SEC. 201. Federal and State Administrative Provisions.
“(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D), in order for a State to receive its full allotment of funds under this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretary must find that the State’s fiscal effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education for the preceding fiscal year was not less than the fiscal effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures of such State, for the second preceding fiscal year.”
“(D) Establishing the state baseline.—For purposes of applying subparagraph (A) for years which require the calculation of the State’s fiscal effort per student, or aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education for the first full fiscal year following the date of enactment of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, the State may determine the State’s fiscal effort per student, or aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education for such first full fiscal year by—
“(i) continuing to use the State’s fiscal effort per student, or aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education, as was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act; or
“(ii) establishing a new level of fiscal effort per student, or aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education, which is not less than 95 percent of the State’s fiscal effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures of such State, with respect to career and technical education for the preceding fiscal year.”
“(2) Failure to meet.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall reduce the amount of a State’s allotment of funds under this Act for any fiscal year in the exact proportion by which the State fails to meet the requirement of paragraph (1) by falling below the State’s fiscal effort per student or the State’s aggregate expenditures (using the measure most favorable to the State), if the State failed to meet such requirement (as determined using the measure most favorable to the State) for 1 or more of the 5 immediately preceding fiscal years.
“(B) Special rule.—No such lesser amount shall be used for computing the effort required under paragraph (1) for subsequent years.
“(3) Waiver.—The Secretary may waive paragraph (2) due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances affecting the ability of the State to meet the requirement of paragraph (1) such as a natural disaster or an unforeseen and precipitous decline in financial resources. No level of funding permitted under such a waiver may be used as the basis for computing the fiscal effort or aggregate expenditures required under this section for years subsequent to the year covered by such waiver. The fiscal effort or aggregate expenditures for the subsequent years shall be computed on the basis of the level of funding that would, but for such waiver, have been required.”
“SEC. 219. STUDY ON PROGRAMS OF STUDY ALIGNED TO HIGH-SKILL, HIGH-WAGE OCCUPATIONS.
“(a) Scope of Study.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study to evaluate—
“(1) the strategies, components, policies, and practices used by eligible agencies or eligible recipients receiving funding under this Act to successfully assist—
“(A) all students in pursuing and completing programs of study aligned to high-skill, high-wage occupations; and
“(B) any special population or specific subgroup of students identified in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in pursuing and completing programs of study aligned to high-skill, high-wage occupations in fields in which such special population or subgroup is underrepresented; and
“(2) any challenges associated with replication of such strategies, components, policies, and practices.
“(b) Consultation.—In carrying out the study conducted under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall consult with a geographically diverse (including urban, suburban, and rural) representation of—
“(1) students and parents;
“(2) eligible agencies and eligible recipients;
“(3) teachers, faculty, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals, including those with expertise in preparing career and technical education students for non-traditional fields;
“(4) Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations;
“(5) special populations; and
“(6) representatives of business and industry.
“(c) Submission.—Upon completion, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit the study conducted under subsection (a) to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.”