STATE LITERACY RESOURCE CENTERS.

“SEC. 356. STATE LITERACY RESOURCE CENTERS. “(a) Purpose.— It is the purpose of this section to assist State and local public and private nonprofit efforts to eliminate illiteracy through a program of State literacy resource center grants to— “(1) stimulate the coordination of literacy services, “(2) enhance the capacity of State and local organizations to provide literacy services, and “(3) serve as a reciprocal link between the National Institute for Literacy and service providers for the purpose of sharing information, data, research, and expertise and literacy resources. “(b) Establishment.— From amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (k), the Secretary is authorized to make grants for purposes of establishing a network of State or regional adult literacy resource centers. “(c) Allotment.— (1) From sums available for purposes of making grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each State having an approved application under subsection (h) an amount that bears the same ratio to such sums as the amount allotted to such State under section 313(b) for the purpose of making grants under section 321 bears to the aggregate amount allotted to all States under such section for such purpose. “(2) The chief executive officer of each State that receives its allotment under this section shall contract on a competitive basis with the State educational agency, 1 or more local educational agencies, a State office on literacy, a volunteer organization, a community-based organization, institution of higher education, or other nonprofit entity to operate a State literacy resource center. No applicant participating in a competition pursuant to the preceding sentence shall participate in the review of its own application. “(d) Use of Funds.— Funds provided to each State under subsection (c)(1) to carry out this section shall be used to conduct activities to— “(1) improve and promote the diffusion and adoption of state-of-the-art teaching methods, technologies and program evaluations; “(2) develop innovative approaches to the coordination of literacy services within and among States and with the Federal Government; “(3) assist public and private agencies in coordinating the delivery of literacy services; “(4) encourage government and industry partnerships, including partnerships with small businesses, private nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations; “(5) encourage innovation and experimentation in literacy activities that will enhance the delivery of literacy services and address emerging problems; “(6) provide technical and policy assistance to State and local governments and service providers to improve literacy policy and programs and access to such programs; “(7) provide training and technical assistance to literacy instructors in reading instruction and in— 105 STAT. 340 “(A) selecting and making the most effective use of state-of-the-art methodologies, instructional materials, and technologies such as— “(i) computer assisted instruction; “(ii) video tapes; “(iii) interactive systems; and “(iv) data link systems; or “(B) assessing learning style, screening for learning disabilities, and providing individualized remedial reading instruction; or “(8) encourage and facilitate the training of full-time professional adult educators. “(e) Alternative Uses of Equipment.— Equipment purchases pursuant to this section, when not being used to carry out the provisions of this section, may be used for other instructional purposes if— “(1) the acquisition of the equipment was reasonable and necessary for the purpose of conducting a properly designed project or activity under this section; “(2) the equipment is used after regular program hours or on weekends; and “(3) such other use is— “(A) incidental to the use of the equipment under this section; “(B) does not interfere with the use of the equipment under this section; and “(C) does not add to the cost of using the equipment under this section. “(f) Limitation.— Not more than 10 percent of amounts received under any grant received under this section shall be used to purchase computer hardware or software. “(g) Special Rule.— (1) Each State receiving funds pursuant to this section may not use more than 5 percent of such funds to establish a State advisory council on adult education and literacy (in this section referred to as the 'State council') pursuant to section 332. “(2) Each State receiving funds pursuant to this section may use such funds to support an established State council to the extent that such State council meets the requirements of section 332. “(3) Each State receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph to establish or support a State council pursuant to section 332 shall provide matching funds on a dollar-for-dollar basis. “(h) Applications.— Each State or group of States, as appropriate, that desires to receive a grant under this section for a regional adult literacy resource center, a State adult literacy resource center, or both shall submit to the Secretary an application that has been reviewed and commented on by the State council, where appropriate, and that describes how the State or group of States will— “(1) develop a literacy resource center or expand an existing literacy resource center; “(2) provide services and activities with the assistance provided under this section; “(3) assure access to services of the center for the maximum participation of all public and private programs and organizations providing or seeking to provide basic skills instruction, including local educational agencies, agencies responsible for corrections education, service delivery areas under the Job105 STAT. 341 Training Partnership Act, welfare agencies, labor organizations, businesses, volunteer groups, and community-based organizations; “(4) address the measurable goals for improving literacy levels as set forth in the plan submitted pursuant to section 842; and “(5) develop procedures for the coordination of literacy activities for statewide and local literacy efforts conducted by public and private organizations, and for enhancing the systems of service delivery. “(i) Payments; Federal Share.—(1) The Secretary shall pay to each State having an application approved pursuant to subsection (h) the Federal share of the cost of the activities described in the application. “(2) The Federal share— “(A) for each of the first 2 fiscal years in which the State receives funds under this section shall not exceed 80 percent; “(B) for each of the third and fourth fiscal years in which the State receives funds under this section shall not exceed 70 percent; and “(C) for the fifth and each succeeding fiscal year in which the State receives funds under this section shall not exceed 60 percent. “(3) The non-Federal share of payments under this section may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. “(j) Regional Centers.— (1) A group of States may enter into an interstate agreement to develop and operate a regional adult literacy resource center for purposes of receiving assistance under this section if the States determine that a regional approach is more appropriate for their situation. “(2) Any State that receives assistance under this section as part of a regional center shall only be required to provide under subsection (i) 50 percent of the funds such State would otherwise be required to provide under such subsection. “(3) In any fiscal year in which the amount a State will receive under this section is less than $100,000, the Secretary may designate the State to receive assistance under this section only as part of a regional center. “(4) The provisions of paragraph (3) shall not apply to any State that can demonstrate to the Secretary that the total amount of Federal, State, local and private funds expended to carry out the purposes of this section would equal or exceed $100,000. “(5) In any fiscal year in which paragraph (2) applies, the Secretary may allow certain States that receive assistance as part of a regional center to reserve a portion of such assistance for a State adult literacy resource center pursuant to this section. “(k) Authorization of Appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992 and 1993, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1994 and 1995.”.