PRINTER'S NO. 2582
No. 1825 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY BRIGHTBILL, SHAFFER, BAKER AND BELAN,
NOVEMBER 12, 1990
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, NOVEMBER 12, 1990
AN ACT
1 Reenacting and amending the act of July 2, 1984 (P.L.553,
2 No.110), entitled, as reenacted and amended, "An act
3 establishing a program within the Department of Commerce to
4 provide grants to engineering degree-granting schools to
5 assist in the acquisition of new engineering equipment or the
6 upgrading of existing engineering equipment that is necessary
7 to provide students with the courses required to obtain a
8 degree in engineering," further providing for allocation and
9 expenditure of funds and for reporting to the General
10 Assembly.
11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12 hereby enacts as follows:
13 Section 1. The title and sections 1 and 2 of the act of July
14 2, 1984 (P.L.553, No.110), known as the Engineering School
15 Equipment Act, reenacted and amended July 9, 1987 (P.L.211,
16 No.35), are reenacted to read:
17 AN ACT
18 Establishing a program within the Department of Commerce to
19 provide grants to engineering degree-granting schools to
20 assist in the acquisition of new engineering equipment or the
21 upgrading of existing engineering equipment that is necessary
1 to provide students with the courses required to obtain a
2 degree in engineering.
3 Section 1. Short title.
4 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Engineering
5 School Equipment Act.
6 Section 2. Definitions.
7 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
8 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
9 context clearly indicates otherwise:
10 "Board." The Board of the Ben Franklin Partnership Fund
11 provided for in section 448(n) of the act of April 9, 1929
12 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929.
13 "Department." The Department of Commerce.
14 "Engineering degree-granting school." An institution of
15 higher education which offers curriculum in engineering or
16 engineering technology which has been approved by the
17 Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and is
18 recognized as such by the State Registration Board for
19 Professional Engineers.
20 "Equipment." Basic instructional equipment of an engineering
21 nature used in the teaching of undergraduate or graduate
22 engineering or engineering technology.
23 "Full-time equivalent engineering student." The enrollment
24 in baccalaureate and graduate programs of engineering schools
25 expressed in terms of full-time students as determined by the
26 Department of Education.
27 Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended July 11, 1989
28 (P.L.318, No.53) and July 1, 1990 (P.L.332, No.72), is reenacted
29 and amended to read:
30 Section 3. Engineering equipment acquisition and upgrade.
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1 (a) Program.--There is established within the department a
2 program to provide grants to engineering degree-granting
3 schools. The program shall be administered by the board. Funds
4 provided through this program shall be used exclusively for the
5 acquisition of new engineering equipment and the upgrading of
6 existing engineering equipment that is necessary to provide
7 students with the courses required to obtain a baccalaureate or
8 graduate engineering degree. The board shall:
9 (1) Promulgate such policies, develop such forms and
10 institute such procedures as may be necessary to implement
11 this act.
12 (2) Allocate to each engineering school funds for which
13 it is eligible under this act.
14 (3) Approve or disapprove any request for expenditures
15 for the purchase or upgrading of equipment.
16 (4) Require such information and records from each
17 engineering school as it deems necessary.
18 (5) Request the Department of Education to certify to
19 the board the full-time equivalent enrollment of
20 baccalaureate and graduate engineering students at each
21 engineering school in the most recent year for which data are
22 available.
23 (b) Allocation of funds.--The funds [provided for in]
24 appropriated for utilization pursuant to this act shall be
25 allocated by the board for grants to the engineering degree-
26 granting schools based on the ratio of full-time equivalent
27 students enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate engineering
28 programs at each school to the total number of full-time
29 equivalent undergraduate and graduate engineering students in
30 the Commonwealth.
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1 (c) Expenditure of funds.--All grants made to engineering
2 degree-granting schools shall be expended only for equipment. No
3 engineering school shall expend any grant funds on equipment
4 unless it also expends funds obtained from private sources on
5 that equipment. At least [$3] $2 of private funds shall be
6 required for each $1 of grant funds from this program paid to
7 engineering degree-granting schools [from the sum originally
8 appropriated under this act. For grants funded by any subsequent
9 appropriation, at least $2 of private funds shall be required
10 for each $1 of grant funds from this program]. Grants made under
11 this act shall not be used to supplant existing Federal, State
12 or local funds for the acquisition or upgrading of engineering
13 equipment. As used in this subsection the term "private funds"
14 shall include funds obtained from corporate foundations.
15 (d) Distribution of unused funds.--Any allocated funds which
16 have not been expended consistent with subsection (c) by June
17 30, 1992, shall be available for reallocation by the board.
18 Section 3. Section 4 of the act is reenacted and amended to
19 read:
20 Section 4. Indicators of program impact.
21 The department shall report to the General Assembly by [June
22 30, 1987] March 31, 1991, on the impact of the program,
23 including the types of equipment funded and the amount of
24 private sector matching funds generated. All recipients of
25 grants under this act shall provide information requested by the
26 department for the purposes of this report.
27 Section 4. Section 6 of the act, amended July 1, 1990
28 (P.L.332, No.72), is reenacted to read:
29 Section 6. Expiration.
30 This act shall expire June 30, 1993.
19900S1825B2582 - 4 -
1 Section 5. Section 7 of the act is reenacted to read:
2 Section 7. Effective date.
3 This act shall take effect immediately.
4 Section 6. This act shall be retroactive to July 1, 1990.
5 Section 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
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