[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3155 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3155

   To authorize the President to establish and maintain the Foreign 
                Language and Cultural Institute program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 13, 2002

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the President to establish and maintain the Foreign 
                Language and Cultural Institute program.

    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 ``Language Mastery Support Act of 
2002''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish a program of study and 
overseas training in critical foreign languages and cultures, including 
the establishment of a Foreign Language and Cultural Institute, in 
order to--
            (1) increase in Federal Government service the number of 
        persons possessing critical skills that are in short supply;
            (2) create a pool of prospective candidates for employment 
        in those agencies of the Federal Government that rely on 
        significant levels of overseas assignments;
            (3) provide monetary and employment incentives for 
        candidates to participate in the program;
            (4) facilitate the identification of potential Federal 
        Government employees with the pool of prospective candidates;
            (5) provide additional opportunities for candidate 
        development and evaluation;
            (6) substantially shorten the delay between identification 
        of a desirable candidate and entry upon service by the 
        candidate;
            (7) minimize the necessity for training during the initial 
        period of employment;
            (8) provide for ``cross-fertilization'' through the 
        incorporation of both private sector and Government instructors 
        in the faculty of the Institute;
            (9) reduce the underutilization of existing Government and 
        educational facilities; and
            (10) achieve these objectives for a minimal cost, that 
        would be partially offset by a reduction in the amount of 
        initial training provided by participating agencies for new 
        employees.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Approved facilities.--The term ``approved facilities'' 
        means--
                    (A) excess Government facilities, including former 
                military installations; and
                    (B) institutions of higher education that are 
                underutilized in the summer months.
            (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Interagency 
        Critical Foreign Languages and Cultures Board established by 
        section 4(c).
            (3) Critical foreign languages and cultures.--The term 
        ``critical foreign languages and cultures'' means foreign 
        languages and cultures--
                    (A) identified by the Board as necessary for the 
                effective implementation of United States national 
                security policy; and
                    (B) with respect to which there exists a shortage 
                of skilled personnel among the personnel of 
                participating agencies.
            (4) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the program 
        established under section 4(a).
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (6) Participant.--The term ``participant'' means a person 
        who is enrolled in the Institute.
            (7) Participating agency.--The term ``participating 
        agency'' means the Department of State, the Department of 
        Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense 
        Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the 
        Federal Bureau of Investigation.
            (8) Participation agreement.--The term ``participation 
        agreement'' means an agreement between the Institute and a 
        person otherwise eligible for enrollment in the Institute under 
        which--
                    (A) the person agrees--
                            (i) to respond to any offer of employment 
                        extended by a participating agency, not later 
                        than 30 days after the commencement of the 
                        participant's final academic year, by accepting 
                        or rejecting such employment; and
                            (ii) to serve in that agency for a period 
                        not less than the period specified in the 
                        agreement; and
                    (B) the Institute agrees to provide the allowances 
                established by the Board pursuant to section 4(g)(1).

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INSTITUTE.

    (a) In General.--To carry out the purpose of section 2, the 
President is authorized to establish and maintain a study and training 
program described in section 5 that shall be known as the ``Foreign 
Language and Cultural Institute''.
    (b) Implementation.--The President shall exercise the authority of 
subsection (a) through the Interagency Critical Foreign Languages and 
Cultures Board established in subsection (c).
    (c) Establishment of Interagency Board.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established an Interagency 
        Critical Foreign Languages and Cultures Board that shall 
        consist of seven members, as follows:
                    (A) One member appointed by the President from 
                among individuals in the private sector having 
                expertise in matters within the purpose of this Act, 
                who shall serve as Chairman of the Board.
                    (B) Six members, of whom one each shall be an 
                official of a participating agency, who shall be 
                designated by the head of the agency to serve on the 
                Board.
            (2) Duties of the board.--The Board shall, under the 
        supervision of the Chairman--
                    (A) develop the curriculum of the Institute;
                    (B) provide policy recommendations to the President 
                regarding the administration of the Institute;
                    (C) establish procedures for the operation of the 
                Institute; and
                    (D) provide oversight for the operation of the 
                Institute.
            (3) Terms.--The term of office for the Chairman and for 
        each other member of the Board shall be three years.
            (4) Compensation.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraphs (B) and (C), each member of the Board 
                shall serve without compensation.
                    (B) Compensation of the chairman.--The Chairman 
                shall be paid at the rate of basic pay for positions 
                classified at level III of the Executive Schedule under 
                section 5314 of title 5, United States Code.
                    (C) Travel expenses.--The members of the Board 
                shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in 
                lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees 
                of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 
                5, United States Code, while away from their homes or 
                regular places of business in the performance of 
                service for the Board.
            (5) Administrative support.--The Secretary of State shall 
        provide such staff personnel and other administrative services 
        as may be necessary to support the Board. Additional staff may 
        be provided by participating agencies.

SEC. 5. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.

