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About The Institute
The National Institute for Literacy was established in 1991 by the National Literacy Act and extended under the Workforce Investment Act.
Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220)
TITLE II, SUBTITLE A, SEC. 242. NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
LITERACY
SEC.
242. NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY.
(a)
PURPOSE- The purpose of this section is to establish a National Institute for
Literacy that--
(1)
provides national leadership regarding literacy;
(2)
coordinates literacy services and policy; and
(3)
serves as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs by--
(A)
providing the best and most current information available, including the work
of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the area of
phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension, to
all recipients of Federal assistance that focuses on reading, including
programs under titles I and VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. and 7401 et seq.), the Head Start Act (42
U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), and this Act; and
(B)
supporting the creation of new ways to offer services of proven effectiveness.
(b)
ESTABLISHMENT-
(1)
IN GENERAL- There is established the National Institute for Literacy (in this
section referred to as the `Institute'). The Institute shall be administered
under the terms of an interagency agreement entered into by the Secretary of
Education with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (in this section referred to as the `Interagency Group'). The
Interagency Group may include in the Institute any research and development
center, institute, or clearinghouse established within the Department of
Education, the Department of Labor, or the Department of Health and Human
Services the purpose of which is determined by the Interagency Group to be
related to the purpose of the Institute.
(2)
OFFICES- The Institute shall have offices separate from the offices of the
Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health
and Human Services.
(3)
RECOMMENDATIONS- The Interagency Group shall consider the recommendations of
the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred to
as the `Board') established under subsection (e) in planning the goals of the
Institute and in the implementation of any programs to achieve the goals. If
the Board's recommendations are not followed, the Interagency Group shall
provide a written explanation to the Board concerning actions the Interagency
Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board's recommendations, including
the reasons for not following the Board's recommendations with respect to the
actions. The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency Group to
discuss the Board's recommendations.
(4)
DAILY OPERATIONS- The daily operations of the Institute shall be administered
by the Director of the Institute.
(c)
DUTIES-
(1)
IN GENERAL- In order to provide leadership for the improvement and expansion of
the system for delivery of literacy services, the Institute is authorized--
(A)
to establish a national electronic data base of information that disseminates
information to the broadest possible audience within the literacy and basic
skills field, and that includes--
(i)
effective practices in the provision of literacy and basic skills instruction,
including instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and
reading comprehension, and the integration of literacy and basic skills
instruction with occupational skills training;
(ii)
public and private literacy and basic skills programs, and Federal, State, and
local policies, affecting the provision of literacy services at the national,
State, and local levels;
(iii)
opportunities for technical assistance, meetings, conferences, and other
opportunities that lead to the improvement of literacy and basic skills
services; and
(iv)
a communication network for literacy programs, providers, social service
agencies, and students;
(B)
to coordinate support for the provision of literacy and basic skills services
across Federal agencies and at the State and local levels;
(C)
to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research and development
on literacy and basic skills in families and adults across Federal agencies,
especially with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the
Department of Education, and to carry out basic and applied research and
development on topics that are not being investigated by other organizations or
agencies, such as the special literacy needs of individuals with learning
disabilities;
(D)
to collect and disseminate information on methods of advancing literacy that
show great promise, including phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency,
and reading comprehension based on the work of the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development;
(E)
to provide policy and technical assistance to Federal, State, and local
entities for the improvement of policy and programs relating to literacy;
(F)
to fund a network of State or regional adult literacy resource centers to
assist State and local public and private nonprofit efforts to improve literacy
by--
(i)
encouraging the coordination of literacy services;
(ii)
enhancing the capacity of State and local organizations to provide literacy
services; and
(iii)
serving as a link between the Institute and providers of adult education and
literacy activities for the purpose of sharing information, data, research,
expertise, and literacy resources;
(G)
to coordinate and share information with national organizations and
associations that are interested in literacy and workforce investment
activities;
(H)
to advise Congress and Federal departments and agencies regarding the
development of policy with respect to literacy and basic skills; and
(I)
to undertake other activities that lead to the improvement of the Nation's
literacy delivery system and that complement other such efforts being
undertaken by public and private agencies and organizations.
(2)
GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- The Institute may award grants
to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, individuals, public
or private institutions, agencies, organizations, or consortia of such
institutions, agencies, or organizations to carry out the activities of the
Institute.
