Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states to prevent teacher layoffs and support the creation of additional jobs in early childhood, elementary, and secondary public education in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years. Directs the Secretary to allocate grant funds based on each state's: (1) population of individuals aged 5 through 17 relative to all other states, and (2) total population relative to all other states.
Sets forth application requirements, including assurances with respect to maintenance of state support for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education at no less than FY2011 levels. Requires a state to: (1) reserve 10% of grant funds for awards to state-funded early learning programs; and (2) allocate remaining funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on each LEA's enrollment, and the amount of funds received by the LEA for basic programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, relative to the enrollment of and amounts received by all other LEAs in the state. Requires early learning programs and LEAs to use such funds only to pay compensation, benefits, and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees, recall or rehire former employees, or hire new employees to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational and related services.
Directs: (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to make competitive grants to hire, rehire, and retain firefighters pursuant to the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 and to maintain resources for fire departments; and (2) the Attorney General to make competitive grants to hire, rehire, and retain career law enforcement officers pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Authorizes additional appropriations for FY2012-FY2013 for such grants.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6561 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6561
To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to hire
teachers and prevent layoffs, to direct the Secretary of Homeland
Security to make grants to hire firefighters and prevent layoffs, and
to direct the Attorney General to make grants to hire law enforcement
officers and prevent layoffs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 2012
Mr. Crowley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the
Committees on the Judiciary 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 direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to hire
teachers and prevent layoffs, to direct the Secretary of Homeland
Security to make grants to hire firefighters and prevent layoffs, and
to direct the Attorney General to make grants to hire law enforcement
officers and prevent layoffs, 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 ``Teachers and First Responders Back
to Work Act of 2012''.
TITLE I--TEACHER STABILIZATION
SEC. 101. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out this
title, the Secretary of Education (referred to in this title as the
``Secretary'') shall make grants to States to prevent teacher layoffs
and support the creation of additional jobs in early childhood,
elementary, and secondary public education in the 2012-2013 and 2013-
2014 school years.
SEC. 102. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.
(a) Reservation of Funds.--From the amount appropriated to carry
out this title under section 109, the Secretary--
(1) shall reserve not more than \1/2\ of 1 percent to
provide assistance to the outlying areas on the basis of their
respective needs, as determined by the Secretary, for
activities consistent with this title under such terms and
conditions as the Secretary may determine;
(2) shall reserve not more than \1/2\ of 1 percent to
provide assistance to the Secretary of the Interior to carry
out activities consistent with this title in schools operated
or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; and
(3) may reserve not more than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2012 and 2013 for administration and oversight of this
title, including program evaluation.
(b) Allocation.--The Secretary shall determine an award amount for
each State on the following basis:
(1) Of the amount that is 60 percent of the remaining funds
after reserving funds under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
allocate to each State an amount that bears the same ratio as
the population of individuals aged 5 through 17 living in the
State to the population of such individuals in all other
States.
(2) Of the amount that is 40 percent of the remaining funds
after reserving funds under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
allocate to each State an amount that bears the same ratio as
the State's total population to the total population of all
other States.
(c) Reallocation.--If a State does not receive a grant under this
title, the Secretary shall reallocate such State's grant allocation to
States receiving grants under this title using the formula described in
subsection (b).
SEC. 103. STATE APPLICATION.
(a) Application.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, a chief executive of a State seeking a grant
under this title shall submit an application to the Secretary in such
manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may
reasonably require, including an assurance that the State will, for
fiscal years 2012 and 2013--
(1) maintain State support for early childhood, elementary,
and secondary education (in the aggregate or on the basis of
expenditure per pupil) at an amount that is not less than the
level of such support for fiscal year 2011; or
(2) maintain State support for early childhood, elementary,
and secondary education (in the aggregate or on the basis of
expenditure per pupil) at a percentage of a State's total
expenditures for a fiscal year that is equal to or greater than
the percentage that the State provided for fiscal year 2011.
(b) Letter.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, a chief executive of a State desiring not to receive a grant
under this title shall submit a letter to the Secretary that includes
an explanation of such chief executive's desire not to receive such
funds and such additional information as the Secretary may require.
(c) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement that a State
provide an assurance in subsection (a) (1) or (2) with regard to any
State if the Secretary determines that a waiver would be equitable due
to--
(1) exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a
natural disaster; or
(2) a precipitous decline in the financial resources of the
State, as determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 104. STATE GRANTS.
