their educational program in their home country, but failed to grant the additional entitlement of 36 months to make up the original 5-year grant.
1962
Armed Forces — Educational Opportunities
H.R. 7727 — Public Law 87-555, approved July 27, 1962
Permits qualified members of the Armed Forces and the Public Health Service to accept, from non-governmental sources, competitive fellowships, scholarships, or grants for educational purposes.
Bill is intended to relax restrictions against Federal employees receiving contributions and awards as provided in the Government Employees' Training Act (Public Law 85-507). The military now assigns many of its personnel to non-governmental institutions for training. This bill would permit those persons to receive deserved honors for their work, which in turn would partially defray Government expenses in maintaining them.
To avoid duplicate payment to a grantee, the bill provides if the grant pays for travel, quarters, etc., a reduction will be made from authorized Government payments.
Captioned Films for the Deaf
S. 2511 — Public Law 87-715, approved September 28, 1962
Raised present ceiling of $250,000 to $1,250,000 for the established loan service of captioned films for the deaf in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and authorized the Secretary to provide for (a) research in the use of educational and training films for the deaf, (b) production and distribution of training films for the deaf, and (c) training persons in the use of films for the deaf.
College Aid
H.R. 6984 — Public Law 87-638, approved September 5, 1962
Provided for a method of payment of indirect costs of research and development contracted by the Federal Government at universities, colleges, and other educational institutions.
Authorized contracting agencies to include provisions in cost-type research and development contracts and grants with educational institutions for payment of reimbursable indirect costs on the basis of predetermined, fixed percentage rates applied to the reimbursable direct costs incurred.
Depository Libraries
H.R. 8141 — Public Law 87-579, approved August 9, 1962
Increased total of depository libraries from the present 594 to a possible 1,174.
Redefined "Government publication" to permit depositories to receive publications from subsidiary printing plants throughout the Nation, as well as from the Government Printing Office.
Authorized the Government to assume the cost of mailing these publications.
Permitted, in addition to the permissible two depositories per congressional district, up to two regional depositories for each State and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Permitted depositories to dispose of unwanted materials after 5 years for purposes of space saving.
Present law provides for one depository library per congressional district. After much redistricting, 5 districts have 3 each, 37 have 2 each, and 104 have none.
Educational Television
S. 205 — Public Law 87-447, approved May 1, 1962
This bill is designed to assist, through matching grants, in the construction of education television broadcasting facilities.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1963, and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years such sums, not exceeding $32 million in the aggregate, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the bill.
Construction grants.— For each project for the construction of educational television broadcasting facilities there must be submitted to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare an application for a grant containing such information regarding the project as the Secretary may require by regulation, including the total cost of the project and the amount of the Federal grant requested, and it must contain assurance that—
(a) the applicant is (1) an agency or officer responsible for the supervision of public elementary or secondary education or public higher education within that State, or within a political subdivision; (2) the State education television agency; (3) a university or college deriving its support in whole or in part from tax revenues; or (4) a nonprofit foundation, corporation, or association which is organized primarily to engage in or encourage educational television broadcasting and eligible for a license from FCC for a noncommercial educational television broadcasting station;
(b) the operation of the facility will be under the control of the applicant or a person who qualifies under section (a);
(c) funds to construct, operate, and maintain the facility will be available when required; and
(d) the facility will be used only for educational purposes.
Limits to $1 million the total amount of construction grants available to any one State.
Requires applicants to advise State education television agencies of applications for grants and requires the Secretary of HEW to advise the agency on the disposition of the application.
Authorizes the Secretary to base his approval determinations for awarding grants on prompt and effective use of all available educational TV channels, equitable geographical distribution, and service to the greatest number of people in the greatest number of areas.
Limits construction grants to 50 percent of the amount which the Secretary determines will be the cost, plus 25 percent of the amount which he determines to be the necessary cost of any education television broadcasting facilities owned by the applicant on the date of the application, thus limiting the total amount of the grant, in any case, to 75 percent of the cost. Limits to 15 percent of any grant the amount that may be used to acquire and install microwave equipment, boosters, translators, and repeaters to connect two or more broadcasting stations.
