PRINTER'S NO. 4157
No. 2932 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY COLAFELLA, COWELL AND LESCOVITZ, OCTOBER 1, 1990
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 1, 1990
AN ACT
1 Reenacting the act of July 2, 1984 (P.L.553, No.110), entitled,
2 as reenacted and amended, "An act establishing a program
3 within the Department of Commerce to provide grants to
4 engineering degree-granting schools to assist in the
5 acquisition of new engineering equipment or the upgrading of
6 existing engineering equipment that is necessary to provide
7 students with the courses required to obtain a degree in
8 engineering."
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. The title and sections 1 and 2 of the act of July
12 2, 1984 (P.L.553, No.110), known as the Engineering School
13 Equipment Act, reenacted and amended July 9, 1987 (P.L.211,
14 No.35), are reenacted to read:
15 AN ACT
16 Establishing a program within the Department of Commerce to
17 provide grants to engineering degree-granting schools to
18 assist in the acquisition of new engineering equipment or the
19 upgrading of existing engineering equipment that is necessary
20 to provide students with the courses required to obtain a
21 degree in engineering.
1 Section 1. Short title.
2 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Engineering
3 School Equipment Act.
4 Section 2. Definitions.
5 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
6 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
7 context clearly indicates otherwise:
8 "Board." The Board of the Ben Franklin Partnership Fund
9 provided for in section 448(n) of the act of April 9, 1929
10 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929.
11 "Department." The Department of Commerce.
12 "Engineering degree-granting school." An institution of
13 higher education which offers curriculum in engineering or
14 engineering technology which has been approved by the
15 Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and is
16 recognized as such by the State Registration Board for
17 Professional Engineers.
18 "Equipment." Basic instructional equipment of an engineering
19 nature used in the teaching of undergraduate or graduate
20 engineering or engineering technology.
21 "Full-time equivalent engineering student." The enrollment
22 in baccalaureate and graduate programs of engineering schools
23 expressed in terms of full-time students as determined by the
24 Department of Education.
25 Section 2. Section 3 of the act, amended July 11, 1989
26 (P.L.318, No.53) and July 1, 1990 (P.L.332, No.72), is reenacted
27 to read:
28 Section 3. Engineering equipment acquisition and upgrade.
29 (a) Program.--There is established within the department a
30 program to provide grants to engineering degree-granting
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1 schools. The program shall be administered by the board. Funds
2 provided through this program shall be used exclusively for the
3 acquisition of new engineering equipment and the upgrading of
4 existing engineering equipment that is necessary to provide
5 students with the courses required to obtain a baccalaureate or
6 graduate engineering degree. The board shall:
7 (1) Promulgate such policies, develop such forms and
8 institute such procedures as may be necessary to implement
9 this act.
10 (2) Allocate to each engineering school funds for which
11 it is eligible under this act.
12 (3) Approve or disapprove any request for expenditures
13 for the purchase or upgrading of equipment.
14 (4) Require such information and records from each
15 engineering school as it deems necessary.
16 (5) Request the Department of Education to certify to
17 the board the full-time equivalent enrollment of
18 baccalaureate and graduate engineering students at each
19 engineering school in the most recent year for which data are
20 available.
21 (b) Allocation of funds.--The funds provided for in this act
22 shall be allocated by the board for grants to the engineering
23 degree-granting schools based on the ratio of full-time
24 equivalent students enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate
25 engineering programs at each school to the total number of full-
26 time equivalent undergraduate and graduate engineering students
27 in the Commonwealth.
28 (c) Expenditure of funds.--All grants made to engineering
29 degree-granting schools shall be expended only for equipment. No
30 engineering school shall expend any grant funds on equipment
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1 unless it also expends funds obtained from private sources on
2 that equipment. At least $3 of private funds shall be required
3 for each $1 of grant funds from this program paid to engineering
4 degree-granting schools from the sum originally appropriated
5 under this act. For grants funded by any subsequent
6 appropriation, at least $2 of private funds shall be required
7 for each $1 of grant funds from this program. Grants made under
8 this act shall not be used to supplant existing Federal, State
9 or local funds for the acquisition or upgrading of engineering
10 equipment. As used in this subsection the term "private funds"
11 shall include funds obtained from corporate foundations.
12 (d) Distribution of unused funds.--Any allocated funds which
13 have not been expended consistent with subsection (c) by June
14 30, 1992, shall be available for reallocation by the board.
15 Section 3. Section 4 of the act is reenacted to read:
16 Section 4. Indicators of program impact.
17 The department shall report to the General Assembly by June
18 30, 1987, on the impact of the program, including the types of
19 equipment funded and the amount of private sector matching funds
20 generated. All recipients of grants under this act shall provide
21 information requested by the department for the purposes of this
22 report.
23 Section 4. Section 6 of the act, amended July 1, 1990
24 (P.L.332, No.72), is reenacted to read:
25 Section 6. Expiration.
26 This act shall expire June 30, 1993.
27 Section 5. Section 7 of the act is reenacted to read:
28 Section 7. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect immediately.
30 Section 6. This act shall be retroactive to June 30, 1990.
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1 Section 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
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