PRINTER'S NO. 2214
No. 218 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, MELLOW, FUMO, WILLIAMS, KASUNIC, O'PAKE,
WOZNIAK, STOUT, MUSTO, SCHWARTZ, KUKOVICH, BODACK, COSTA,
WAGNER, BOSCOLA, LAVALLE, KITCHEN, TARTAGLIONE, BELAN AND
STAPLETON, OCTOBER 5, 2000
REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, OCTOBER 5, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to expeditiously
2 enact legislation, House of Representatives No. 4094 (H.R.
3 4094), which funds the construction, rehabilitation and
4 repair of public schools, and encouraging Governor Thomas J.
5 Ridge to support the legislation and urge its passage by
6 Congress.
7 WHEREAS, A quality education for the children of this nation
8 and this Commonwealth is essential for their future success,
9 which benefits the welfare of the nation and the Commonwealth;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, Critical elements of the nation's public school
12 systems are the school buildings and their educational
13 facilities that ideally should provide students with a safe and
14 well-equipped learning environment; and
15 WHEREAS, Annually, school students across the nation face
16 another school year of overcrowded, inadequate classrooms and
17 crumbling, time-worn school buildings; and
18 WHEREAS, In light of the recent and increasing use of the
19 personal computer for the collection and dissemination of
1 information and participation in the national and local
2 economies on the State, national and international levels,
3 school buildings and facilities in many portions of the country
4 and this Commonwealth are unable to provide even the rudimentary
5 basics for courses in computer instruction; and
6 WHEREAS, Numerous studies indicate the nationwide need for
7 the modernization of public school infrastructure and calculate
8 the differing costs for the repair of existing schools and for
9 the construction of new schools; and
10 WHEREAS, The National Education Association estimates that
11 school infrastructure needs, including necessary new school
12 construction, will equal $268 billion; and
13 WHEREAS, The General Accounting Office estimates that in
14 excess of $112 billion is required for the repair and renovation
15 of existing public schools, while a National Center for
16 Educational Statistics report calculated the cost at $127
17 billion; and
18 WHEREAS, Federal assistance is necessary for these schools to
19 ensure a safe and secure learning environment and to provide
20 well-equipped, modern educational facilities in those schools;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, United States Representative Charles Rangel
23 codrafted and cointroduced H.R. 4094, The America's Better
24 Classrooms Act, with United States Representative Nancy Johnson,
25 for the purpose of providing needed Federal funding for public
26 school construction, renovation and repair; and
27 WHEREAS, The America's Better Classrooms Act, H.R. 4094, has
28 the broad bipartisan support of 228 cosponsors in the United
29 States House of Representatives; and
30 WHEREAS, The governors of nine states, the Governor of Puerto
20000S0218R2214 - 2 -
1 Rico, and a coalition of diverse organizations, Rebuild
2 America's Schools, strongly support H.R. 4094 and urge
3 Congressional passage of this measure; and
4 WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors and 100
5 mayors of cities across the country also strongly support H.R.
6 4094 and urge the Majority Leader of the United States Senate
7 and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives to
8 support the legislation and assist in its passage; therefore be
9 it
10 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 memorialize Congress to expeditiously pass H.R. 4094, which
12 authorizes $24.8 billion in Federal funding through the issuance
13 of zero-interest bonds for states to allocate where they
14 determine the need exists for new school construction and
15 renovations and repairs of current schools for the purpose of
16 improving the quality of children's education; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate encourage Governor Thomas J. Ridge
18 to publicly support H.R. 4094, which would provide over $1
19 billion for badly needed construction, renovation and repairs in
20 this Commonwealth's public schools, and urge Congress and each
21 member of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation to pass this
22 needed legislation; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
24 the presiding officers of each house of Congress, to each member
25 of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation and to Governor
26 Thomas J. Ridge.
I29L82SFL/20000S0218R2214 - 3 -