[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1089 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1089

  To establish the National Foreign Language Coordination Council to 
   develop and implement a foreign language strategy, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 19, 2005

   Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Dodd) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the National Foreign Language Coordination Council to 
   develop and implement a foreign language strategy, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Foreign Language 
Coordination Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) there is a severe shortage of qualified language 
        professionals, including teachers, translators, and 
        interpreters, especially in less commonly taught languages, 
        across the United States;
            (2) Federal, State, and local governments need individuals 
        with bilingual and bicultural capabilities, including--
                    (A) diplomats;
                    (B) defense and intelligence analysts;
                    (C) military personnel;
                    (D) foreign language instructors;
                    (E) health professionals;
                    (F) medical and social services providers;
                    (G) court interpreters;
                    (H) translators; and
                    (I) law enforcement officers;
            (3) deficiencies in the national language capabilities 
        have--
                    (A) undermined cross-cultural communication and 
                understanding at home and abroad;
                    (B) restrained social mobility;
                    (C) lessened national commercial competitiveness;
                    (D) limited the effectiveness of public diplomacy;
                    (E) restricted justice and government services to 
                sectors of society; and
                    (F) threatened national security;
            (4) ample resources are not available to develop language 
        and cultural capabilities in all of the world's languages, 
        requiring prioritization of such resources; and
            (5) a National Foreign Language Coordination Council and a 
        National Language Director can help to raise public awareness 
        and provide top-down coordination and direction.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COORDINATION 
              COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the National Foreign 
Language Coordination Council (referred to as the ``Council'' in this 
Act), which shall be an independent establishment as defined under 
section 104 of title 5, United States Code.
    (b) Membership.--The Council shall consist of the following members 
or their designees:
            (1) The National Language Director, who shall serve as the 
        chairperson of the Council.
            (2) The Secretary of Education.
            (3) The Secretary of Defense.
            (4) The Secretary of State.
            (5) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
            (6) The Attorney General.
            (7) The Director of National Intelligence.
            (8) The Secretary of Labor.
            (9) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
            (10) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
            (11) The Secretary of Commerce.
            (12) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (13) The Secretary of the Treasury.
            (14) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
            (15) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (16) The heads of such other Federal agencies as the 
        Council considers appropriate.
    (c) Responsibilities.--
            (1) In general.--The Council shall be charged with--
                    (A) developing a national foreign language strategy 
                within 18 months of the date of enactment of this Act; 
                and
                    (B) overseeing the implementation of such strategy.
            (2) Strategy content.--The strategy developed under 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) identification of crucial priorities across all 
                sectors;
                    (B) identification and evaluation of Federal 
                foreign language programs and activities, including--
                            (i) recommendations on coordination;
                            (ii) program enhancements; and
                            (iii) allocation of resources so as to 
                        maximize use of resources;
                    (C) needed national policies and corresponding 
                legislative and regulatory actions in support of, and 
                allocation of designated resources to, promising 
                programs and initiatives at all levels (Federal, State, 
                and local), especially in the less commonly taught 
                languages that are seen as critical for national 
                security and global competitiveness in the next 20 to 
                50 years;
                    (D) effective ways to increase public awareness of 
                the need for foreign language skills and career paths 
                in all sectors that can employ those skills, with the 
                objective of increasing support for foreign language 
                study among--
                            (i) Federal, State, and local leaders;
                            (ii) students;
                            (iii) parents;
                            (iv) elementary, secondary, and 
                        postsecondary educational institutions; and
                            (v) potential employers;
                    (E) incentives for related educational programs, 
                including foreign language teacher training;
                    (F) coordination of cross-sector efforts, including 
                public-private partnerships;
                    (G) coordination initiatives to develop a strategic 
                posture for language research and recommendations for 
                funding for applied foreign language research into 
                issues of national concern;
                    (H) assistance for--
                            (i) the development of foreign language 
                        achievement standards; and
                            (ii) corresponding assessments for the 
                        elementary, secondary, and postsecondary 
                        education levels, including the National 
                        Assessment of Educational Progress in foreign 
                        languages;
                    (I) development of--
                            (i) language skill-level certification 
                        standards;
                            (ii) an ideal course of pre-service and 
                        professional development study for those who 
                        teach foreign language;
                            (iii) suggested graduation criteria for 
                        foreign language studies and appropriate non-
                        language studies, such as--
                                    (I) international business;
                                    (II) national security;
                                    (III) public administration; and
                                    (IV) health care; and
                    (J) identification of and means for replicating 
                best practices at all levels and in all sectors, 
                including best practices from the international 
                community.
    (d) Meetings.--The Council may hold such meetings, and sit and act 
at such times and places, as the Council considers appropriate, but 
shall meet in formal session at least 2 times a year. State and local 
government agencies and other organizations (such as academic sector 
institutions, foreign language-related interest groups, business 
associations, industry, and heritage community organizations) shall be 
invited, as appropriate, to public meetings of the Council at least 
once a year.
    (e) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Director may appoint and fix the 
        compensation of such additional personnel as the Director 
        considers necessary to carry out the duties of the Council.
            (2) Details from other agencies.--Upon request of the 
        Council, the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a 
        reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to the 
        Council.
            (3) Experts and consultants.--With the approval of the 
        Council, the Director may procure temporary and intermittent 
        services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
    (f) Powers.--
            (1) Delegation.--Any member or employee of the Council may, 
        if authorized by the Council, take any action that the Council 
        is authorized to take in this Act.
            (2) Information.--The Council may secure directly from any 
        Federal agency such information the Council considers necessary 
        to carry out its responsibilities. Upon request of the 
        Director, the head of such agency shall furnish such 
        information to the Council.
            (3) Donations.--The Council may accept, use, and dispose of 
        gifts or donations of services or property.
            (4) Mail.--The Council may use the United States mail in 
        the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal 
        agencies.
    (g) Conferences, Newsletter, and Website.--In carrying out this 
Act, the Council--
            (1) may arrange Federal, regional, State, and local 
        conferences for the purpose of developing and coordinating 
        effective programs and activities to improve foreign language 
        education;
            (2) may publish a newsletter concerning Federal, State, and 
        local programs that are effectively meeting the foreign 
        language needs of the nation; and
            (3) shall create and maintain a website containing 
        information on the Council and its activities, best practices 
        on language education, and other relevant information.
    (h) Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Council shall prepare and 
transmit to the President and Congress a report that describes the 
activities of the Council and the efforts of the Council to improve 
foreign language education and training and impediments, including any 
statutory and regulatory restrictions, to the use of each such program.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL LANGUAGE DIRECTOR.

