1.Establishment of National
Foreign Language Coordination Council
(a)This Act may be cited as the National
Foreign Language Coordination Act of 2007
.
(b)There
is established in the Executive Office of the President a National Foreign
Language Coordination Council (in this section referred to as the
Council).
(c)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 Chairman and
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
(17)The heads of such
other Federal agencies as the Council considers appropriate.
(d)
(1)The Council shall be charged with—
(A)overseeing,
coordinating, and implementing the National Security Language
Initiative;
(B)developing a
national foreign language strategy, building upon the efforts of the National
Security Language Initiative, within 18 months after the date of the enactment
of this section, in consultation with—
(i)State and local
government agencies;
(ii)academic sector
institutions;
(iii)foreign language
related interest groups;
(iv)business
associations;
(v)industry;
(vi)heritage
associations; and
(vii)other relevant
stakeholders;
(C)conducting a
survey of the status of Federal agency foreign language and area expertise and
agency needs for such expertise; and
(D)monitoring the
implementation of such strategy through—
(i)application of
current and recently enacted laws; and
(ii)the
promulgation and enforcement of rules and regulations.
(2)The strategy developed under paragraph (1) shall
include—
(A)recommendations
for amendments to title 5, United States Code, in order to improve the ability
of the Federal Government to recruit and retain individuals with foreign
language proficiency and provide foreign language training for Federal
employees;
(B)the long term
goals, anticipated effect, and needs of the National Security Language
Initiative;
(C)identification of
crucial priorities across all sectors;
(D)identification and
evaluation of Federal foreign language programs and activities,
including—
(i)any
duplicative or overlapping programs that may impede efficiency;
(ii)recommendations
on coordination;
(iii)program
enhancements; and
(iv)allocation of
resources so as to maximize use of resources;
(E)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 during the next 20 to 50 years;
(F)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)employers;
(G)recommendations
for incentives for related educational programs, including foreign language
teacher training;
(H)coordination of
cross-sector efforts, including public-private partnerships;
(I)coordination
initiatives to develop a strategic posture for language research and
recommendations for funding for applied foreign language research into issues
of national concern;
(J)recommendations
for 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;
(K)recommendations
for development of—
(i)language
skill-level certification standards;
(ii)frameworks for
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;
(IV)health
care;
(V)engineering;
(VI)law;
(VII)journalism;
and
(VIII)sciences;
(L)identification of
and means for replicating best practices at all levels and in all sectors,
including best practices from the international community; and
(M)recommendations
for overcoming barriers in foreign language proficiency.
(3)National
Security Language InitiativeThe term National Security
Language Initiative
means the comprehensive national plan of the
President announced on January 5, 2006, and under the direction of the
Secretaries of State, Education, and Defense and the Director of National
Intelligence to expand foreign language education for national security
purposes in the United States.
(e)Submission of
strategy to President and CongressNot later than 18 months after
the date of enactment of this section, the Council shall prepare and transmit
to the President and the relevant committees of Congress the strategy required
under subsection (d).
(f)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.
(g)
(1)The Director may—
(A)appoint, without
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing the
competitive service, such personnel as the Director considers necessary;
and
(B)compensate such
personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of
chapter 53 of that title.
(2)Detail of
government employeesUpon request of the Council, any Federal
Government employee may be detailed to the Council without reimbursement, and
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege
(3)With the approval of the Council, the Director may
procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5,
United States Code.
(4)Council members and staff 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 services for the Council.
(5)
(A)Subject to subparagraph (B), the appropriate Federal
agencies or departments shall cooperate with the Council in expeditiously
providing to the Council members and staff appropriate security clearances to
the extent possible pursuant to existing procedures and requirements.
(B)No
person shall be provided with access to classified information under this
section without the appropriate required security clearance access.
(6)The
rate of pay for any employee of the Council (including the Director) may not
exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(h)
(1)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 section.
(2)
(A)Council
authority to secureThe Council may secure directly from any
Federal agency such information, consistent with Federal privacy laws,
including The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and
Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232(h)),
the Council considers necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
(B)Requirement to
furnish requested informationUpon request of the Director, the
head of such agency shall furnish such information to the Council.
(3)The
Council may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or
property.
(4)The
Council may use the United States mail in the same manner and under the same
conditions as other Federal agencies.
(i)Conferences,
newsletter, and websiteIn carrying out this section, 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.
(j)
(1)Not
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Council shall prepare and transmit to the President and the
relevant committees of Congress a report that describes—
(A)the activities of
the Council;
(B)the efforts of the
Council to improve foreign language education and training; and
(C)impediments to the
use of a National Foreign Language program, including any statutory and
regulatory restrictions.
(2)For purposes of paragraph (1), the relevant committees
of Congress include—
(A)in the House of
Representatives—
(i)the
Committee on Appropriations;
(ii)the
Committee on Armed Services;
(iii)the Committee on
Education and Labor;
(iv)the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform;
(v)the
Committee on Small Business;
(vi)the Committee on
Foreign Affairs; and
(vii)the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence;
(B)in the
Senate—
(i)the
Committee on Appropriations;
(ii)the
Committee on Armed Services;
(iii)the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions;
(iv)the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs;
(v)the
Committee on Foreign Relations; and
(vi)the Select
Committee on Intelligence.
(k)Establishment of
a National Language Director
(1)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 the
sectors to be involved with creating and implementing long-term solutions to
achieving national foreign language and cultural competency.
(2)The
National Language Director shall—
(A)develop and
monitor the implementation of a national foreign language strategy, built upon
the efforts of the National Security Language Initiative, across all
sectors;
(B)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
(C)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.
(l)Encouragement of
state involvement
(1)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.
(2)State
interagency councils and lead agenciesEach 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.
(m)Congressional
notificationThe Council shall provide to Congress such
information as may be requested by Congress, through reports, briefings, and
other appropriate means.
(n)Authorization of
AppropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as necessary to carry out this section.