Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2021
This bill establishes a grant program to recruit, train, and place real-time writers for closed captioning of television programming.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to court reporting programs that possess the most substantial capacity to train real-time writers for closed captioning English and Spanish video programming. Grant recipients shall use the funds to recruit, train and assist, and place real-time writers.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4652 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4652
To provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed
captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the
Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 22, 2021
Mr. Kind (for himself and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed
captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the
Communications Act of 1934, 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
2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) As directed by Congress in section 713 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 began
enforcing rules requiring full closed captioning of most
English television programming on January 1, 2006.
(2) The Federal Communications Commission rules also
require that video programming be fully captioned in Spanish by
2010.
(3) More than 37,500,000 Americans are considered deaf or
hard of hearing, and many require captioning services to
participate in mainstream activities.
(4) The National Institute on Deafness and other
Communication Disorders estimates that one in 3 Americans over
the age of 60 has already experienced hearing loss. The
79,000,000 Americans who are identified as ``baby boomers''
represent 39 percent of the population of the United States and
most baby boomers began to reach age 60 just in the last few
years.
(5) Closed captioning is a continuous source of emergency
information for people in mass transit and other congregate
settings.
(6) Empirical research studies since 1988 demonstrate that
captions improve the performance of individuals learning to
read English.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE TRAINING AND JOB
PLACEMENT OF REALTIME WRITERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall make competitive
grants to 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 713 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--
(1) can document and demonstrate to the Secretary of
Education that it meets minimum standards of educational and
financial accountability, with a curriculum capable of training
realtime writers qualified to provide captioning services;
(2) is accredited by an accrediting agency or association
recognized by the Secretary of Education under section 496 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b); and
(3) is participating in programs under title IV of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.).
(c) Priority in Grants.--In determining whether to make grants
under this section, the Secretary of Education shall give a priority to
eligible entities that, as determined by the Secretary--
(1) possess the most substantial capability to increase
their capacity to train realtime writers;
(2) demonstrate the most promising collaboration with local
educational institutions, businesses, labor organizations, or
other community groups having the potential to train or provide
job placement assistance to realtime writers; or
(3) propose the most promising and innovative approaches
for initiating or expanding training or job placement
assistance efforts with respect to realtime writers.
(d) Duration of Grant.--A grant under this section shall be for a
period of 5 years.
(e) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided under
subsection (a) to an entity eligible may not exceed $1,500,000 for the
5-year period of the grant under subsection (d).
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
(a) In General.--To receive a grant under section 3, an eligible
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary of Education at
such time and in such manner as the Secretary 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) Additional information, if any, of the eligibility of
the eligible entity for priority in the making of grants under
section 3(c).
(7) Such other information as the Secretary 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) further developing and implementing both English and
Spanish curriculum to more effectively train realtime writing
skills, and education in the knowledge necessary for the
delivery of high-quality closed captioning services;
(5) mentoring students to ensure successful completion of
the realtime writing training and provide assistance in job
placement;
(6) encouraging individuals with disabilities to pursue a
career in realtime writing; and
(7) the employment and payment of personnel for all 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 et seq.).
(2) Agreement.--Each recipient of a scholarship under
subsection (a)(2) shall enter into an agreement with the school
in which the recipient is enrolled to provide realtime writing
services for a period of time appropriate (as determined by the
Secretary of Education or the Secretary's designee) for the
amount of the scholarship received.
(3) Coursework and employment.--The Secretary of Education
or the Secretary's designee 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.
The Secretary shall use not more than 5 percent of the amount available
for grants under this Act in any fiscal year for administrative costs
of the program.
(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 Secretary of Education, 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.
(c) Annual Review.--The Inspector General of the Department of
Education shall conduct an annual review of the management, efficiency,
and effectiveness of the grants made under this Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Education to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
SEC. 8. SUNSET.
This Act is repealed effective the last day of the fifth fiscal
year in which funds are appropriated to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line