    (a) In General.--There is established a National Language Director 
who shall be appointed by the President. The National Language Director 
shall be a nationally recognized individual with credentials and 
abilities across all of the sectors to be involved with creating and 
implementing long-term solutions to achieving national foreign language 
and cultural competency.
    (b) Responsibilities.--The National Language Director shall--
            (1) develop and oversee the implementation of a national 
        foreign language strategy across all sectors;
            (2) establish formal relationships among the major 
        stakeholders in meeting the needs of the Nation for improved 
        capabilities in foreign languages and cultural understanding, 
        including Federal, State, and local government agencies, 
        academia, industry, labor, and heritage communities; and
            (3) coordinate and lead a public information campaign that 
        raises awareness of public and private sector careers requiring 
        foreign language skills and cultural understanding, with the 
        objective of increasing interest in and support for the study 
        of foreign languages among national leaders, the business 
        community, local officials, parents, and individuals.
    (c) Compensation.--The National Language Director shall be paid at 
a rate of pay payable for a position at level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 5. ENCOURAGEMENT OF STATE INVOLVEMENT.

    (a) State Contact Persons.--The Council shall consult with each 
State to provide for the designation by each State of an individual to 
serve as a State contact person for the purpose of receiving and 
disseminating information and communications received from the Council.
    (b) State Interagency Councils and Lead Agencies.--Each State is 
encouraged to establish a State interagency council on foreign language 
coordination or designate a lead agency for the State for the purpose 
of assuming primary responsibility for coordinating and interacting 
with the Council and State and local government agencies as necessary.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to 
carry out this Act.
                                 <all>