Star Schools Program Assistance Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

18 March 1987

Last action

8 May 1987 · Referred

Status

Referred to Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education.

Summary

Star Schools Program Assistance Act - Amends the Education for Economic Security Act to add a title establishing a star schools program. Cites the new title as the Star Schools Program Act. Empowers the Secretary of Education to make demonstration grants of up to a fiscal year maximum of $20,000,000 per grant to eligible telecommunications partnerships for the development, construction, and acquisition of telecommunications facilities and equipment and for technical assistance. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1988 through 1992, subject to fiscal year limitations. Sets forth eligibility criteria to identify eligible telecommunications partnerships, which must be organized on a statewide or multistate regional basis and be either: (1) a public agency or corporation established to provide education-related telecommunications networks to certain educational or health institutions or to industries; or (2) a partnership that will provide a telecommunications network and whose membership includes specified educational entities or public or private nonprofit organizations experienced with telecommunications. Authorizes eligible partnerships to submit a grant application: (1) describing the telecommunications facilities, equipment, and technical assistance for which assistance is being sought; (2) providing assurances that the services offered will increase the availability of courses of instruction in mathematics, science, and foreign languages; and (3) containing other assurances and information as required by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary, in approving applications, to give priority to certain applicants, including those partnerships that: (1) have the capacity to serve the broadest range of targeted institutions; (2) have substantial academic and teaching capabilities; (3) will serve a multistate area; and (4) demonstrate strength in mathematics, science, and foreign language resources which by distribution through the partnership will offer new educational opportunities. Requires each grantee to report to the Secretary concerning courses and materials to be transmitted by satellite to educational institutions and teacher training centers and to specify the locus and time of such transmissions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) compile and prepare for dissemination a listing and description of the courses and materials submitted by each grantee; and (2) distribute such list to all State educational agencies. Requires the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to conduct a thorough investigation of the use of the telecommunications systems supported by the grants awarded under this Act and to submit quarterly reports to the Congress. Directs the OTA to: (1) carry out, by September 30, 1991, a study and evaluation of the cost of designing, building, and launching a satellite for educational purposes, including an analysis of potential users' ability to repay such costs; and (2) study the demand for the use of such a satellite to find out whether potential users would be able to repay such costs within ten years. States that, if potential users can repay costs within ten years, the Congress should appropriate the funds necessary to launch a satellite for use in a space-based satellite education system.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

18 March 1987
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
18 March 1987
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Source: IntroReferral
25 March 1987
Reported
Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Source: Committee
8 April 1987
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 85.
Source: Calendars
8 April 1987
Reported
Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Reported to Senate by Senator Kennedy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Source: Committee
8 April 1987
Reported
Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Reported to Senate by Senator Kennedy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Source: Committee
21 April 1987
Floor
By Senator Kennedy from Committee on Labor and Human Resources filed written report. Report No. 100-44. Minority views filed.
Source: Floor
21 April 1987
Committee
By Senator Kennedy from Committee on Labor and Human Resources filed written report. Report No. 100-44. Minority views filed.
Source: Committee
23 April 1987
Floor
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
Source: Floor
23 April 1987
Vote
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 77-16. Record Vote No: 80.
Source: Floor
27 April 1987
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Source: IntroReferral
27 April 1987
Floor
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Source: Floor
8 May 1987
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education.
Source: Committee

Votes

· Official source

Yes 0 · No 0 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 0

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

3 official files

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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 23 April 1987
Open at official source
Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 8 April 1987
Open at official source
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 18 March 1987
Open at official source
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Related records

amends ← To make a technical correction.
amends ← To include certain Bureau of Indian Affairs schools in eligible telecommunications partnerships.

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/senate-bill/778
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/100/s/778
us · 100-s-778 · source updated 21 July 2025