[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2361 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2361

To require the accreditation of English language training programs, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 12, 2009

    Mr. Frank of Massachusetts (for himself and Mr. Smith of Texas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the accreditation of English language training programs, 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. ACCREDITATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (15)(F)(i), by striking ``a language'' and 
        inserting ``an accredited language''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(52) The term `accredited language training program' means a 
language training program that is accredited by an accrediting agency 
recognized by the Secretary of Education.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by subsection (a) shall--
                    (A) take effect on the date that is 180 days after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) apply with respect to applications for a 
                nonimmigrant visa under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
                1101(a)(15)(F)(i)) that are filed on or after the 
                effective date described in subparagraph (A).
            (2) Temporary exception.--
                    (A) In general.--Notwithstanding section 
                101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality 
                Act, as amended by subsection (a), during the 3-year 
                period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
                Act, an alien seeking to enter the United States to 
                pursue a course of study at a language training program 
                that has been certified by the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security and has not been accredited or denied 
                accreditation by an entity described in section 
                101(a)(52) of such Act may be granted a nonimmigrant 
                visa under such section 101(a)(15)(F)(i).
                    (B) Additional requirement.--An alien may not be 
                granted a nonimmigrant visa under subparagraph (A) if 
                the sponsoring institution of the language training 
                program to which the alien seeks to enroll does not--
                            (i) submit an application for the 
                        accreditation of such program to a regional or 
                        national accrediting agency recognized by the 
                        Secretary of Education within 1 year after the 
                        date of the enactment of this Act; and
                            (ii) comply with the applicable accrediting 
                        requirements of such agency.
                                 <all>