[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 176 Engrossed in House (EH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 176
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize the establishment of educational exchange and development
programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
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 2007''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Findings and statement of purpose.
Sec. 4. Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational
Exchange Program.
Sec. 5. Program to provide educational development assistance for
CARICOM countries.
Sec. 6. Administrative provisions.
Sec. 7. Reporting requirements.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(3) CARICOM country.--The term ``CARICOM country''--
(A) means a member country of the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM); but
(B) does not include--
(i) a country having observer status in
CARICOM; or
(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.
(4) Secretary.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.
(5) United states cooperating agency.--The term ``United
States cooperating agency'' means--
(A) an accredited institution of higher education,
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 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (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)));
(B) a higher education association;
(C) a nongovernmental organization incorporated in
the United States; or
(D) a consortium consisting of two or more such
institutions, associations, or nongovernmental
organizations.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and CARICOM countries have enjoyed
long-standing friendly relations.
(2) As an important regional partner for trade and
democratic values, the Caribbean region constitutes a ``Third
Border'' of the United States.
(3) The decrease in tourism revenue in the aftermath of the
tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, had an adverse
affect on the Caribbean region.
(4) According to a 2005 World Bank Report on the Caribbean
region, high rates of unemployment, particularly youth
unemployment, have had severe implications on poverty and
income distributions, as well as drug trafficking and
addiction.
(5) The 2005 World Bank Report also concludes that better
synchronization is needed between curricula in CARICOM
countries and the skills needed in evolving national and
regional job markets and economies.
(6) Caribbean leaders have highlighted the need for
increased educational opportunities for Caribbean students in
fields that will contribute to and support an increasingly
competitive regional economy.
(7) Enhancing United States cultural and educational
exchange programs in CARICOM countries will expand human
resources, provide opportunities that promote economic growth,
and improve regional security.
(8) Many Caribbean leaders studied at the undergraduate or
graduate level in the United States before returning to their
respective countries to contribute toward the strengthening of
democracy, the economy, or the provision of social services.
(9) From 2003 through 2005, 217 Caribbean leaders
participated in exchange programs with the United States that
focused on good governance, combating drug trafficking, anti-
corruption, and other regional issues of concern.
(10) The Department of State currently administers public
outreach programs that include cultural, academic, and citizen-
exchange initiatives in CARICOM countries through the public
affairs sections at United States embassies with support from
the Office of Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of Western
Hemisphere Affairs.
(11) The Caribbean Center for Excellence in Teacher
Training (C-CETT), a Presidential Initiative funded by the
United States Agency for International Development and
implemented by the University of the West Indies, works to
improve the quality of reading instruction by training
classroom and student teachers in seven countries of the
English-speaking Caribbean. Belize, Jamaica, Grenada, St.
Lucia, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and
Tobago have participated in the C-CETT as a means to reducing
illiteracy in the most disadvantaged urban and remote rural
areas.
(12) In Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and
Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and
Trinidad and Tobago, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs of the Department of State sponsors educational
advisors to promote study in the United States.
(13) In the 2004-2005 academic year, approximately 14,000
Caribbean students were enrolled in United States colleges and
universities.
(14) Shirley Anita Chisholm, who served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives from 1968 to 1983, had
family roots in the Caribbean nation of Barbados, was a staunch
advocate for educational opportunity and access, and increased
support for historically Black colleges and universities and
other minority-serving institutions in the United States.
(b) Statement of Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to
establish--
(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 of this Act to assist in
educating promising students and scholars from CARICOM
countries who will invest the knowledge and experiences they
gain in the United States back into the community of CARICOM
countries; and
(2) a program to provide educational development assistance
for CARICOM countries pursuant to section 5 of this Act.
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--
(1) secondary school students from CARICOM countries will--
(A) attend a public or private secondary school in
the United States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a
greater understanding of the values and culture of the
United States; and
(C) have the option to live with a United States
host family and experience life in a United States host
community; and
(2) undergraduate students, graduate students, post-
graduate students, and scholars from CARICOM countries will--
(A) attend a public or private college or
university, including a community college, in the
United States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a
greater understanding of the values and culture of the
United States; and
(C) have the option to live with a United States
host family and experience life in a United States host
community or live in an on-campus housing environment.