(a) Reservation.--Each State receiving a grant under this title
shall reserve--
(1) not more than 10 percent of the grant funds for awards
to State-funded early learning programs; and
(2) not more than 2 percent of the grant funds for the
administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under
this title.
(b) Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies.--
(1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this
title shall, after reserving any funds under subsection (a),
use the remaining grant funds for awards to local educational
agencies for the support of early childhood, elementary, and
secondary public education.
(2) Allocation.--A State that receives a grant under this
title shall distribute the remaining grant funds described in
paragraph (1) through subgrants on the following basis:
(A) Of the amount that is 60 percent of such
remaining grant funds, the State shall allocate to each
local educational agency an amount that bears the same
ratio as the local educational agency's enrollment to
the enrollment for all other local educational agencies
in the State.
(B) Of the amount that is 40 percent of such
remaining grant funds, the State shall allocate to each
local educational agency an amount that bears the same
ratio as the funds that the local educational agency
received under part A of title I of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et
seq.) for fiscal year 2011 to the funds that all other
local educational agencies in the State receive under
such Act.
(3) Timing.--A State that receives a grant under this title
shall make subgrants available to local educational agencies
not later than 100 days after receiving a grant under this
title.
(c) Prohibitions.--A State that receives a grant under this title
may not use the grant funds to directly or indirectly--
(1) establish, restore, or supplement a rainy-day fund;
(2) supplant State funds in a manner that has the effect of
establishing, restoring, or supplementing a rainy-day fund;
(3) reduce or retire debt obligations incurred by the
State; or
(4) supplant State funds in a manner that has the effect of
reducing or retiring debt obligations incurred by the State.
SEC. 105. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SUBGRANTS.
(a) Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency that receives a
subgrant under this title shall use the subgrant funds only to pay
compensation, benefits, and other expenses necessary to retain existing
employees, recall or rehire former employees, or hire new employees to
provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational and
related services.
(b) Timing.--A local educational agency that receives a subgrant
under this title shall obligate such funds not later than September 30,
2014.
SEC. 106. EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS.
(a) Uses of Funds.--A State-funded early learning program that
receives funds under this title shall use those funds only for
compensation, benefits, and other expenses necessary to retain early
childhood educators, recall or rehire former early childhood educators,
or hire new early childhood educators to provide early learning
services.
(b) Timing.--A State-funded early learning program that receives
funds under this title shall obligate those funds not later than
September 30, 2014.
SEC. 107. REPORTING.
Not later than September 30 of 2013 and 2014, a State that receives
a grant under this title shall submit a report to the Secretary that
contains--
(1) a description of how the State expended or obligated
funds received under this title; and
(2) an estimate of the number of jobs that the State
supported using funds received under this title.
SEC. 108. DEFINITIONS.
Except as otherwise provided, in this title:
(1) The terms ``local educational agency'', ``outlying
area'', and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings
given those terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(3) The term ``State-funded early learning program'' means
a program that provides educational services to children from
birth to kindergarten entry and receives funding from the State
other than funds received under this title.
SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
For each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, there is authorized to be
appropriated $30,000,000,000 to carry out the grant program under this
title.
TITLE II--FIRST RESPONDER STABILIZATION
SEC. 201. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this title is to provide funds to States and
localities to prevent layoffs of, and support the creation of
additional jobs for, law enforcement officers and firefighters.
SEC. 202. FIREFIGHTER GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations to carry out this title, the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall make competitive grants to hire, rehire, and retain
firefighters pursuant to section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and
Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a) and to maintain resources for
fire departments. In making such grants, the Secretary may waive the
requirements in subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), (a)(1)(E), (c)(1),
(c)(2), and (c)(4)(A) of section 34 of such Act.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds
otherwise appropriated for grants under section 34 of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a), there is
authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry out this section
for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, of which the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall reserve an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 for
each such fiscal year to carry out the administrative costs of this
section.
SEC. 203. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Police Officers.--Subject to the availability of appropriations
to carry out this title, the Attorney General shall make competitive
grants to hire, rehire, and retain career law enforcement officers
pursuant to section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd). Grants awarded under this section shall
not be subject to subsections (g) or (i) of section 1701 or to section
1704 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3796dd; 42 U.S.C. 3796dd-3).
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds
otherwise appropriated for grants under section 1701 of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd), there is
authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000,000 to carry out this section
for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, of which the Attorney General
shall reserve an amount not greater than $8,000,000 for each such
fiscal year to carry out the administrative costs of this section.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.
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