    (a) Regular Program.--Each participant in the Institute shall 
undertake a program of study and training in critical foreign languages 
and cultures that shall primarily consist of courses of study or 
training taken at accredited institutions of higher learning during the 
normal academic year.
    (b) Supplemental Instruction.--
            (1) In general.--The program described in subsection (a) 
        shall be supplemented by instruction at Institute facilities 
        approved by the Board, at least one of which shall be located 
        in each major geographic region in the United States.
            (2) Program periods.--Such supplemental instruction shall 
        be given through the Institute during specified periods in each 
        of three consecutive years, as follows:
                    (A) For the first year of participation, courses of 
                study taken during the summer period between the 
                participant's sophomore and junior undergraduate years.
                    (B) For the second year of participation, courses 
                of study or training which may include training at 
                diplomatic missions or consular posts, taken during the 
                summer period between the participant's junior and 
                senior undergraduate years or at such times as the 
                Board may determine.
                    (C) For the third year of participation, courses of 
                study, or training which may include training at 
                diplomatic or consular posts, taken during the summer 
                period that follows award of a baccalaureate or 
                equivalent degree to the participant or at such times 
                as the Board may determine.
            (3) Additional activities.--Supplemental instruction under 
        this subsection may include such other activities as the Board 
        may determine. The Board may modify the instruction provided 
        for under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (2).
    (c) Eligibility.--To be enrolled as a participant in the Institute 
a person shall--
            (1) be a citizen of the United States;
            (2) be enrolled as a sophomore, junior, or senior in an 
        institution of higher education or graduate of such an 
        institution during the preceding year;
            (3) be selected for participation in the Institute under 
        procedures prescribed by the Board; and
            (4) have entered into a participation agreement pursuant to 
        procedures established by the Board.
    (d) Conditional Offer of Employment.--
            (1) In general.--If a participating agency elects to employ 
        a participant, the agency shall extend to the participant, not 
        later than the commencement of the final academic year of the 
        participant, an offer of employment in the agency conditioned 
        upon satisfactory completion of the Institute program by the 
participant as specified in the participation agreement.
            (2) Statutory construction.--Nothing in this Act is 
        intended to alter or restrict any qualifications for employment 
        established by any of the participating agencies.
    (e) Successful Completion.--The Board shall establish criteria to 
be met by participants the satisfaction of which shall entitle 
participants to a certificate acknowledging their satisfactory 
completion of the Institute program.
    (f) Curriculum.--
            (1) In general.--The Board shall develop the Institute 
        curriculum and shall assign such personnel provided under 
        section 4(c)(4) as may be necessary for instruction under the 
        curriculum and for adequate administrative support. In 
        addition, the Board is authorized under section 3109(b) of 
        title 5, United States Code, to enter into contracts with 
        instructors employed at institutions of higher education or 
        equivalent institutions and for other services necessary to 
        provide for the establishment and operation of the Institute.
            (2) Supplemental instruction.--With the prior approval of 
        the Board, a participant may enroll in courses of study at 
        institutions of higher education with advanced syllabi in 
        foreign affairs, languages, economics, religion, art, and 
        history in lieu of one of the periods of instruction provided 
        for under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (b).
    (g) Financial Assistance.--
            (1) Stipend.--The Board shall establish a schedule of 
        stipends to be provided to program participants to offset the 
        costs of tuition, fees, and books, not to exceed the comparable 
        allowances established for the Reserve Officer Training Corps 
        pursuant to section 209 of title 37, United States Code.
            (2) Debt relief.--
                    (A) In general.--The head of a participating agency 
                that employs an individual who has satisfactorily 
                completed the Institute program is authorized to 
                provide for the repayment of student loans made to the 
                participant for expenses incurred while the participant 
                was enrolled in the Institute.
                    (B) Factors for exercise of discretion.--In 
                determining whether, or to what extent, to provide loan 
                repayment under subparagraph (A), the head of the 
                participating agency shall consider the individual's 
                length of Government service, acceptance of hardship 
                postings, possession of critical foreign languages and 
                cultural skills, and proficiency in critical foreign 
                languages.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.

    Not later than December 1 of each year, the Chairman of the Board 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on International Relations of the House of 
Representatives a report that--
            (1) summarizes the activities of the Institute over the 
        previous academic year ending on September 30;
            (2) describes the programs planned for the current and 
        succeeding two academic years; and
            (3) provides statistical data on--
                    (A) the number of applicants for participation in 
                the Institute;
                    (B) the number of participants enrolled in the 
                Institute;
                    (C) the number of participants who have 
                successfully completed the Institute program;
                    (D) the number of employment offers extended to 
                participants from participating agencies;
                    (E) the number of employment offers accepted by 
                participants;
                    (F) the costs associated with the operations of the 
                Institute, together with an itemization of the costs 
                associated with the operations of the Board; and
                    (G) any other information that the Chairman of the 
                Board determines to be useful for evaluating the 
                operations of the Institute.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
President $7,500,000 for the fiscal year 2003 to carry out this Act.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.
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