[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5784 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5784

   To authorize assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to fund 
             educational development and exchange programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2006

  Ms. Lee (for herself, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Rangel, Mr. 
 Payne, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Towns, 
 Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Owens, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Hastings of 
Florida, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Berman, 
Mr. Engel, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Crowley, Ms. Linda 
T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mrs. Napolitano, 
   Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Stark, Mr. 
   McGovern, and Mr. Hoyer) introduced the following bill; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 2006''.

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;
                    (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 2007 through 2017.
    (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 2007 through 
2017 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.
                                 <all>