Part B - Education

42 USC 16791 - Program to expand distance learning in rural underserved areas

(a) In general
The Administrator shall develop or expand programs to extend science and space educational outreach to rural communities and schools through video conferencing, interpretive exhibits, teacher education, classroom presentations, and student field trips.

(b) Priorities
In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator shall give priority to existing programs, including Challenger Learning Centers

(1) that utilize community-based partnerships in the field;

(2) that build and maintain video conference and exhibit capacity;

(3) that travel directly to rural communities and serve low-income populations; and

(4) with a special emphasis on increasing the number of women and minorities in the science and engineering professions.

42 USC 16792 - Charles Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards

(a) Short title
This section may be cited as the Charles Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards Act.

(b) Definitions
For the purposes of this section

(1) the term amateur astronomer means an individual whose employer does not provide any funding, payment, or compensation to the individual for the observation of asteroids and other celestial bodies, and does not include any individual employed as a professional astronomer;

(2) the term Minor Planet Center means the Minor Planet Center of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory;

(3) the term near-Earth asteroid means an asteroid with a perihelion distance of less than 1.3 Astronomical Units from the Sun; and

(4) the term Program means the Charles Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards Program established under subsection (c).

(1) In general
The Administrator shall establish the Charles Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards Program.

(2) Awards
The Administrator shall make awards under the Program based on the recommendations of the Minor Planet Center.

(3) Award categories
The Administrator shall make one annual award, unless there are no eligible discoveries or contributions, for each of the following categories:

(A) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who in the preceding calendar year discovered the intrinsically brightest near-Earth asteroid among the near-Earth asteroids that were discovered during that year by amateur astronomers or groups of amateur astronomers.

(B) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who made the greatest contribution to the Minor Planet Centers mission of cataloguing near-Earth asteroids during the preceding year.

(4) Award amount
An award under the Program shall be in the amount of $3,000.

(5) Guidelines

(A) No individual who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States at the time of his discovery or contribution may receive an award under this section.

(B) The decisions of the Administrator in making awards under this section are final.

42 USC 16793 - Review of education programs

(a) In general
The Administrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a review and evaluation of NASAs precollege science, technology, and mathematics education program. The review and evaluation shall be documented in a report to the Administrator and shall include such recommendations as the National Research Council determines will improve the effectiveness of the program.

(b) Review
The review and evaluation under subsection (a) shall include

(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the overall program in meeting its defined goals and objectives;

(2) an assessment of the quality and educational effectiveness of the major components of the program, including an evaluation of the adequacy of assessment metrics and data collection requirements available for determining the effectiveness of individual projects;

(3) an evaluation of the funding priorities in the program, including a review of the funding level and funding trend for each major component of the program and an assessment of whether the resources made available are consistent with meeting identified goals and priorities; and

(4) a determination of the extent and the effectiveness of coordination and collaboration between NASA and other Federal agencies that sponsor science, technology, and mathematics education activities.

(c) Report to Congress
Not later than 18 months after December 30, 2005, the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate the results of the review and evaluation required under subsection (a).

42 USC 16794 - Equal access to NASAs education programs

(a) In general
The Administrator shall strive to ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASAs education programs.

(b) Report
Not later than 1 year after December 30, 2005, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate describing the efforts by the Administrator to ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students under this section and the results of such efforts. As part of the report, the Administrator shall provide

(1) data on minority participation in NASAs education programs, at a minimum in the following categories: elementary and secondary education, undergraduate education, and graduate education; and

(2) the total value of grants NASA made to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and to Hispanic Serving Institutions through education programs during the period covered by the report.

(c) Program
The Administrator shall establish the Dr. Mae C. Jemison Grant Program to work with Minority Serving Institutions to bring more women of color into the field of space and aeronautics.

42 USC 16795 - Museums

The Administrator may provide grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, museums and planetariums to enable them to enhance programs related to space exploration, aeronautics, space science, earth science, or microgravity.

42 USC 16796 - Review of MUST program

Not later than 60 days after December 30, 2005, the Administrator shall transmit a report to Congress on the legal status of the Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology program. If the report concludes that the program is in compliance with the laws of the United States, NASA shall implement the program, as planned in the July 5, 2005, NASA Research Announcement.

42 USC 16797 - Continuation of certain education programs

From amounts appropriated to NASA for education programs, the Administrator shall ensure the continuation of the Space Grant Program, the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and, consistent with the results of the review under section 16793 of this title, the NASA Explorer School program, to motivate and develop the next generation of explorers.

42 USC 16798 - Implementation of previous recommendations

(a) GAO report
Not more than 180 days after December 30, 2005, the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee of^[1] Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report describing action taken by NASA to implement the recommendations contained in the Government Accountability Offices Report No. 04639.

(b) Compliance
To comply with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), the Administrator shall conduct compliance reviews of at least 2 grantees annually.

[1] So in original. Probably should be “on”.