HR 416 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the establishment of educational exchange and development programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

January 9, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. BORDALLO, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, and Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign AffairsCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the establishment of educational exchange and development programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 2. Definitions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 3. Statement of purpose.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 4. Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 5. Program to provide educational development assistance for CARICOM countries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 6. Administrative provisions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 7. Reporting requirements.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ADMINISTRATOR- Except as otherwise provided, the term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES- The term ‘appropriate congressional committees’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) CARICOM COUNTRY- The term ‘CARICOM country’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) means a member country of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); butCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) does not include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) a country having observer status in CARICOM; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) a country the government of which the Secretary of State has determined, for purposes of section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as continued in effect pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act), section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, or any other provision of law, is a government that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) SECRETARY- Except as otherwise provided, the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) UNITED STATES COOPERATING AGENCY- The term ‘United States cooperating agency’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), including, to the maximum extent practicable, an historically Black college or university that is a part B institution (as such term is defined in section 322(2) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1061(2))) or an Hispanic-serving institution (as such term is defined in section 502(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(5)));CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) a higher education association;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) a nongovernmental organization incorporated in the United States; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) a consortium consisting of two or more such institutions, associations, or nongovernmental organizations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

The purpose of this Act is to establish--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) an educational exchange program between the United States and CARICOM countries, to be known as the ‘Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program’, pursuant to section 4 to assist in educating promising students and scholars from communities demonstrating the greatest need within CARICOM countries who will invest the knowledge and experiences they gain in the United States back into the community of CARICOM countries; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) a program to provide educational development assistance for communities demonstrating the greatest need within CARICOM countries pursuant to section 5.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. SHIRLEY A. CHISHOLM UNITED STATES-CARIBBEAN EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.

(a) Program Authorized- The Secretary of State is authorized to establish an educational exchange program between the United States and CARICOM countries, to be known as the ‘Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program,’ under which--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) secondary school students from CARICOM countries will--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) attend a public or private secondary school in the United States; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) participate in activities designed to promote a greater understanding of the values and culture of the United States; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) undergraduate students, graduate students, post-graduate students, and scholars from CARICOM countries will--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) attend a public or private college or university, including a community college, in the United States; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) participate in activities designed to promote a greater understanding of the values and culture of the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Elements of Program- The program authorized under subsection (a) shall meet the following requirements:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The program will offer scholarships to students and scholars based on merit and need. It is the sense of Congress that scholarships should be offered to students and scholars who evidence merit, achievement, and strong potential for the studies such students and scholars wish to undertake under the program and 60 percent of scholarships offered under the program should be based on financial need.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The program will seek to achieve gender equality in granting scholarships under the program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Fields of study under the program will support the labor market and development needs of CARICOM countries, assuring a pool of technical experts to address such needs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The program will limit participation to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) one year of study for secondary school students;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) two years of study for undergraduate students; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) 12 months of study for graduate students, post-graduate students, and scholars.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) For a period of time equal to the period of time of participation in the program, but not to exceed 2 years, the program will require participants who are students and scholars described in subsection (a)(2) to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) agree to return to live in a CARICOM country and maintain residence in such country, within 6 months of completion of academic studies; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) agree to obtain employment that directly benefits the growth, progress, and development of one or more CARICOM countries and the people of such countries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) The Secretary may waive, shorten the duration, or otherwise alter the requirements of paragraph (4) in limited circumstances of hardship, humanitarian needs, for specific educational purposes, or in furtherance of the national interests of the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies- The Secretary shall consult with United States cooperating agencies in developing the program authorized under subsection (a). The Secretary is authorized to provide grants to United States cooperating agencies in carrying out the program authorized under subsection (a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the program authorized under subsection (a). In so doing, the Secretary shall, among other things, evaluate the program’s positive or negative effects on brain drain from the participating CARICOM countries and suggest ways in which the program may be improved to promote the basic goal of alleviating brain drain from the participating CARICOM countries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) REQUIREMENTS- In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall review on a regular basis--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) financial information relating to the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) budget plans for the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) adjustments to plans established for the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) graduation rates of participants in the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) the percentage of participants who are students described in subsection (a)(1) who pursue higher education;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) the percentage of participants who return to their home country or another CARICOM country;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) the types of careers pursued by participants in the program and the extent to which such careers are linked to the political, economic, and social development needs of CARICOM countries; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) the impact of gender, country of origin, financial need of students, and other relevant factors on the data collected under subparagraphs (D) through (G).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CARICOM COUNTRIES.

