[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1765 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1765

 To provide for the establishment of two nationally distributed video 
          programming channels providing language instruction.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2007

  Mr. Baird introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the establishment of two nationally distributed video 
          programming channels providing language instruction.

    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 ``Access to Language Education Act''.

SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION DISTRIBUTION PLAN.

    (a) Implementation Plan Required.--Within one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and after 
consultation with the Secretary of Education, the Federal 
Communications Commission, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of 
Defense, shall prepare and submit to each House of the Congress a plan 
for national distribution of video programming channels providing 
language instruction in accordance with the requirements of this 
section.
    (b) Plan Requirements.--The plan required by this section shall--
            (1) provide for the distribution of two channels of video 
        programming providing language instruction;
            (2) provide that--
                    (A) one of such channels--
                            (i) shall be composed of programming 
                        providing instruction in English for non-
                        English speaking individuals; and
                            (ii) shall be distributed in each 
                        television market via broadcasting or cable and 
                        satellite, and distributed nationally via 
                        Internet delivery; and
                    (B) the other such channel--
                            (i) shall be composed of programming 
                        providing instruction in languages that are not 
                        widely taught in educational institutions in 
                        the United States and that are likely to have 
                        significant value for the United States in 
                        global competitiveness, trade, international 
                        relations, national security, and defense; and
                            (ii) shall be distributed nationally via 
                        Internet delivery; and
            (3) identify--
                    (A) the participants to be engaged in--
                            (i) producing and evaluating the 
                        instructional programming; and
                            (ii) broadcasting or otherwise distributing 
                        the programming in each market; and
                    (B) the methods by which such participants will be 
                engaged and compensated for their participation;
            (4) evaluate the costs, and methods for funding the costs, 
        of providing and distributing such instructional programming; 
        and
            (5) recommend any legislative or regulatory changes 
        required to implement the plan.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to develop, submit, and implement the plan required by 
this section, such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 each 
of the 3 succeeding fiscal years.
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