Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Providing Rural Equity, Parity, and Reinvestment in Education Act” or the “PREPARE Act”.
Providing Rural Equity, Parity, and Reinvestment in Education Act
A BILL
To amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to increase the allocation for rural areas, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Within State allocation
Section 112 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2322) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking “10 percent” and inserting “15 percent”;
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (A)—
by striking “1 percent” and inserting “2 percent”; and
by striking “State correctional institutions and institutions” and inserting “State correctional institutions, juvenile justice facilities, and educational institutions”; and
in subparagraph (B), by striking “available for services” and inserting “available to assist eligible recipients in providing services”; and
in paragraph (3)(B), by striking “a local plan;” and inserting “local applications;”; and
in subsection (c)—
by striking “From amounts” and inserting the following:
“(1) In general—From amounts”
by striking “section 135” and all that follows through the end and inserting
“(A) in—
“(i) rural areas;
“(ii) areas with high percentages of CTE concentrators or CTE participants; and
“(iii) areas with high numbers of CTE concentrators or CTE participants; and
“(B) in order to—
“(i) foster innovation through the identification and promotion of promising and proven career and technical education programs, practices, and strategies, which may include practices and strategies that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields; or
“(ii) promote the development, implementation, and adoption of programs of study or career pathways aligned with State-identified in-demand occupations or industries.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Definitions—For purposes of this subsection:
“(A) CTE concentrators—The term “CTE concentrator” means—
“(i) at the secondary school level, a student served by an eligible recipient who has—
“(I) completed three or more career and technical education courses; or
“(II) completed at least two courses in a single career and technical education program or program of study; or
“(ii) at the postsecondary level, a student enrolled in an eligible recipient who has—
“(I) earned at least 12 cumulative credits within a career and technical education program or program of study; or
“(II) completed such a program if the program encompasses fewer than 12 credits or the equivalent in total.
“(B) CTE participant—The term “CTE participant” means an individual who completes not less than one course or earns not less than one credit in a career and technical education program or program of study of an eligible recipient.”