[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4339 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4339

  To encourage students from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands to become civically engaged through local and Federal 
                        government fellowships.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2009

  Mr. Sablan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To encourage students from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands to become civically engaged through local and Federal 
                        government fellowships.

    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 referred to as the ``Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE 
              NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

    (a) Establishment of Fellowship Program.--The Secretary of the 
Interior shall establish a program, to be known as the ``Dr. Rita Hocog 
Inos Fellowship Program'', to award local and Federal government 
fellowships to qualified students from the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands.
    (b) Fellowships.--Under the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program:
            (1) Types.--The Secretary may award to a qualified student 
        one or both of the following fellowships:
                    (A) Local government fellowship.--A local 
                government fellowship, under which the Secretary shall 
                assign the qualified student to an internship in an 
                agency or entity of the Commonwealth of the Northern 
                Mariana Islands.
                    (B) Federal fellowship.--A Federal fellowship, 
                under which the Secretary shall assign the qualified 
                student to an internship in--
                            (i) an Executive agency (as defined in 
                        section 105 of title 5, United States Code); or
                            (ii) the office of a Representative or 
                        Senator in, or a Delegate or Resident 
                        Commissioner to, the Congress.
            (2) Fellowship term.--The term of a fellowship shall be an 
        academic semester or a summer, as designated by the Secretary.
            (3) Amount of fellowship.--
                    (A) In general.--A fellow may receive either a 
                stipend or academic credit toward graduation for 
                participating in an internship.
                    (B) Stipend.--The stipend for participating in an 
                internship shall be:
                            (i) $6,000 for participating under an 
                        academic semester fellowship.
                            (ii) $4,000 for participating under a 
                        summer fellowship.
                    (C) Fiscal years after 2010.--In the case of any 
                fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2010, each 
                dollar amount in subparagraph (B) shall be such dollar 
                amount in effect for the preceding fiscal year, 
                increased by the sum of--
                            (i) the percentage of the dollar amount in 
                        effect for such preceding fiscal year that is 
                        equal to the percentage (if any) by which--
                                    (I) the Consumer Price Index for 
                                the most recent calendar year ending 
                                prior to the beginning of the fiscal 
                                year, exceeds
                                    (II) the Consumer Price Index for 
                                the next previous calendar year; plus
                            (ii) one percent of the dollar amount in 
                        effect for such previous year.
            (4) Travel stipend.--The Secretary may provide to a fellow 
        a travel stipend of not more than $1,500 for each fellowship 
        term, based on the distance of the fellow from the internship 
        site.
    (c) Qualified Student.--For purposes of this section, the term 
``qualified student'' means a student who is--
            (1) a citizen of the United States;
            (2) domiciled in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands; and
            (3) enrolled in a degree or certificate program at an 
        institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of 
        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
    (d) Application and Selection.--Under the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos 
Fellowship Program:
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop and administer 
        an application and selection process for awarding a fellowship.
            (2) Priority for selection of students.--
                    (A) Local government fellowship.--In awarding a 
                local government fellowship, the Secretary shall give 
                priority to a qualified student who has completed a 
                Federal fellowship.
                    (B) Federal fellowship.--In awarding a Federal 
                fellowship, the Secretary shall give priority to a 
                qualified student who has completed a local government 
                fellowship.
            (3) Selection of agencies.--The Secretary shall not assign 
        a fellow to an internship in an agency or office that does not 
        agree to provide for the fellow to engage in mandatory 
        activities, including--
                    (A) activities encouraging professional 
                development;
                    (B) job skill training;
                    (C) networking activities; and
                    (D) community service activities.
            (4) Limitation on number of fellowships awarded to each 
        student.--A qualified student shall be awarded no more than--
                    (A) one local government fellowship; and
                    (B) one Federal fellowship.
    (e) Reporting.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress, not later 
than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a report on the 
Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program. The report shall include 
information on--
            (1) the use of funds appropriated for the purpose of 
        carrying out the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program; and
            (2) barriers to participation in the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos 
        Fellowship Program.
    (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Consumer price index.--The term ``Consumer Price 
        Index'' means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers 
        published by the Department of Labor.
            (2) Fellow.--The term ``fellow'' means a student who has 
        been awarded a fellowship under the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos 
        Fellowship Program.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Secretary of the Interior, for the purpose of carrying out 
        the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program--
                    (A) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
                    (B) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 
                beginning after fiscal year 2010.
            (2) Allocation.--The Secretary shall reserve for each 
        fiscal year, to fund activities under subsection (c)(3), an 
        amount that is not more than 10 percent and not less than 5 
        percent of any amount appropriated for the purpose of carrying 
        out the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program, but in any case 
        not less than $50,000.
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