[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2458 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2458

   To enhance United States public diplomacy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2002

Mrs. Hutchison introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To enhance United States public diplomacy, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF INITIATIVES FOR PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM 
              COUNTRIES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Surveys indicate that, in countries of predominantly 
        Muslim population, opinions of the United States and American 
        foreign policy among the general public and select audiences 
        are significantly distorted by highly negative and hostile 
        beliefs and images and that many of these beliefs and images 
        are the result of misinformation and propaganda by individuals 
        and organizations hostile to the United States.
            (2) These negative opinions and images are highly 
        prejudicial to the interests of the United States and to its 
        foreign policy.
            (3) As part of a broad and long-term effort to enhance a 
        positive image of the United States in the Muslim world, a key 
        element should be the establishment of programs to promote a 
        greater familiarity with American society and values among the 
        general public and select audiences in countries of 
        predominantly Muslim population.
    (b) Establishment of Initiatives.--The Secretary of State shall 
establish the following programs with countries with predominantly 
Muslim populations as part of the educational and cultural exchange 
programs of the Department of State:
            (1) Journalism program.--A program for foreign journalists 
        and postsecondary students of journalism which, in cooperation 
        with private sector sponsors to include universities, shall 
        sponsor workshops and professional training in techniques, 
        standards, and practices in the field of journalism to assist 
        the participants to achieve the highest standards of 
        professionalism.
            (2) Libraries.--The Secretary of State shall develop and 
        implement a demonstration program to assist foreign governments 
        to establish or upgrade their public library systems to improve 
        literacy, support public education, and provide youth 
        recreation centers. The program shall provide training in the 
        library sciences, including exchange opportunities for 
        postsecondary study in the United States. The purpose of the 
        program shall be to advance American values and society, 
        particularly the importance of freedom and democracy.
            (3) English language teaching.--The Secretary shall 
        establish a program to provide grants to United States citizens 
        to work in middle and secondary schools as English language 
        teaching assistants for not less than an academic year. If 
        feasible, the host government or local educational agency shall 
        share the salary costs of the assistants.
            (4) Sister city partnerships.--The Secretary shall expand 
        and enhance sister-city partnerships between United States and 
        foreign municipalities in an effort to increase global 
        cooperation at the community level. Such partnerships shall 
        encourage economic development, municipal cooperation, health 
        care initiatives, youth and educational programs, disability 
        advocacy, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian assistance.
            (5) Youth ambassadors.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        program for visits by middle and secondary school students to 
        the United States during school holidays in their home country 
        for periods not to exceed 4 weeks. Participating students shall 
        reflect the economic and geographic diversity of their 
        countries. Activities shall include cultural and educational 
        activities designed to familiarize participating students with 
        American society and values. To the extent practicable, such 
        visits shall be coordinated with middle and secondary schools 
        in the United States to provide for school-based activities and 
        interactions. The Secretary shall encourage the establishment 
        of direct school-to-school linkages under the program.
            (6) Fulbright exchange program.--The Secretary shall seek 
        to substantially increase the number of awards under the J. 
        William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program to graduate 
        students, scholars, professionals, teachers, and administrators 
        from the United States who are applying for such awards to 
        study, teach, conduct research, or pursue scholarship in 
        predominantly Muslim countries. Part of such increase shall 
        include awards for scholars and teachers who plan to teach 
        subjects relating to American studies.
            (7) Hubert h. humphrey fellowships.--The Secretary shall 
        seek to substantially increase the number of Hubert H. Humphrey 
        Fellowships awarded to candidates from predominantly Muslim 
        countries.
    (c) General Provision.--Programs established under this section 
shall be carried out under the provisions of the United States 
Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and the Mutual 
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961.

SEC. 2. DATABASE OF ALUMNI OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN PARTICIPANTS IN 
              EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

    The Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other agencies 
that conduct international exchange and training programs, shall 
establish and maintain a database listing all American and foreign 
alumni of such programs in order to encourage networking, interaction, 
and communication with alumni.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON INCLUSION OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES IN 
              EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to the Congress a report concerning 
the implementation of section 102 of the Human Rights, Refugee, and 
Other Foreign Relations Provisions Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 2452 note). 
The report shall include information concerning the number of grants to 
conduct exchange programs to countries described in such section that 
have been submitted for competitive bidding, what measures have been 
taken to ensure that willingness to include supporters of freedom and 
democracy in such programs is given appropriate weight in the selection 
of grantees, and an evaluation of whether United States exchange 
programs in the countries described in such section are fully open to 
supporters of freedom and democracy, and, if not, what obstacles remain 
and what measures are being taken to implement such policy.

SEC. 4. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed to authorize the issuance of 
any visa to, or the admission to the United States of, any alien who is 
inadmissible to the United States.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department of State 
$35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to carry out 
this Act.

SEC. 6. SECRETARY DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.
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