Requires reimbursement to the United States if, within 10 years after completion of the facility for which the grant was made, the facility ceases to be used for educational purposes or the operator ceases to qualify.
Requires each recipient of assistance to keep records of the amount and use of the grant, total cost of the project, any assistance from outside sources and the amount, and any other information required by the Secretary.
Gives the Secretary of HEW and the Comptroller General of the United States full access to all such records, documents, papers, etc., for the purpose of audit.
Authorizes the Secretary of HEW and Federal Communications Commission to consult and cooperate closely in carrying out the provisions of the act.
Prohibits Federal interference in or control over educational television broadcasting or over the curriculum, program of instruction, or personnel of any educational institution, school system, or educational broadcasting station or system.
Includes Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia within the definition of the term "State."
National Science Foundation Amendments
H.R. 8556 — Public Law 87-835, approved September 16, 1962
Eliminated the non-Communist disclaimer from the National Science Foundation Act, and instead added a new provision making it a crime for any member of a Communist organization to apply for or to use any scholarship or fellowship awarded under the provisions of section 10 of the act.
Required each applicant for scholarship or fellowship to provide the National Science Foundation with a full statement of the crime for which he had been convicted other than crimes committed before reaching age 16 and minor traffic violations for which a fine of $25 or less was imposed. Also required information regarding any criminal charges punishable by confinement of 30 days or more which may be pending against the applicant.
Authorized the National Science Foundation to refuse or revoke and scholarship or fellowship award in the interests of the United States.
Repealed the disclaimer affidavit requirement in section 1001 (f) of the National Defense Education Act and substituted a criminal penalty. Reenacted the loyalty oath provisions which are presently contained in section 1001 (f).
Criminal penalties under section 1001 (f) provide for a penalty of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, for a violation of this section.
Added a new provision authorizing the Commissioner of Education to refuse or revoke a fellowship award if not in the best interests of the United States.
War Orphans' Educational Assistance Act
H.R. 1811 — Public Law 87-546, approved July 25, 1962
Permits eligible beneficiaries under the War Orphans' Educational Assistance Act to attend foreign educational institutions under certain limited conditions.
As originally enacted in 1956, war orphans' educational assistance was not available to a person eligible and enrolled in a course at an educational institution located outside of the States, territories, or possessions of the United States, District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. An amendment enacted in 1958 (Public Law 85-460) extended the program to courses pursued in the Republic of the Philippines.
This bill does not authorize enrollment in foreign educational institutions other than in the Republic of the Philippines, directly; however, it does recognize the practice of some of our own schools of offering programs which include prescribed study in a foreign educational institution (for example, a "junior year abroad" program), and would permit an eligible person to participate in such a program while continuing to receive war orphans' educational assistance. More specifically it authorizes such enrollments if (1) the subjects to be taken are an integral part of and fully creditable toward satisfactory completion of an approved course in which the person is enrolled in an institution of higher learning located in a State or in the Republic of the Philippines, (2) the tuition and fees for attendance at such foreign educational institution are paid for by the principal institution, and (3) the principal institution agrees to assume the responsibility for submitting to the Veterans' Administration required enrollment certificates and monthly certifications of training as to attendance, conduct, and progress.
War Orphans Education Aid
H.R. 9737 — Public Law 87-819, approved October 15, 1962
Raised to 31 the present ceiling age of 23 when a war orphan must have completed his education provided suspension was due to conditions beyond his control.
1963
Educational Assistance
H.R. 221 — Passed Senate amended December 10
Provides educational assistance to the children of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability arising out of active military, naval, or air service during a period of war or the induction period. Wars include Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict.
Educational training cannot exceed 36 months for those generally between the ages of 18 and 23. The allowance for full-time training is $110 a month, $80 for the three-quarters time, and $50 for half-time training.
