Home > 105th Congressional Bills > H.R. 914 (eas) ...H.R. 914 (eas) ...
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
May 13, 1997.
Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of the Senate to the bill
(H.R. 914) entitled ``An Act to make certain technical corrections in the Higher
Education Act of 1965 relating to graduation data disclosures'', with the
following
AMENDMENTS:
Insert before section 1 the following:
TITLE I--TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS
Redesignate sections 1 through 5 as sections 101 through 105, and at the end
of the bill add the following:
SEC. 106. PAYMENTS RELATING TO FEDERAL PROPERTY.
Section 8002(i) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7702(i)) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) Priority Payments.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)(B),
and for any fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 1997 for
which the amount appropriated to carry out this section exceeds
the amount so appropriated for fiscal year 1996--
``(A) the Secretary shall first use the excess
amount (not to exceed the amount equal to the
difference of (i) the amount appropriated to carry out
this section for fiscal year 1997, and (ii) the amount
appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year
1996) to increase the payment that would otherwise be
made under this section to not more than 50 percent of
the maximum amount determined under subsection (b) for
any local educational agency described in paragraph
(2); and
``(B) the Secretary shall use the remainder of the
excess amount to increase the payments to each eligible
local educational agency under this section.
``(2) Local educational agency described.--A local
educational agency described in this paragraph is a local
educational agency that--
``(A) received a payment under this section for
fiscal year 1996;
``(B) serves a school district that contains all or
a portion of a United States military academy;
``(C) serves a school district in which the local
tax assessor has certified that at least 60 percent of
the real property is federally owned; and
``(D) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
Secretary that such agency's per-pupil revenue derived
from local sources for current expenditures is not less
than that revenue for the preceding fiscal year.''.
TITLE II--COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Cost of Higher
Education Review Act of 1997''.
(b) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) According to a report issued by the General Accounting
Office, tuition at 4-year public colleges and universities
increased 234 percent from school year 1980-1981 through school
year 1994-1995, while median household income rose 82 percent
and the cost of consumer goods as measured by the Consumer
Price Index rose 74 percent over the same time period.
(2) A 1995 survey of college freshmen found that concern
about college affordability was the highest it has been in the
last 30 years.
(3) Paying for a college education now ranks as one of the
most costly investments for American families.
SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE COST OF HIGHER
EDUCATION.
There is established a Commission to be known as the ``National
Commission on the Cost of Higher Education'' (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 203. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.
(a) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 7 members as
follows:
(1) Two individuals shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House.
(2) One individual shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the House.
(3) Two individuals shall be appointed by the Majority
Leader of the Senate.
(4) One individual shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate.
(5) One individual shall be appointed by the Secretary of
Education.
(b) Additional Qualifications.--Each of the individuals appointed
under subsection (a) shall be an individual with expertise and
experience in higher education finance (including the financing of
State institutions of higher education), Federal financial aid
programs, education economics research, public or private higher
education administration, or business executives who have managed
successful cost reduction programs.
(c) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The members of the
Commission shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson. In the
absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson will assume the duties
of the Chairperson.
(d) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(e) Appointments.--All appointments under subsection (a) shall be
made within 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. In the
event that an officer authorized to make an appointment under
subsection (a) has not made such appointment within such 30 days, the
appointment may be made for such officer as follows:
(1) The Chairman of the Committee on Education and the
Workforce may act under such subsection for the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(2) The Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce may act under such subsection for
the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(3) The Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Human
Resources may act under such subsection for the Majority Leader
of the Senate.
(4) The Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Labor
and Human Resources may act under such subsection for the
Minority Leader of the Senate.
(f) Voting.--Each member of the Commission shall be entitled to one
vote, which shall be equal to the vote of every other member of the
Commission.
(g) Vacancies.--Any vacancy on the Commission shall not affect its
powers, but shall be filled in the manner in which the original
appointment was made.
(h) Prohibition of Additional Pay.--Members of the Commission shall
receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their
service on the Commission. Members appointed from among private
citizens of the United States may be allowed travel expenses, including
per diem, in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons
serving intermittently in the government service to the extent funds
are available for such expenses.
(i) Initial Meeting.--The initial meeting of the Commission shall
occur within 40 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 204. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Specific Findings and Recommendations.--The Commission shall
study and make findings and specific recommendations regarding the
following:
(1) The increase in tuition compared with other commodities
and services.
(2) Innovative methods of reducing or stabilizing tuition.
