109 HR 5408 IH: To urge the Government of the Republic of Armenia to U.S. House of Representatives 2006-05-17 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5408 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 17, 2006 Ms. McCollum of Minnesota (for herself and Mr. Oberstar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To urge the Government of the Republic of Armenia to resolve the murder case of Joshua Haglund, a United States citizen, in Yerevan, Armenia, and to fund scholarships at the University of Minnesota in the memory of Joshua Haglund for study abroad and diversity training.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Joshua Haglund Justice and Peace Act of 2006.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)On May 17, 2004, Joshua Haglund, a resident of Shoreview, Minnesota, was brutally murdered at the age of 33 in Yerevan, Armenia, where he was teaching English at the Valeri Brusov Yerevan State Linguistic University as part of the Department of State-sponsored English Language Fellows Program. (2)Joshua Haglund was a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and earned a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Toronto in Second Language Education. (3)Joshua Haglund dedicated his life to cross-cultural understanding, becoming an educator who invested his energy and commitment to students in the United States, Japan, India, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and Armenia. (4)The murder of Joshua Haglund in Yerevan, Armenia, remains unresolved after two years despite an ongoing criminal investigation by Armenian authorities, the support of the United States Embassy in Yerevan, and the tireless efforts of the Haglund family to pursue justice. (5)The United States Embassy in Armenia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to monitor the investigation into the murder of Joshua Haglund, and have encouraged Armenian authorities to identify, arrest, and convict the perpetrator of this heinous crime. (6)In honor of Joshua Haglund’s life and to continue his legacy of opportunity, hope, and friendship through global education and cross-cultural understanding, his family and friends have established the Joshua Haglund Memorial Peace Scholarship Fund at the University of Minnesota.

3.

Statements of Congress

Congress— (1)urges the Secretary of State to express the serious concern of Congress to the appropriate representatives of the Government of the Republic of Armenia for the lack of progress in achieving justice in the unresolved murder of Joshua Haglund; and (2)calls on the Government of the Republic of Armenia to continue pursuing the investigation into the death of Joshua Haglund, in cooperation with United States Government officials, and to use all appropriate means to achieve justice in the death of Joshua Haglund.

4.

Report to Congress

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on the status of the investigation into the death of Joshua Haglund.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Education $250,000 for fiscal year 2007 to fund the Joshua Haglund Memorial Peace Scholarship Fund at the University of Minnesota for the purpose of funding study abroad scholarships and diversity training to further encourage Joshua Haglund’s vision of compassion, peace, and community service.