ENACTMENTS BY THE 89TH CONGRESS CONCERNING CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. THE RECORD IN A NUTSHELL President Johnson's remarks upon signing the Higher Education Act of 1965 on November 8, 1965, included the following statement: This bill is only one of more than two dozen education measures enacted by the 1st session of the 89th Congress. And history will forever record that this session-the 1st session of the 89th Congress-did more for the wonderful cause of education in America than all the previous 176 regular sessions of Congress did, put together. I doubt that any future Congress will ever erect a prouder monument for future generations.1 In his State of the Union Message on January 4, 1965, President Johnson had set forth a proposed "national agenda." As the first item on this agenda he proposed a program in education to insure every American child the fullest development of his mind and skills. As a later agenda item he proposed that we honor and support the achievements of thought and the creations of art. In proposing to enrich the life of all through education, the President said in part: In addition to our existing programs, I will recommend a new program for schools and students with a first-year authorization of $1,500 million. It will help at every stage along the road to learning.2 In his annual message to Congress on education on January 12, 1965, the President urged "that we now push ahead with the No. 1 business of the American people the education of our youth in preschools, elementary and secondary schools, and in the colleges and universities." The President specifically recommended: Concerning Elementary and Secondary Schools 1. Legislation to authorize a major program of assistance to public elementary and secondary schools serving children of low-income families. 2. Legislation to authorize Federal grants to States to assist in the purchase of books for school libraries and for student use, to be made available to children in public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools. 3. A program of Federal grants for supplementary education centers and services within the community. 1 Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. Vol. I, No. 16, Nov. 15, 1965, p. 478. 2 89th Cong., 1st sess. H. Doc. 1, pp. 7-8. 1 4. Establishment under the Cooperative Research Act of regional educational laboratories to undertake research, train teachers, and implement tested research findings. Further amendments to the act to (a) broaden the types of research organizations now eligible for educational projects, (b) train educational research personnel, (c) provide grants for research, development of new curriculums, dissemination of information, and implementation of educational innovations, and (d) support construction of research facilities and the purchase of research equipment. 5. A program of grants to State educational agencies. Concerning Higher Education 1. A program of scholarships for needy and qualified high school graduates to enable them to enter and to continue in college. 2. Amendment of the existing college work-study program to make it available to more students, and transfer of authority for the program to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Provision for part of the cost of interest payments on guaranteed private loans to college students to be paid by the Federal Government. 3. Legislation to strengthen less-developed colleges. 4. Legislation for purchase of books and library materials to strengthen college teaching and research. 5. A program of grants to support university extension, concentrating on problems of the community. 6. Grants to institutions of higher education for training of school, college, and community librarians and related services. Extension and expansion of grants for training teachers and handicapped children.3 During 1965 the Congress enacted legislation aimed at promoting education and training at all levels throughout the Nation. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 are outstanding in the history of educational legislation by the Congress. The Manpower Act of 1965 stands among important laws passed by the Congress affecting the training of the Nation's manpower. The Older Americans Act of 1965 is largely a measure for the promotion of the training of older persons. The 1965 extension of the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act of 1961 continues its provisions relating to the training of youth. The Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1965 are designed to strengthen the educational and training and other features of the war on poverty. The National Vocational Student Loan Insurance Act of 1965 offers assistance to students who wish to attend postsecondary vocational schools. In 1965 the Congress made provision for Federal assistance in the construction and operation of public schools in areas affected by major disasters. The Congress established a National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and provided for the establishment of a National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. The Congress also liberalized Federal financing of vocational rehabilitation (including training) programs. 3 89th Cong., 1st sess. H. Doc. 45, pp. 3–10. These and other enactments by the Congress in 1965, concerning education and training, are further dealt with in later pages of this report. B. PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive record of enactments by the 89th Congress during its 1st session, 1965, concerning education and training. The report presents digests of these laws, with particular reference to their educational and training features or aspects. The report also cites related recommendations by President Johnson, and summarizes the legislative histories of the enacted bills containing educational and training provisions. The report incidentally includes some selected comments from the public press relative to action on some of these bills. C. SCOPE OF THE REPORT This report covers legislation relating generally to "education and training." In the broadest sense, the former term includes the latter. It would be presumptuous, however, to attempt to define in this report precisely what legislation Congress would consider pertinent to or affecting "education." Since the report is intended to be quite comprehensive, it includes acts referring specifically to "training" as well as those referring to "education," and acts referring specifically to the arts, cultural development, students, teachers, or educational institutions. Thus, the report covers a variety of legislation and legislative objectives. Apart from the omission of all but a few appropriation measures, the aim is to include both legislation involving direct Federal financing and administration of educational and training activities, and legislation involving forms of Federal aid to States, localities, institutions, and individuals in these fields. In some instances the legislative provisions included are subsidiary parts of legislation principally concerned with other matters. In brief, what is here presented is a panoramic view of many highly diversified measures of current interest concerning education and training. 4 The legislative procedures toward enactment of the legislation were sometimes complicated. In a number of instances an enacted measure was at some period in its legislative history involved with other proposals. In order to offer a separate, readable history of each enactment, some minor repetition has been included. The alternative would have been to refer the reader to information given on other pages of the report. D. SOURCES The information summarized in this report has been obtained principally from the daily Congressional Record, the calendars of the House of Representatives, the Digest of Public General Bills and Selected Resolutions, the texts of the bills dealt with at various stages of the legislative process, the House and Senate hearings and committee reports on these bills, the Statutes at Large, the legislative notes of the Office of Education, and the non-governmental periodical publications cited in footnotes. Most of the departments and independent agencies of the Government administer some educational or training programs. This report includes certain appropriations for only the U.S. Office of Education and some of the larger programs of other agencies affecting education and training for the fiscal year 1966. |