text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``State Temporary Economic Priority 
  (STEP) Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
  
      It is the purpose of this Act to authorize a State to transfer or 
  consolidate funds made available to such State under certain 
  transportation, education, and job training programs after the United 
  States experiences economic growth at an annual rate of less than 1 
  percent for 2 calendar quarters.
  
  SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER OR CONSOLIDATE CERTAIN FUNDS.
  
      (a) Authority Available.--
              (1) In general.--A State may transfer or consolidate funds 
          under subsections (b), (c), and (d) beginning with the calendar 
          quarter after the United States experiences economic growth at 
          an annual rate of less than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters 
          and continuing until 18 months after the United States 
          experiences economic growth at an annual rate of 1 percent or 
          more for 2 calendar quarters.
              (2) Treatment of transferred or consolidated funds.--Funds 
          transferred or consolidated under subsections (b), (c), or (d) 
          shall be used in accordance with the statutory and regulatory 
          requirements applicable to the program to which the funds are 
          transferred or consolidated.
      (b) Transportation Funds.--
              (1) In general.--In applying subsection (a), a State may 
          transfer, in such amounts as the State determines appropriate, 
          any funds apportioned and allocated to such State from amounts 
          made available from the Highway Trust Fund (26 U.S.C. 9503 et 
          seq.), other than the Mass Transit Account, to any of the 
          apportionments and allocations for the following programs 
          authorized by title 23, United States Code:
                      (A) The interstate maintenance program under 
                  section 119.
                      (B) The National Highway System under section 
                  103(b).
                      (C) The surface transportation program under 
                  section 133.
                      (D) The highway bridge replacement and 
                  rehabilitation program under section 144.
              (2) Exempt transportation funds.--The funds made available 
          for the highway safety improvement programs authorized by 
          section 148 and chapter 4 of title 23, United States Code, 
          shall not be subject to transfer or consolidation under 
          subsection (a).
      (c) Federal Education Funds.--In applying subsection (a), a State 
  may, in such amounts as the State determines appropriate from any funds 
  made available to such State under any formula grant programs carried 
  out under any of the following provisions of the Elementary and 
  Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), transfer or 
  consolidate such funds between and among such programs:
              (1) Part A of title I (Improving Basic Programs Operated by 
          Local Educational Agencies).
              (2) Subpart 1 of part B of title I (Reading First).
              (3) Subpart 3 of part B of title I (William F. Goodling 
          Even Start Family Literacy Programs).
              (4) Subpart 4 of part B of title I (Improving Literacy 
          Through School Libraries).
              (5) Part C of title I (Education of Migratory Children).
              (6) Part D of title I (Prevention and Intervention Programs 
          for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-
          Risk).
              (7) Part F of title I (Comprehensive School Reform).
              (8) Part H of title I (School Dropout Prevention).
              (9) Subpart 1 of part A of title II (Teacher and Principal 
          Training and Recruiting Fund (Grants to States)).
              (10) Part B of title II (Mathematics and Science 
          Partnerships).
              (11) Part D of title II (Enhancing Education Through 
          Technology).
              (12) Part A of title III (English Language Acquisition, 
          Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement).
              (13) Part A of title IV (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 
          Communities).
              (14) Part B of title IV (21st Century Community Learning 
          Centers).
              (15) Subpart 2 of part A of title V (Innovative Programs 
          (State Programs)).
              (16) Subpart 1 of part A of title VI (Improving Academic 
          Achievement (Accountability)).
      (d) Job Training Funds.--In applying subsection (a), a State may, 
  in such amounts as the State determines appropriate from any funds made 
  available to such State under the following job training programs, 
  transfer or consolidate such funds between and among such programs:
              (1) Any formula grant program carried out under the 
          Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.).
              (2) Any funds made available to the State under part II of 
          subchapter B of chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 
          (19 U.S.C. 2295 et seq.).
      (e) Definitions.--In this Act--
              (1) the phrase ``economic growth at an annual rate of less 
          than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters'' means, that for 2 
          consecutive calendar quarters, real gross domestic product, as 
          announced by Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of 
          Commerce, has experienced--
                      (A) an annual rate of decrease for such quarters;
                      (B) no change in the annual rate for such quarters; 
                  or
                      (C) an increase at an annual rate of less than 1 
                  percent for such quarters; and
              (2) the phrase ``economic growth at an annual rate of 1 
          percent or more for 2 calendar quarters'' means an increase in 
          real gross domestic product at an annual rate of 1 percent or 
          more for 2 consecutive calendar quarters, as announced by the 
          Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce for 
          such quarters.
target: State Temporary Economic Priority (STEP) Act - Authorizes states to transfer or consolidate funds made available to them under certain federal transportation, education, and job training programs: (1) beginning with the calendar quarter after the United States experiences economic growth at an annual rate of less than 1% for two consecutive calendar quarters; and (2) continuing until 18 months after it experiences economic growth at an annual rate of 1% or more for two consecutive calendar quarters.
feat_title: To authorize a State to transfer or consolidate funds made available to such State under certain transportation, education, and job training programs after the United States experiences economic growth at an annual rate of less than 1 percent for 2 calendar quarters.