Legislative Archive: 110th Congress
Higher Education Opportunity Act
This legislation was passed and signed
by the President to reauthorize the the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA),
which was five years overdue. A major highlight of the legislation includes
the addition of a Deputy Assistant Secretary
for International and Foreign Language Education
in the Department of Education. For further details, please visit the
News page.
International Leadership Act of
2008
**Similar legislation was
inserted into the Higher Education Opportunity Act (the 2008 reauthorization
of the Higher Education Act). On July 31, 2008, Congress passed their Higher
Education Opportunity Act, which includes a Deputy Assistant Secretary for
International and Foreign Language Education. Please see
HEA
Reauthorization for more details.
Representative Rush Holt
introduced a new bill, H.R. 5179, the International Leadership Act of 2008,
which creates an Assistant Secretary and Office
for International and Foreign Language Education
within the Department of Education. We urge you to use
the following points in support of this legislation to write or call your
Representative urging that he/she co-sponsor H.R. 5179.
Talking Points
Sample Letter (Please remember to print on your letterhead!)
College Cost Reduction and Access
Act of 2007
The College Cost and
Reduction Act of 2007 was passed in both the House of Representatives and
the Senate. It was signed by President Bush on Thursday, September 27, 2007
and became Public Law No. 110-84. The purpose of this legislation is to
increase college financial aid and reduce loan costs in order to make
college more affordable. "The legislation will do more to help students and
families pay for college than any federal effort since the 1944 GI Bill and
comes at no new cost to U.S. taxpayers."
(http://edworkforce.house.gov/)
The legislation makes changes to the Pell Grant program and alters the
current Higher Education Act student loan program.
Of particular
interest to language professionals, this bill
would provide student loan forgiveness to borrowers who serve in areas of
national need as early childhood
educators, nurses, foreign language specialists, librarians, certain highly
qualified teachers, child welfare workers, speech language pathologists,
National Service participants, and public sector employees. It also would
establish a TEACH Grant program providing tuition assistance to
undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching a high-need
subject in a high-need school for four years.
The chairman of the
House Committee on Education and Labor, Rep. George Miller, offered the
following comments regarding the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of
2007:
"Today is a momentous day for students and families struggling to pay for college. This bill will help ensure that no qualified student is prevented from going to college because of the cost. With the College Cost Reduction and Access Act signed into law, millions of students will receive much needed help to pay for college. I am extremely proud that the Democratic Congress has provided the greatest investment to help students and parents pay for college since the GI bill and has delivered on our promise to make college more affordable and accessible for families. This legislation shows how the Congress and the President can work together to accomplish important things on behalf of American families."
To learn more about his law and to view the House enrollment ceremony video, please visit the Committee website.
America COMPETES
On August 9, 2007, the President signed into law the America Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education,
and Science Act. The purpose of this legislation
is to invest in the innovation and education to improve the competitiveness
of the U.S. in the global economy. The America "COMPETES" Act is an
updated version of last year’s National Competitiveness Investment Act
introduced by Senators Frist and Reid. This legislation
is a bipartisan response to the National Academies'
"Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report and the Council on
Competitiveness' "Innovate America" report. It would increase research
investment, strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics from elementary through graduate school,
and develop and innovation infrastructure. In addition to expanding AP and
IB programs and funding for math, science, engineering, and technology, the
America COMPETES act would develop and implement programs for bachelor's and
master's degrees in critical foreign languages with concurrent teaching
credentials.
It would expand critical foreign
language programs in elementary and secondary schools in order to
increase the number of students studying and becoming proficient in these
languages.
The legislation also proposes programs to develop and
train more teachers in these subject areas. This law is fairly broad in
scope and creates programs in a number of federal agencies.
Foreign Language Education
Partnership Program
To amend the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a partnership
program in foreign languages. The Secretary of Education would be given the
authority to make incentive payments to
eligible partnerships to "develop and maintain model programs that support
articulated language learning in kindergarten through grade 12".
The funds may be used for program design and teaching
strategies according to best practices and available research, curriculum
and materials development, national assessment development and enhancement,
teacher in-service and pre-service program development, and recruitment
incentives for new teachers and students. The
funds can also be used to provide opportunities for maximum language
exposure for students, dual-language immersion
programs, scholarships for study abroad opportunities, activities that
encourage whole-school and community involvement, effective and innovative
use of technology, and certification and alternative certification programs.
Further, a model program is exempt from receiving funding under this
program unless it contains a research and evaluation component that would
collect data regarding the effectiveness of each activity of the language
program and the effect of each activity on the language proficiency of the
students. This data would be analyzed and made public under standardization
guidelines determined by the Secretary.
A partnership that is awarded
incentive funding under this program for one fiscal year would have the
opportunity to continue funding for the three succeeding fiscal years if
proven effective. This requirement may be waived by the Secretary if the
program relates to critical languages or if the year is used primarily for
planning rather than program implementation.
Incentive payments for
this bill would be appropriated in the amount of $50,000,000 for fiscal year
2008.
This bill has been added into Title V of the discussion draft for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as Part B of the Foreign Language Assistance Program.
Associations
officially endorsing H.R. 2111
To add your association to this list,
please email Ashley Lenker.
Foreign Language Education Expansion Act
This legislation would provide teacher of foreign languages the same loan forgiveness opportunities as teachers of math and science. It would give teachers of foreign languages eligibility for loan forgiveness up to $17,500 if they teach in Title I elementary and secondary schools for five years. This bill addresses the teacher shortages in foreign languages and is designed to expand the number of teachers entering the field.
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act
On February 13, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
passed the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act and now must pass
the full Senate
This bill passed unanimously in the House of
Representatives on June 5, 2007.
This bill would establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation under the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. The act would require the Foundation to award grants to U.S. students and nongovernmental institutions that provide and promote study abroad opportunities in consortium with institutions of higher education. These grants would be awarded increasingly to students studying in nontraditional locations.
The legislation implements the recommendations from the Abraham Lincoln Commission's report Global Competence and National Needs: One Million Americans Studying Abroad.
Foreign Language Coordination Council
This bill was introduced in both the House and Senate early in the first session of the 110th Congress. If passed, it would establish a national foreign language strategy to be executed by a national council. The council would appoint a National Language Director and would consist of the Secretaries of Education, Defense, State, Homeland Security, Labor, and Commerce, among others. The council would be responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and implementing foreign language initiatives, including the National Security Language Initiative.