Exceptional Children — Teachers
S. 1576 — Public Law 88-164, approved October 31, 1963
Title III of the Mental Retardation Act authorizes grants to public or other nonprofit institutions of higher learning to assist them in providing professional or advanced training for personnel engaged or preparing to engage in employment as teachers of handicapped children, as supervisors of such teachers, or as speech correctionists or other specialists providing special services for education of such children, or engaged or preparing to engage in research in fields related to education of such children.
To carry out the purposes of this act, authorizes $11,500,000 for fiscal 1964; $14,500,000 for fiscal 1965; and $19,500,000 for fiscal 1966.
Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to public or other nonprofit institutions of higher learning to assist them in establishing and maintaining scholarships for training personnel preparing to engage in employment as teachers of the deaf.
Authorizes $2 million to enable the Commissioner of Education to make grants to States, State or local educational agencies, public and nonprofit private institutions of higher learning, and other public or nonprofit private educational or research agencies and organizations for research or demonstration projects relating to education for mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech impaired, visually handicapped, seriously emotionally disturbed, crippled, or other health impaired children who require special education.
Authorizes the Commissioner to appoint special or technical advisory committees as he considers necessary to advise him on matters of general policy relating to particular fields of education of handicapped children or relating to special services necessary for the problems involved.
Higher Education
H.R. 6143 — Public Law 88-204, approved December 16, 1963
Authorizes a 5-year, $1.2 billion program of Federal grants and loans for construction of classrooms, laboratories, and libraries and provides for congressional review at the end of 3 years. Both public and private schools are eligible for funds.
Beginning with fiscal 1964, authorized $230 million a year for matching grants to the States for construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of undergraduate academic facilities, with 22 percent of the funds reserved for public junior colleges and public technical institutes. Beginning with fiscal 1964, authorized $25 million and $60 million in each of fiscal years 1965 and 1966 for construction grants to graduate schools or cooperative graduate centers; and $120 million a year for loans to institutions for construction, rehabilitation, or improvement of both undergraduate and graduate academic facilities.
Grants to undergraduate colleges and public technical institutes will be on the basis of a State's per capita income and the number of high school graduates in the State—with the Federal Government furnishing 40 percent of the matching funds. For a public community college and public technical institute to be eligible, the institution must be publicly supervised and controlled and offer a 2-year program beyond high school fully acceptable for full transfer credit toward a bachelor's degree, or a 2-year program in engineering, mathematics, or the physical or biological sciences to train a student as a technician on a semiprofessional level in those fields. A branch of a 4-year college is also eligible if located in a locality away from the parent school.
Grants may be made for the construction of undergraduate academic facilities other than public community colleges and public technical institutes with one-half of the funds allotted on the basis of the relative college and university enrollments in the States and one-half on the basis of the relative enrollments of students in grades 9 through 12 in all private and public schools in the States.
To be eligible for a grant, the applicant, other than a public community college or a public technical institute, must limit the construction to facilities designed to be used for engineering, natural or physical sciences, mathematics, or modern languages, or as a library.
Authorizes direct grants to graduate schools and cooperative graduate centers but limits the grant to one-third of the development costs.
Provides the basic authority for loans to institutions of higher education and to higher education buildings agencies for construction of academic facilities. Limits the amount of loans in any one State to 12 ½ percent of the total loans made. To be eligible for a loan not less than one-fourth of the facility's development cost must be financed from non-federal sources. And the applicant must have been unable to obtain the loan from other sources at comparable rates and conditions. Loans must be secured and repaid within 50 years. Annual rates of interest will be one-fourth of 1 percentage point above the average annual interest rate on all interest-bearing public-debt obligations of the United States.
In signing this bill into law, President Johnson said:
Working together, the Congress and the Executive Branch have made possible the enactment of a series of legislative landmarks in the field of education. Under these various measures:
1. We will help to provide college classrooms for several hundred thousand more students who will nearly double college enrollment in this decade.
