 
 CHAPTER 70--STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                                 SCHOOLS
 
                SUBCHAPTER III--TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION
 
                      Part B--Star Schools Program
 
Sec. 6894. Grants authorized


(a) Authority

    The Secretary, through the Office of Educational Technology, is 
authorized to make grants, in accordance with the provisions of this 
part, to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the cost of--
        (1) the development, construction, acquisition, maintenance and 
    operation of telecommunications facilities and equipment;
        (2) the development and acquisition of live, interactive 
    instructional programming;
        (3) the development and acquisition of preservice and inservice 
    teacher training programs based on established research regarding 
    teacher-to-teacher mentoring, effective skill transfer, and ongoing, 
    in-class instruction;
        (4) the establishment of teleconferencing facilities and 
    resources for making interactive training available to teachers;
        (5) obtaining technical assistance; and
        (6) the coordination of the design and connectivity of 
    telecommunications networks to reach the greatest number of schools.

(b) Duration

                           (1) In general

        The Secretary shall award grants pursuant to subsection (a) of 
    this section for a period of 5 years.

                             (2) Renewal

        Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may be 
    renewed for one additional three-year period.

(c) Authorization of appropriations

                           (1) In general

        There are authorized to be appropriated $35,000,000 for fiscal 
    year 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the four 
    succeeding fiscal years, to carry out this part.

                          (2) Availability

        Funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of subsection (a) 
    of this section shall remain available until expended.

(d) Limitations

                           (1) In general

        A grant under this section shall not exceed--
            (A) five years in duration; and
            (B) $10,000,000 in any one fiscal year.

                    (2) Instructional programming

        Not less than 25 percent of the funds available to the Secretary 
    in any fiscal year under this part shall be used for the cost of 
    instructional programming.

                          (3) Special rule

        Not less than 50 percent of the funds available in any fiscal 
    year under this part shall be used for the cost of facilities, 
    equipment, teacher training or retraining, technical assistance, or 
    programming, for local educational agencies which are eligible to 
    receive assistance under part A of subchapter I of this chapter.

(e) Federal share

                           (1) In general

        The Federal share of the cost of projects funded under this 
    section shall not exceed--
            (A) 75 percent for the first and second years for which an 
        eligible telecommunications partnership receives a grant under 
        this part;
            (B) 60 percent for the third and fourth such years; and
            (C) 50 percent for the fifth such year.

                       (2) Reduction or waiver

        The Secretary may reduce or waive the requirement of the non-
    Federal share under paragraph (1) upon a showing of financial 
    hardship.

(f) Authority to accept funds from other agencies

    The Secretary is authorized to accept funds from other Federal 
departments or agencies to carry out the purposes of this section, 
including funds for the purchase of equipment.

(g) Coordination

    The Department, the National Science Foundation, the Department of 
Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and any other Federal 
department or agency operating a telecommunications network for 
educational purposes, shall coordinate the activities assisted under 
this part with the activities of such department or agency relating to a 
telecommunications network for educational purposes.

(h) Closed captioning and descriptive video

    Each entity receiving funds under this part is encouraged to 
provide--
        (1) closed captioning of the verbal content of such program, 
    where appropriate, to be broadcast by way of line 21 of the vertical 
    blanking interval, or by way of comparable successor technologies; 
    and
        (2) descriptive video of the visual content of such program, as 
    appropriate.

(Pub. L. 89-10, title III, Sec. 3204, as added Pub. L. 103-382, title I, 
Sec. 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3655.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 6895, 6896, 6897, 6899 of 
this title.