(b) Elements of Program.--The program authorized under subsection
(a) shall meet the following requirements:
(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 under the program 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 40 percent of
scholarships offered under the program should be based on
financial need.
(2) The program will seek to achieve gender equality in
granting scholarships under the program.
(3) The program will limit participation to--
(A) two years of study for secondary school
students;
(B) four years of study for undergraduate students;
(C) 30 months of study for graduate students; and
(D) one year of study for post-graduate students
and scholars.
(4) 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--
(A) agree to return to live in a CARICOM country
and maintain residence in such country, within 6 months
of completion of academic studies; or
(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.
(5) The Secretary of State shall have the discretion to
waive, shorten the duration, or otherwise alter the
requirements of paragraph (5) in limited circumstances of
hardship, humanitarian needs, for specific educational
purposes, or in furtherance of the national interests of the
United States.
(c) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies.--The Secretary
shall consult with United States cooperating agencies in developing the
program authorized under subsection (a) and shall make grants to United
States cooperating agencies in carrying out the program authorized
under subsection (a).
(d) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and
implement a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness
and efficiency of the program authorized under subsection (a).
In carrying out the system, the Secretary shall 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.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall review on a regular basis--
(A) financial information relating to the program;
(B) budget plans for the program;
(C) adjustments to plans established for the
program;
(D) graduation rates of participants in the
program;
(E) the percentage of participants who are students
described in subsection (a)(1) who pursue higher
education;
(F) the percentage of participants who return to
their home country or another CARICOM country;
(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; and
(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).
(e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Secretary should seek to work with CARICOM countries to establish an
educational exchange program under which--
(1) secondary school students from the United States will
attend a public or private equivalent school in CARICOM
countries; and
(2) undergraduate students, graduate students, post-
graduate students, and scholars from the United States will
attend a public or private college or university in CARICOM
countries.
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.
(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.
(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--
(1) teacher-training methods and training in subject area
studies;
(2) classroom and school management;
(3) development and modernization of curriculum and
instructional materials;
(4) increased community involvement in school activities;
and
(5) local, regional, and national government policy
planning on the elements described in paragraphs (1) through
(4).
(d) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies.--The Secretary
shall consult with the Secretary of Education and United States
cooperating agencies in developing the program authorized under
subsection (a) and shall make grants to United States cooperating
agencies in carrying out the program authorized under subsection (a).
(e) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program.--The Secretary shall
establish and implement a system to monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness and efficiency of the program authorized under subsection
(a).
(f) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Secretary should seek to work with CARICOM countries to establish an
educational development program under which education in the CARICOM
countries is improved and access to quality education for children in
CARICOM countries is increased.
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 of this Act 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.
(b) Avoidance of Duplication.--The Secretary and the Administrator
shall consult with the Secretary of Education to ensure that--
(1) activities under the programs authorized under sections
4 and 5 of this Act are not duplicative of other United States
educational programs for CARICOM countries; and
(2) United States cooperating agencies and partner
institutions in CARICOM countries are accredited by national or
regional accrediting bodies.
(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 of this Act in
order to fulfill the requirements for student data reporting under the
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 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 of this Act.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall include--
(1) with respect to implementation of the program
authorized under section 4--
(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;
(B) a timeline for selecting United States
cooperating agencies that will assist in implementing
the program;
(C) a financial plan that--
(i) identifies budget plans for each
educational level under the program; and
(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; and
(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; and
(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.
(c) Updates of Report.--
(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 of this Act.
(2) Matters to be included.--Such updates shall include the
following:
(A) Information on United States cooperating
agencies that are selected to assist in implementing
the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5 of this
Act.
(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.
(C) A description of efforts made by the Secretary
of State, acting through the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, to
implement the program authorized under section 5.
(D) A description of the programs established in
each CARICOM country receiving assistance under the
program authorized under section 5 that provides 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.
(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.
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 2008 through
2012. Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under this section are in addition to amounts otherwise
available for such purposes.
Passed the House of Representatives July 31, 2007.
Attest:
Clerk.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 176
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize the establishment of educational exchange and development
programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).