2. We will help to built 25 to 30 new public community colleges every year.
3. We will help to construct the technical institutes that are needed to close the gap in this crucial area of trained manpower.
4. We will help to build graduate schools and facilities in at least 10 to 20 major academic centers.
5. We will help to improve the quality of library facilities in our own universities and colleges.
6. We will increase the number of medical school graduates and we will relieve the growing shortages of physicians and dentists and other needed professional health personnel.
7. We will enable some 70,000 to 90,000 additional students to attend college each year under an expanded loan program.
8. We will modernize and expand our Federal-State programs for vocational education in order to train for the changing world of work the 8 out of 10 young people who will never obtain a college education.
9. We will reduce the shortage of qualified personnel for the training and teaching of mentally retarded and other handicapped children.
10. We will expand our manpower development and training program to meet the growing problem of untrained, unemployed school dropouts.
11. We will expand programs for teaching science and mathematics and foreign languages, while extending the other valuable provisions of the National Defense Education Act.
12. We will continue the program of Federal financial assistance for the construction and the maintenance and the operation of schools that are crowded by the presence of children of Federal personnel.
13. And finally, we will, under legislation to be passed shortly, provide public libraries for the residents of cities and counties all over this great country who now have only antiquated library facilities and some have no libraries at all.
This legislation is dramatic, and it is concrete evidence of a renewed and continuing national commitment to education as the key to our Nation's social and technological and economic and moral progress. It will help meet the demands of our economy for more skilled personnel; it will enable many more of our young people to cope with the explosion of new knowledge and to contribute effectively in a world of intellectual, political, and economic complexity.
But these new measures will still not do the whole job of extending educational opportunities to all who want and can benefit by them, nor in meeting our growing national needs. I, therefore, strongly urge the Congress to take early, positive action on the unfinished portion of the National Education Improvement Act, particularly those programs which will assist elementary and secondary schools. In addition, I urge prompt action on proposed programs for combating adult illiteracy, for expanding adult education, for improving the quality of education at all levels.
Juvenile Delinquency Act Extension
S. 1967 — Passed Senate September 25; pending in House Education and Labor Committee
Extends to June 30, 1967, the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act and authorizes appropriations of $10 million a year.
The basic act—
Authorizes the Secretary of HEW to make grants to State, local, or other public or nonprofit agencies for projects demonstrating improved methods for prevention and control of juvenile delinquency.
Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to agencies to develop courses of study and to train personnel for employment in programs to prevent and control juvenile delinquency.
Authorizes the Secretary to make studies, give technical assistance and disseminate information pertaining to the prevention and control of juvenile delinquency.
So far under the program, anti-delinquency plans have been financed in 16 communities. Action programs have been funded in 4 cities and special training centers for instructing specialists in delinquency have been established at 12 universities. In addition there have been 48 grants for special research and instruction.
Library Services Act of 1963
S. 2265 — Passed Senate November 26; H.R. 4879, House Calendar
Amends the Library Services Act of 1956 to increase Federal aid for expanding public library improvements to urban as well as rural areas and to authorize matching grants for construction of public library buildings.
Increases the authorization for public library improvements from $7,500,000 to $25 million for the next 3 fiscal years. Existing law guarantees a minimum allotment of $40,000 to each State and $10,000 to Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. This bill raises this amount to $100,000 for each State and to $25,000 for Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
Adds a new title to the Library Services Act to provide for grants for constructing public libraries and authorizes the appropriation of $20 million for the next 3 fiscal years.
This new title provides that the sums appropriated will be allotted among the States on the basis of their relative populations, except that each State will be first allotted $80,000, and $20,000 in the case of Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
The State plans for library construction must set forth criteria and procedures which are designed to insure that priority will be given to projects for facilities to serve areas having, in the judgment of the State library administrative agency, the greatest need for additional facilities and which give particular consideration for projects for facilities to help achieve the objective of developing library services to satisfy the needs of students of all ages for useful and readily accessible library services and materials. The plan must give assurances that agencies whose applications are denied will be given an opportunity for a fair hearing.