(a) Program Authorized- The Secretary of State, acting through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is authorized to establish a program to provide educational development assistance for CARICOM countries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Purpose of Program- The purpose of the program authorized under subsection (a) is to improve primary and secondary education in CARICOM countries by enhancing teacher training, strengthening curriculum and instructional materials, and assisting improvements in school management and public administration of education.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Elements of Program- The program authorized under subsection (a) shall extend and expand upon existing primary and secondary school programs in CARICOM countries to provide--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) teacher-training methods and training in subject area studies;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) classroom and school management;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) development and modernization of curriculum and instructional materials;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) increased community involvement in school activities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) local, regional, and national government policy planning on the elements described in paragraphs (1) through (4).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies- The Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Education, officials of United States cooperating agencies, and officials of CARICOM countries in developing the program authorized under subsection (a). The Secretary is authorized to make grants to United States cooperating agencies in carrying out the program authorized under subsection (a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program- The Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the program authorized under subsection (a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

(a) Funding From Private Sources and Partnerships With Other Appropriate Entities- To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development should implement the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5 through utilization of funding from private sources to maximize the impact of United States funds under this Act, and through partnerships with appropriate United States organizations, institutions, and corporations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Avoidance of Duplication- The Secretary and the Administrator shall consult with the Secretary of Education to ensure that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) activities under the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5 are not duplicative of other United States educational programs for CARICOM countries; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) United States cooperating agencies and partner institutions in CARICOM countries are accredited by national or regional accrediting bodies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Reporting Under SEVIS- To the extent necessary, the Secretary shall provide support to United States cooperating agencies that are participating in the program authorized under section 4 in order to fulfill the requirements for student data reporting under the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Report Required- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on plans to implement the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Matters To Be Included- The report required by subsection (a) shall include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) with respect to implementation of the program authorized under section 4--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) a plan for selecting participants in the program, including an estimate of the number of secondary school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, post-graduate students, and scholars from each country, by educational level, who will be selected as participants in the program for each fiscal year;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) a timeline for selecting United States cooperating agencies that will assist in implementing the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) a financial plan that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) identifies budget plans for each educational level under the program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) identifies plans or systems to ensure that the costs to public school, college, and university education under the program and the costs to private school, college, and university education under the program are reasonably allocated; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) a plan to provide outreach to and linkages with schools, colleges and universities, and nongovernmental organizations in both the United States and CARICOM countries for implementation of the program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) a plan outlining implementation of the program authorized under section 5, identifying the initial countries in which the program will be implemented and a timeline for implementation.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Updates of Report-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees updates of the report required by subsection (a) for each fiscal year for which amounts are appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under section 8.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED- Such updates shall include the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Information on United States cooperating agencies that are selected to assist in implementing the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) An analysis of the positive and negative impacts the program authorized under section 4 will have or is having on brain drain from the participating CARICOM countries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) A description of efforts made by the Secretary and the Administrator to implement the program authorized under section 5.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) A description of the programs established in each CARICOM country receiving assistance under the program authorized under section 5. Such description shall include a detailed explanation of the extent to which the program and the assistance provided are contributing to the purpose of the program described in section 5(b) in the CARICOM country.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) An evaluation of additional educational development goals in CARICOM countries, identifying those goals that could be maximized or achieved with United States assistance through the program authorized under section 5. In addition to standard or necessary areas of education review, the evaluation should give attention to factors affecting academic achievement, attrition, and graduation rates in CARICOM countries. The evaluation should suggest ways in which United States assistance can maximize success factors and address factors contributing to poor achievement.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

To carry out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2012. Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under this section are in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink