1997 U.S. Code
Title 20 - EDUCATION
CHAPTER 30 - BASIC EDUCATION FOR ADULTS
SUBCHAPTER I - BASIC PROGRAM PROVISIONS
Sec. 1201 - Statement of purpose

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§1201. Statement of purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to assist the States to improve educational opportunities for adults who lack the level of literacy skills requisite to effective citizenship and productive employment, to expand and improve the current system for delivering adult education services including delivery of such services to educationally disadvantaged adults, and to encourage the establishment of adult education programs that will—

(1) enable these adults to acquire the basic educational skills necessary for literate functioning;

(2) provide these adults with sufficient basic education to enable them to benefit from job training and retraining programs and obtain and retain productive employment so that they might more fully enjoy the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship; and

(3) enable adults who so desire to continue their education to at least the level of completion of secondary school.

(Pub. L. 89–750, title III, §311, as added Pub. L. 100–297, title II, §2102, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 302.)

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1201, Pub. L. 89–750, title III, §302, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1216; Pub. L. 91–230, title III, §301, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 159; Pub. L. 95–561, title XIII, §1301, Nov. 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 2356; Pub. L. 98–511, title I, §101, Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2366, related to Congressional declaration of purpose of chapter, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 100–297.

A prior section 311 of Pub. L. 89–750 was classified to section 1208b of this title prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 100–297.

Another prior section 311 of Pub. L. 89–750, was classified to section 1208a of this title, and was repealed by Pub. L. 98–511, title I, §109(a)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2369.

Effective Date

Section 6303 of Pub. L. 100–297, as amended by Pub. L. 100–351, June 27, 1988, 102 Stat. 661, provided that:

“(a) General Rule.—Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments made by this Act [see Tables for classification] shall take effect July 1, 1988.

“(b) Special Rules.—(1) Any provision of this Act or any amendment made by this Act which authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1988 shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 28, 1988].

“(2) The provisions of section 2402, relating to the National Center for Vocational Research, shall take effect on April 10, 1988.

“(3) The amendments made by section 3403 [amending sections 1221e and 1221e–1 of this title] shall take effect for assessments made after September 30, 1989, with respect to State data.

“(4) Allotments to States made under chapters 1 and 2 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [formerly 20 U.S.C. 2701 et seq., 2911 et seq.] and under the Adult Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.] from amounts appropriated by the joint resolution entitled ‘Joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1988, and for other purposes’, approved December 22, 1987 (Public Law 100–202), shall be computed in accordance with the provisions of law applicable to allotments to States under chapters 1 and 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 [formerly 20 U.S.C. 3801 et seq., 3811 et seq.] and under the Adult Education Act, respectively, as such Acts were in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 28, 1988].

“(5) Amounts appropriated by the joint resolution entitled ‘Joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1988, and for other purposes’, approved December 22, 1987 (Public Law 100–202), for the following programs shall be awarded in accordance with the applicable provisions of law in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 28, 1988]:

“(A) Programs under subchapter D of chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 [formerly 20 U.S.C. 3851 et seq.], except that projects under section 583(c) [formerly 20 U.S.C. 3851(c)] may not be reviewed by a program significance panel.

“(B) National programs under the Adult Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.].

“(C) Programs under the Indian Education Act [Pub. L. 92–318, title IV, see Short Title note set out under former section 241aa of this title].

“(D) Programs under title II of the Education for Economic Security Act [formerly 20 U.S.C. 3961 et seq.].

“(E) The program under section 702 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act [formerly 42 U.S.C. 11421].

“(6) The provisions of part A of title II of this Act [§§2001 to 2034 of Pub. L. 100–297, amending sections 236 et seq. and 631 et seq. of this title], excluding sections 2014(e) and 2018 [amending section 238 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 238 of this title], shall apply only with respect to amounts appropriated for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1988.

“(7) The amendments made by section 6001 [amending section 11421 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare], relating to literacy training of homeless adults, shall take effect on October 1, 1988.

“(8) Any election under section 5209(b)(1) [25 U.S.C. 2508(b)(1)] conveyed to the Secretary prior to August 1, 1988, shall take effect for the fiscal year beginning on October 1, 1988, and thereafter.”

Short Title of 1991 Amendment

Pub. L. 102–73, §1, July 25, 1991, 105 Stat. 333, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 1208aa, 1211–1, and 1211–2 of this title and section 4995 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, amending sections 351a, 351c, 351e, 375, 1091, 1144a, 1201a, 1201b, 1203a, 1205, 1205a, 1206a, 1207a, 1208, 1209, 1211, 1213c, 1401, 1411, 2711, 2742 to 2747, 2749, 2941, 2963, 2966, 3142, 3412, and 4086 of this title and section 5081 of Title 42, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and sections 1213c, 2963, and 2966 of this title] may be cited as the ‘National Literacy Act of 1991’.”

Short Title of 1988 Amendment

Section 2101 of Pub. L. 100–297 provided that: “This part [part B (§§2101, 2102) of title II of Pub. L. 100–297, enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Adult Education Amendments of 1988’.”

Short Title

Section 301 of title III of Pub. L. 89–750, as added by Pub. L. 100–297, title II, §2102, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 302, provided that: “This title [this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Adult Education Act’.”

Congressional Findings Regarding National Literacy Act of 1991

Pub. L. 102–73, §2, July 25, 1991, 105 Stat. 333, provided that: “The Congress finds that—

“(1) nearly 30,000,000 adults in the United States have serious problems with literacy;

“(2) literacy problems are intergenerational and closely associated with poverty and pose a major threat to the economic well-being of the United States;

“(3) present public and private literacy programs reach only a small portion of the population in need and often result in only minimal learning gains;

“(4) the prevention of illiteracy is essential to stem further growth in national illiteracy rates;

“(5) literacy programs generally lack adequate funding, adequate coordination with other literacy programs, and an adequate investment in teacher training and technology;

“(6) access to better information about the best practices in the literacy field and more research in order to provide better diagnostic and instructional tools are essential for the improvement of literacy and employability in the United States;

“(7) as many as 50,000,000 workers may have to be trained or retrained before the year 2000;

“(8) the supply of unskilled workers is increasing while the demand for unskilled labor is decreasing;

“(9) programs under the Adult Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.], which are the largest Federal source of direct literacy services in the United States, serve only 10 percent of eligible participants; and

“(10) all public and private literacy programs serve only about 19 percent of those who need help.”

Joint Study of Services

Section 6214 of Pub. L. 100–297 directed Secretary of Education, in conjunction with Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Health and Human Services, to conduct a joint study of Federal funding sources for and services for adult education programs currently available, including literacy initiatives offered by public and private agencies, and to jointly act to facilitate interagency coordination; directed Secretary to ensure local and State officials involved in delivery of adult education and literacy programs are involved in the study; and directed that not later than 24 months after Apr. 28, 1988, a joint report be submitted to appropriate committees of Congress describing the findings of the study.

Budget Act Provision

Section 6302 of Pub. L. 100–297 provided that: “Any new spending authority (within the meaning of section 401 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 [2 U.S.C. 651]) which is provided under this Act [see Tables for classification] shall be effective for any fiscal year only to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts.”

Definitions

Pub. L. 102–73, §3, July 25, 1991, 105 Stat. 334, provided that: “For purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 1991 Amendment note above] the term ‘literacy’ means an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and develop one's knowledge and potential.”

Section 6301 of Pub. L. 100–297 provided that: “Except as otherwise provided, for the purpose of this Act [see Tables for classification] the terms used in this Act have the meanings provided under section 1471 of chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [formerly 20 U.S.C. 2891].”

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1201b, 1207a of this title.