The plan must also provide that laborers and mechanics employed on these projects will be paid wages at rates not less than the prevailing wage under the Davis-Bacon Act.
National Defense Education Act Amendment
S. 569 — Passed Senate October 24; pending in House Education and Labor Committee
This bill is designed to eliminate certain inequities in the National Defense Education Act which adversely affect education.
Under present law, not to exceed 50 percent of a National Defense Education Act student loan can be canceled if the borrower, after graduation, becomes a full-time teacher in a public elementary or secondary school. This bill extends this loan forgiveness clause to student borrowers who later teach in private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools or in institutions of higher learning.
This bill brings about another significant change in the National Defense Education Act by permitting private school instructors to receive the stipends now given public school teachers at special federally supported institutes in counseling, guidance, and language instruction. At present public school teachers attending these institutes are eligible to receive $75 a week and an allowance of $15 a week for each dependent.
Science and Technology Commission
S. 816 — Passed Senate March 8, 1963; pending in House Science and Astronautics Committee
Authorizes establishment of a 12-member Commission on Science and Technology to study the possibilities and methods of strengthening the Government's contribution in promoting national security, national progress in scientific and technical development, world peace, and in insuring maximum use of all scientific know-how and information by coordinating Federal research and development programs with those of private industry and nonprofit organizations including educational institutions. This is a study bill only.
Section 1 emphasized need for establishing a program of national policies requiring coordination of science and technology programs and operations of the Federal Government by reorganizing existing departments and agencies which relate directly to Federal science, scientific research, and technology. A national policy program could result in increased efficiency in establishing systems for perfecting a scientific information program and improvement in policies for recruiting, training, and using Federal scientific and engineering manpower.
Section 2 sets out following objectives (by means of a study):
Effective reorganization of Federal departments and agencies which conduct or finance scientific programs to insure more effective performance.
Elimination of undesirable duplication and overlapping; insurance of maximum use of resources of private industry and nonprofit research organizations.
Conservation and efficient use of scientific and engineering manpower.
Determine whether a Department of Science and Technology is needed and what scientific functions in other departments or agencies should be transferred to such a department.
Section 3 waives the application of conflict-of-interest statutes for members or employees of the Commission.
Section 4 provides for appointment of the members as follows:
Four appointed by President —two from executive branch now participating in scientific or technological activities and two from private life who are eminent in one or more fields of science or engineering;
Four appointed by President of Senate —two from the Senate and two from private life qualified in science or engineering;
Four appointed by Speaker —two from the House and two from private life qualified in science or engineering.
Sections 5 and 6 provide for election of a Chairman and Vice Chairman from among the members; and establishes seven as constituting a quorum.
Section 7 provides that Members of Congress and members from the executive branch must service without compensation but provides for reimbursement of expenses. The other members to receive $100 a day plus actual expenses when actually engaged in performing their duties in connection with the Commission.
Section 8 sets out the standards for personnel employment.
Section 9 authorizes the Commission to establish an advisory panel to serve on request.
Section 10 requires interim reports to the President and to Congress when deemed advisable and requires the final report to be submitted by January 1, 1965.
Sections 11-13 authorize the Commission to hold hearings; take testimony, and obtain necessary data and information from the Government departments and agencies on request of the Chairman or Vice Chairman.
Student Trainees — -Travel Expenses
S. 814 — Public Law 88-146, approved October 16, 1963
Authorizes payment of travel and transportation expenses to student trainees when assigned on completion of college work to positions for which there is determined by the Civil Service Commission to be a manpower shortage.Present law provides for these expenses only if the trainee was promoted to a shortage category position following completion of college training; in certain cases, the student received the promotion prior to graduation and was precluded from receiving travel expenses.