(d)
LITERACY LEADERSHIP-
(1)
IN GENERAL- The Institute, in consultation with the Board, may award
fellowships, with such stipends and allowances that the Director considers
necessary, to outstanding individuals pursuing careers in adult education or
literacy in the areas of instruction, management, research, or innovation.
(2)
FELLOWSHIPS- Fellowships awarded under this subsection shall be used, under the
auspices of the Institute, to engage in research, education, training,
technical assistance, or other activities to advance the field of adult
education or literacy, including the training of volunteer literacy providers
at the national, State, or local level.
(3)
INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS- The Institute, in consultation with the Board, may
award paid and unpaid internships to individuals seeking to assist the
Institute in carrying out its mission. Notwithstanding section 1342 of title
31, United States Code, the Institute may accept and use voluntary and
uncompensated services as the Institute determines necessary.
(e)
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY ADVISORY BOARD-
(1)
ESTABLISHMENT-
(A)
IN GENERAL- There shall be a National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in
this section referred to as the `Board'), which shall consist of 10 individuals
appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(B)
COMPOSITION- The Board shall be comprised of individuals who are not otherwise
officers or employees of the Federal Government and who are representative of
entities such as--
(i)
literacy organizations and providers of literacy services, including nonprofit
providers, providers of English literacy programs and services, social service
organizations, and eligible providers receiving assistance under this subtitle;
(ii)
businesses that have demonstrated interest in literacy programs;
(iii)
literacy students, including literacy students with disabilities;
(iv)
experts in the area of literacy research;
(v)
State and local governments;
(vi)
State Directors of adult education; and
(vii)
representatives of employees, including representatives of labor organizations.
(2)
DUTIES- The Board shall--
(A)
make recommendations concerning the appointment of the Director and staff of
the Institute;
(B)
provide independent advice on the operation of the Institute; and
(C)
receive reports from the Interagency Group and the Director.
(3)
FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT- Except as otherwise provided, the Board
established by this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
(4)
APPOINTMENTS-
(A)
IN GENERAL- Each member of the Board shall be appointed for a term of 3 years,
except that the initial terms for members may be 1, 2, or 3 years in order to
establish a rotation in which one-third of the members are selected each year.
Any such member may be appointed for not more than 2 consecutive terms.
(B)
VACANCIES- Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the
expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall
be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the
expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken office.
(5)
QUORUM- A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum but a
lesser number may hold hearings. Any recommendation of the Board may be passed
only by a majority of the Board's members present.
(6)
ELECTION OF OFFICERS- The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall
be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson
and Vice Chairperson shall be 2 years.
(7)
MEETINGS- The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of
the members of the Board.
(f)
GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES-
(1)
IN GENERAL- The Institute may accept, administer, and use gifts or donations of
services, money, or property, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible.
(2)
RULES- The Board shall establish written rules setting forth the criteria to be
used by the Institute in determining whether the acceptance of contributions of
services, money, or property whether real or personal, tangible or intangible,
would reflect unfavorably upon the ability of the Institute or any employee to
carry out the responsibilities of the Institute or employee, or official
duties, in a fair and objective manner, or would compromise the integrity or
the appearance of the integrity of the Institute's programs or any official
involved in those programs.
(g)
MAILS- The Board and the Institute may use the United States mails in the same
manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the
United States.
(h)
STAFF- The Interagency Group, after considering recommendations made by the
Board, shall appoint and fix the pay of a Director.
(i) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE LAWS- The Director and staff of the Institute may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule.
(j)
EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS- The Institute may procure temporary and intermittent
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
(k)
REPORT- The Institute shall submit a report biennially to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate. Each report submitted under this
subsection shall include--
(1)
a comprehensive and detailed description of the Institute's operations,
activities, financial condition, and accomplishments in the field of literacy
for the period covered by the report;
(2)
a description of how plans for the operation of the Institute for the
succeeding 2 fiscal years will facilitate achievement of the goals of the
Institute and the goals of the literacy programs within the Department of
Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human
Services; and
(3)
any additional minority, or dissenting views submitted by members of the Board.
(l)
FUNDING- Any amounts appropriated to the Secretary, the Secretary of Labor, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, or any other department that
participates in the Institute for purposes that the Institute is authorized to
perform under this section may be provided to the Institute for such purposes.
Last updated: Sunday, 26-Jul-2009 18:49:39 EDT