,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #agfc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #be1 #bjac    
,ms4 ,titus 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,davis  
of ,california1 ,ms4 ,wilson of         
,florida1 ,mr4 ,price of ,north         
,carolina1 ,mrs4 ,capps1 ,ms4 ,waters1  
,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1  
,mr4 ,honda1 ,mr4 ,heck of ,washington1 
,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,petri1 and ,mr4   
,garamendi7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,education to establish   
and administer an awards program        
recognizing excellence exhibited by     
public school system employees providing
 services to students in                
pre-kindergarten through higher         
education4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,recognizing        
,achievement in ,classified ,school     
,employees ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,the    
,congress finds as follows3  7#a7 ,the  

term classified school employee refers  
to employees working in pre-kindergarten
 through higher education1 in the       
following nine job families3  7,a7      
,paraprofessionals4  7,b7 ,clerical     
services4  7,c7 ,custodial and          
maintenance services4  7,d7             
,transportation services4  7,e7 ,food   
services4  7,f7 ,skilled trades4  7,g7  
,health and student services4  7,h7     
,security services4  7,i7 ,technical    
services4  7#b7 ,classified school      
employees provide valuable service to   
public schools in the ,united ,states4  
7#c7 ,classified school employees       
provide essential services1 such as     
transportation1 facilities maintenance  
and operations1 food service1 safety1   
and health care4  7#d7 ,classified      
school employees play a vital role in   
providing for the welfare and safety of 
students4  7#e7 ,classified school      
employees strive for excellence in all  
areas of service to the education       
community4  7#f7 ,exemplary classified  

school employees should be recognized   
for their outstanding contributions to  
quality education in the ,united        
,states4  #c4 ,recognition program      
established  7a7 ,in general ,the       
,secretary of ,education shall establish
 and administer a national recognition  
program to be known as the ,national    
,classified ,school ,employees of the   
,year ,awards4 ,the purpose of the      
program shall be to recognize and       
promote the commitment and excellence   
exhibited by employees within certain   
occupational specialties in public      
schools who provide exemplary service to
 students in pre-kindergarten through   
higher education4  7b7 ,occupational    
specialties  7#a7 ,in general ,the      
occupational specialties referred to in 
subsection 7a7 are the following3  7,a7 
,paraprofessionals4  7,b7 ,clerical and 
administrative services4  7,c7          
,transportation services4  7,d7 ,food   
and nutrition services4  7,e7 ,custodial
 and maintenance services4  7,f7        

,security services4  7,g7 ,health and   
student services4  7,h7 ,technical      
services4  7,i7 ,skilled trades4  7#b7  
,number of awards ,prior to ,march #ca  
of each year 7beginning with the second 
calendar year that begins after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act71 the    
,secretary shall select an employee from
 each occupational specialty described  
in paragraph 7#a7 to receive an award   
under the recognition program4  7c7     
,selection process  7#a7 ,nomination    
process ,not later than ,november #a of 
each year 7beginning with the first     
calendar year that begins after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act71 the    
,secretary shall solicit nominations    
from each occupational specialty        
described in subsection 7b77#a7 from the
 chief ,state school officer of each    
,state4 ,the chief ,state school officer
 of each ,state shall consider          
nominations submitted by the following3 
7,a7 ,local educational agencies4  7,b7 
,school administrators4  7,c7           

,professional associations4  7,d7 ,labor
 unions4  7,e7 ,any other group         
determined appropriate by the           
,secretary4  7#b7 ,demonstration ,each  
nomination shall be submitted to the    
,secretary by a chief ,state school     
officer in such manner as the ,secretary
 may require and shall contain1 at a    
minimum1 demonstrations of excellence in
 the following areas3  7,a7 ,work       
performance4  7,b7 ,school and community
 involvement4  7,c7 ,leadership and     
commitment4  7,d7 ,local support4  7,e7 
,enhancement of classified school       
employees' image in the community and   
schools4  7,f7 ,any other area of       
superior performance1 such as health and
 safety promotion or efficient use of   
energy or other resources4  7#c7        
,selection ,the ,secretary shall develop
 uniform national guidelines for        
evaluating nominations submitted under  
paragraph 7#b7 in order to select the   
most deserving nominees based on the    
demonstrations made in the areas        

described in such paragraph4  7d7       
,definitions ,the terms used in this    
,act shall have the meaning given such  
terms in section #iaja of the           
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74