(3) Trends in college and university administrative costs,
including administrative staffing, ratio of administrative
staff to instructors, ratio of administrative staff to
students, remuneration of administrative staff, and
remuneration of college and university presidents or
chancellors.
(4) Trends in (A) faculty workload and remuneration
(including the use of adjunct faculty), (B) faculty-to-student
ratios, (C) number of hours spent in the classroom by faculty,
and (D) tenure practices, and the impact of such trends on
tuition.
(5) Trends in (A) the construction and renovation of
academic and other collegiate facilities, and (B) the
modernization of facilities to access and utilize new
technologies, and the impact of such trends on tuition.
(6) The extent to which increases in institutional
financial aid and tuition discounting have affected tuition
increases, including the demographics of students receiving
such aid, the extent to which such aid is provided to students
with limited need in order to attract such students to
particular institutions or major fields of study, and the
extent to which Federal financial aid, including loan aid, has
been used to offset such increases.
(7) The extent to which Federal, State, and local laws,
regulations, or other mandates contribute to increasing
tuition, and recommendations on reducing those mandates.
(8) The establishment of a mechanism for a more timely and
widespread distribution of data on tuition trends and other
costs of operating colleges and universities.
(9) The extent to which student financial aid programs have
contributed to changes in tuition.
(10) Trends in State fiscal policies that have affected
college costs.
(11) The adequacy of existing Federal and State financial
aid programs in meeting the costs of attending colleges and
universities.
(12) Other related topics determined to be appropriate by
the Commission.
(b) Final Report.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Commission
shall submit to the President and to the Congress, not later
than 120 days after the date of the first meeting of the
Commission, a report which shall contain a detailed statement
of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, including
the Commission's recommendations for administrative and
legislative action that the Commission considers advisable.
(2) Majority vote required for recommendations.--Any
recommendation described in paragraph (1) shall be made by the
Commission to the President and to the Congress only if such
recommendation is adopted by a majority vote of the members of
the Commission who are present and voting.
(3) Evaluation of different circumstances.--In making any
findings under subsection (a) of this section, the Commission
shall take into account differences between public and private
colleges and universities, the length of the academic program,
the size of the institution's student population, and the
availability of the institution's resources, including the size
of the institution's endowment.
SEC. 205. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out
this Act, hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and places,
as the Commission may find advisable.
(b) Rules and Regulations.--The Commission may adopt such rules and
regulations as may be necessary to establish the Commission's
procedures and to govern the manner of the Commission's operations,
organization, and personnel.
(c) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
(1) Information.--The Commission may request from the head
of any Federal agency or instrumentality such information as
the Commission may require for the purpose of this Act. Each
such agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent permitted
by law and subject to the exceptions set forth in section 552
of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the
Freedom of Information Act), furnish such information to the
Commission, upon request made by the Chairperson of the
Commission.
(2) Facilities and services, personnel detail authorized.--
Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of
any Federal agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent
possible and subject to the discretion of such head--
(A) make any of the facilities and services of such
agency or instrumentality available to the Commission;
and
(B) detail any of the personnel of such agency or
instrumentality to the Commission, on a nonreimbursable
basis, to assist the Commission in carrying out the
Commission's duties under this Act.
(d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.
(e) Contracting.--The Commission, to such extent and in such
amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, may enter into contracts
with State agencies, private firms, institutions, and individuals for
the purpose of conducting research or surveys necessary to enable the
Commission to discharge the Commission's duties under this Act.
(f) Staff.--Subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted
by the Commission, and to such extent and in such amounts as are
provided in appropriation Acts, the Chairperson of the Commission shall
have the power to appoint, terminate, and fix the compensation (without
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such
title, or of any other provision, or of any other provision of law,
relating to the number, classification, and General Schedule rates) of
an Executive Director, and of such additional staff as the Chairperson
deems advisable to assist the Commission, at rates not to exceed a rate
equal to the maximum rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule under
section 5332 of such title.
SEC. 206. EXPENSES OF COMMISSION.
There are authorized to be appropriated to pay any expenses of the
Commission such sums as may be necessary not to exceed $650,000. Any
sums appropriated for such purposes are authorized to remain available
until expended, or until one year after the termination of the
Commission pursuant to section 207, whichever occurs first.
SEC. 207. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that is 60 days
after the date on which the Commission is required to submit its final
report in accordance with section 204(b).
Attest:
Clerk.
105th CONGRESS
1st Session
H.R. 914
_______________________________________________________________________
AMENDMENTS
TO
SENATE AMENDMENT
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