[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 176 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 176
To authorize assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to fund
educational development and exchange programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Ms. Lee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to fund
educational development and exchange programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Shirley A. Chisholm United States-
Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Caribbean.--The term ``Caribbean'' includes--
(A) the member countries of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM), but does not include any country having
observer status in CARICOM; and
(B) the member countries of the Association of
Caribbean States (ACS), but does not include any
country having observer status in the ACS.
(2) Secretary.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.
(3) Administrator.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development.
(4) United states cooperating agencies.--The term ``United
States cooperating agencies'' means any nongovernmental
organization having United States citizenship that is
designated by the Secretary to carry out the program authorized
under section 6.
(5) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' means
a school that serves students in any of the grades 9 through 12
or equivalent grades in a foreign education system as
determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary
of Education.
(6) Undergraduate.--The term ``undergraduate'' means a
college or university student working toward an associate-level
or bachelor's degree.
(7) Graduate.--The term ``graduate'' means a student
pursuing a degree beyond the bachelor's level.
(8) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
International Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and the Caribbean have enjoyed long-
standing friendly relations.
(2) As an important regional partner for trade and
democratic values, the Caribbean 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.
(4) According to a 2005 World Bank Report on the Caribbean,
unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, has severe
implications on poverty and income distributions, as well as
drug trafficking and addiction.
(5) The World Bank Report also concludes that better
synchronization is needed between current Caribbean curricula
and the skills needed in an evolving job market and economy.
(6) Many Caribbean leaders have linked the increase in
crime to a decrease in economic alternatives. Consequently,
United States and Caribbean leaders have highlighted the need
for increased educational opportunities for Caribbean students.
(7) By enhancing United States cultural and educational
exchange programs in the Caribbean, regional security is
improved by expanding human resources and providing
opportunities that promote economic growth.
(8) Many Caribbean leaders studied at the undergraduate or
graduate level in the United States before returning to their
respective countries to contribute towards 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 Caribbean countries through the Embassy
Public Affairs Sections with support from the Office of Public
Diplomacy in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
(11) In some Caribbean countries, the United States Agency
for International Development coordinates the Center of
Excellence for Teacher Training (CETT), a successful
Presidential initiative that emphasizes teacher training as a
key to the development of a competitive work force.
(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 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 universities.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to develop two comprehensive educational
initiatives targeted toward the Caribbean. The first will establish a
system for United States-Caribbean educational exchange programs, and
the second will develop a plan to enhance teacher training and
community involvement in early education in the region.
SEC. 5. AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION.
The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Public
Diplomacy, shall consult with the Administrator and the Secretary of
Education to ensure that--
(1) activities under this act are not duplicative of other
efforts in the Caribbean; and
(2) partner institutions in the Caribbean and United States
cooperating agencies are creditable.
SEC. 6. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM UNITED STATES-CARIBBEAN EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--To carry out the purpose of this section, the
Secretary of State, acting through the Under Secretary for Public
Diplomacy, is authorized to establish a Caribbean international
exchange visitor program, to be known as the ``Shirley Chisholm United
States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program'', under which--
(1) secondary students from the Caribbean would--
(A) attend a public equivalent school in the United
States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a
greater understanding of United States values and
culture; 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, graduate students, and scholars from the
Caribbean would--
(A) attend a private or public college or
university in the United States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a
greater understanding of United States values and
culture; and
(C) have the option to live with a United States
host family and experience life in a United States host
community.
(b) Percentage Requirement.--Not less than 75 percent of Program
participants may be from member countries of CARICOM.
(c) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall collaborate with Caribbean
counterparts to establish similar exchange opportunities for United
States secondary, undergraduate, graduate students, and scholars.
(d) Cooperation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall cooperate with United
States cooperating agencies to develop and implement the
Program.
(2) Eligibility for federal funding.--The cooperating
agencies shall be eligible for Federal funds and may request
assistance from other private donors to assist in the
implementation of the Program.
(3) Scholarships.--The cooperating agencies may offer, on a
merit and need-based basis, scholarships to eligible United
States and Caribbean participants.
SEC. 7. CARIBBEAN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
The Administrator, acting through the Assistant Administrator for
Latin America and the Caribbean, shall develop a comprehensive program
that extends and expands existing primary and secondary school
initiatives in the Caribbean to provide--
(1) teacher training methods; and
(2) increased community involvement in school activities.
SEC. 8. PUBLIC PRIVATE VENTURE.
Where possible for the purposes of implementing sections 6 and 7,
the Secretary, the Administrator, and cooperating agencies are
authorized to solicit funding from private sources.
SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Initial Report.--Not later than three months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report setting forth plans to
implement sections 6 and 7. The report shall include--
(1) an estimate of the number of participating students
from each country;
(2) an identification of United States cooperating
agencies; and
(3) a schedule for implementation of the Shirley Chisholm
United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program.
(b) Subsequent Reports.--The Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees regular reports upon the request
of such committees or their Members.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
President to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for each
of fiscal years from 2008 through 2018.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that not less
than $6,000,000 in additional funding above the amount that is
otherwise authorized to be appropriated for educational exchange
programs should be made available for each of fiscal years 2008 through
2018 to carry out this Act, as follows:
(1) $4,000,000 for the Shirley Chisholm United States-
Caribbean Educational Exchange Program administered by the
Department of State under section 6; and
(2) $2,000,000 for Caribbean educational development
programs administered by the United States Agency for
International Development under section 7.
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