Vocational Education — Impacted Areas — - National Defense Education Act
H.R. 4955 — Public Law 88-210, approved December 18, 1963
Authorizes new matching grants to the States to expand vocational education programs, extends the National Defense Education Act, and extends the impacted areas legislation to June 30, 1965.
Vocational Education Act of 1963
Authorizes $60 million for this fiscal year rising to $225 million in fiscal 1967 and subsequent years for grants ($118,500,000 for fiscal 1965, $177,500,000 for fiscal 1966) for—
Vocational education for high school students.
Vocational training for high school dropouts or high school graduates preparing to enter the labor market.
Vocational education for those who have already entered the labor market and need training or retraining for stability or advancement.
Vocational education for those who have academic, socioeconomic, or other handicaps which prevent them from succeeding in regular vocational education programs. These funds can be used to assist specialized vocational training schools maintained by the States for handicapped children.
Construction of area vocational schools.
Related services such as teacher training.
Ninety percent of the above amounts will be available for grants to the States and 10 percent will be available to the Commissioner of Education for grants for research, leadership training, and pilot and developmental programs designed to meet the special vocational education needs of youths with handicaps of all types and of communities which have substantial numbers of school dropouts and unemployed youths.
Establishes two new programs:
(1) To create and operate residential vocational schools in large urban areas having substantial numbers of high school dropouts and unemployed youths; and (2) a workstudy program which will provide young people in need of part-time work in public institutions so they may earn up to $45 a month and be able financially to undertake full-time vocational training.
Authorizes an appropriation for both of these programs in the following amounts: $30 million for fiscal year 1965, $50 million for fiscal year 1966, and $35 million for the next 2 succeeding years. Directs the Commissioner of Education to determine the portion of such sums for each such year which is to be used for the purposes of either program.
Under the 90-percent formula distribution to the States, 50 percent will be allotted on the basis of their relative populations aged 15 to 19 and their per capita income, 20 percent on the basis of their populations aged 20 to 24 and their per capita incomes, and 20 percent on the basis of their populations aged 25 to 65 and their per capita incomes, with a minimum State amount of $10,000.
For fiscal 1964, States need not match Federal Funds but must maintain State and local expenditures at least equal to the amounts spent under the various federally aided programs during fiscal 1963; for fiscal 1965 and then on, the States must match Federal funds on a 50-50 basis in each of the use categories; however, Federal funds used for construction must be matched 5050 in the first as well as subsequent years.
Requires each State, to qualify for Federal funds, to submit a plan detailing the policies, administration, personal qualifications, and accounting procedures of the program.
Requires that laborers and mechanics employed under the act be paid the prevailing wage rates established by the Davis-Bacon Act.
Establishes an Advisory Committee on Vocational Education in the Office of Education.
Amends the 1946 George-Barden and the 1917 Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Acts to permit funds earmarked for a specific occupational category to be transferred to any other category, to broaden the definition of agriculture and home economics to fit persons for gainful employment outside the farm home. Provides that distributive occupation funds, now limited to employed persons, can be used for training young people who are still in school or are dropouts. Permits trade and industry funds, now limited to occupations requiring extensive skill or multiple skills, to be used for vocational education of young people while still in high school to equip them for single-skilled or semiskilled jobs. Removes the requirement that one-third of any amounts earmarked for trades and industries be spend only for part-time day or night courses for already employed workers.
Makes permanent the practical nurse training program and the area vocational education program.
Requires the Secretary of HEM to appoint and ad hoc national Advisory Council on Vocational Education in 1966 and once every 5 years thereafter to review the administration of the programs.
Extension of National Defense Education Act
Extends NDEA for a 1-year period and increases present $90 million authorization to $125 million for this fiscal year, $135 million for fiscal 1965. Raises the present $250,000 institutional ceiling to $800,000, thus enabling many of the larger institutions to participate more fully in the program.
Extends NDEA to America Samoa; permits teachers in federally operated schools to receive benefits; and extends benefits to public elementary or secondary schools operated in connection with colleges of education or with universities as laboratory schools or schools maintained by public bodies such as State schools for the deaf or handicapped.
Extends moratorium on interest and repayment of principal on loans while student borrowers are continuing their higher education to cover periods during which the borrower attends an approved institution of higher education located outside the United States.
Extends the forgiveness feature, under which up to one-half of a student loan is canceled for service as a public elementary or secondary schoolteacher at the rate of 10 percent for each year of such service, to cover teachers in elementary or secondary oversea schools of the Armed Forces.
Extends authority for financial assistance to strengthen science, mathematics, and foreign language instruction and authorizes the Commissioner to reallocate to other States any unneeded State allotments. Repeals the 1-year allotment holdover provision of the original act which is no longer needed. Broadens the categories of equipment and materials which may be purchased to include test-grading equipment, equipment used in connection with audiovisual libraries, and published materials relating to charts and maps.
Extends the national defense fellowships title and grants the Commissioner authority to fill lapsed fellowships and to provide a flat $2,500 allowance, less tuition charged, replacing the present variable allowance to the institution.
Extends the guidance, counseling, and testing programs and increases the annual appropriation authorization for grants to States by $2.5 million in order to finance the extension of this program to all seventh and eighth grades. Increases the minimum allotment to each State from $20,000 to $50,000 to permit a more adequate basic program in the less populous States. Grants the Commissioner re-allotment authority of unused funds.
Extends the program of establishing modern foreign language centers and institutes and authorizes institutes for training teachers of pupils for whom English is a second language.
Extends the program of research and experimentation in more effective utilization of television, radio, motion pictures, and related media for educational purposes, and brings into this program printed and published materials.
Federally Impacted Areas
Extends the impacted areas program for 2 years to June 30, 1965. This program, enacted in 1950, relates to public school construction and operation and maintenance costs of public schools, where the cost impact of Federal military and civilian personnel on school facilities and services can be met partially by Federal funds. Requests Secretary of HEW to transmit to Congress by January 1, 1965, and full report on the operation of this program.
In signing the bill, President Johnson said:
It gives me great personal satisfaction to approve this legislation. It will expand educational opportunities at the grade school level, at the college level and at the vocational school level. This bill, like the bill I approved on Monday, is dramatic evidence of our commitment to education as the key to our social and economic and technological and moral progress. As I said then, this Congress has justly and fully earned the title of the "Education Congress of 1963." It has enacted more significant education legislation than any other Congress in our entire history. So it pleases me to congratulate Senator Morse and Senator Hill and Congressman Perkins and Congressman Powell and all of their colleagues, including Cabinet members, in this administration for their combined successful efforts in getting this legislation through the Congress and up to where we are signing it this morning.
Modern demands upon labor and industry require new skills and an upgrading of old skills, require more education and greater knowledge. It has been said that we need over 100,000 technicians a year just to meet our needs in the engineering field alone but all our present programs combined, we are told, turn out a maximum not of $100,000 a year but only 20,000 technicians a year. We believe that this new law will help close this gap. Under this law high school students will be encouraged in stay in school. If they need financial assistance, they may receive it under a work and study program. Some of the most delightful years of my life were spend with the work and study program called the NYA where thousands of young men in high school and college were brought into a work and study program, and some of those men are today the leaders of this Nation.
For the first time Federal funds are going to be available to construct new vocational schools. Demonstration and research projects authorized under this law will vastly improved the quality of our vocational training. Where there is severe unemployment and high numbers of school dropouts, special experimental programs of residential vocational education schools are authorized. In addition, the amendment to the National Defense Education Act will make possible immediate loans to 70,000 needy college students not able to obtain such loans today.
Finally, the extension of the program of aid to schools in districts affected by Federal activities will permit a continuation of Federal assistance where we have a special responsibility. I believe that this measure, together with a Manpower Development and Training Act, places us in a position to make a major attack on one of the most important obstacles to economic growth and productivity. It is a reaffirmation of our conviction that education is the cornerstone of our freedom.