[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6232 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6232

   To establish a scholarship program in the Department of State for 
  Haitian students whose studies were interrupted as a result of the 
         January 12, 2010, earthquake, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2010

   Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Jackson of 
Illinois, Ms. Norton, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, and Ms. 
   Clarke) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a scholarship program in the Department of State for 
  Haitian students whose studies were interrupted as a result of the 
         January 12, 2010, earthquake, 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 ``Haitian Educational Empowerment Act 
of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
            (2) Eighty percent of the population lives below the 
        poverty line and approximately 45 percent of the population is 
        illiterate.
            (3) On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck 
        the country of Haiti.
            (4) The earthquake caused massive devastation across Haiti, 
        destroying government buildings, hospitals, schools, and vital 
        aid offices including the headquarters of the United Nations 
        mission to Haiti.
            (5) An estimated 3,000,000 people have been directly 
        affected by the earthquake in Haiti, nearly one-third of the 
        country's population, and many are currently at risk of long-
        term displacement and vulnerability.
            (6) Many universities suffered significant structural 
        damage, including the State University of Haiti, the nation's 
        main public university, which had 80 percent of its buildings 
        destroyed.
            (7) The earthquake claimed the lives of many students and 
        several prominent academics.
            (8) Before the earthquake, at least 85 percent of Haitians 
        with a university degree left the island.
            (9) A more highly educated population is vital to Haiti's 
        long-term development.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN HAITIAN 
              STUDENTS.

    (a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of State, acting through the Assistant Secretary 
of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, shall establish a 
scholarship program for Haitian students whose studies were interrupted 
as a result of the January 12, 2010, earthquake.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a scholarship under 
this section, a Haitian undergraduate or graduate student shall--
            (1) have been enrolled as a full-time student in a Haitian 
        university at the time of the January 12, 2010, earthquake; and
            (2) submit to the Assistant Secretary of State for 
        Educational and Cultural Affairs an application at such time, 
        in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Assistant Secretary may require.
    (c) Duration.--A scholarship under this section shall be awarded to 
a Haitian student for 1 academic year and may be renewed in accordance 
with subsection (d).
    (d) Renewal.--
            (1) In general.--A scholarship awarded under this section 
        may be renewed for an additional academic year upon 
        demonstration to the Secretary of State of satisfactory 
        academic achievement in the prior academic year.
            (2) Maximum renewals.--A scholarship awarded under this 
        section may not be renewed for more than 6 academic years.
    (e) Preference.--Preference in the awarding of scholarships shall 
be given to the following categories of Haitian students:
            (1) Haitian students who are studying subjects of 
        importance to Haiti's long-term social, economic, or political 
        development.
            (2) Haitian students who were enrolled in programs that 
        were forced to cease operations as a result of the January 12, 
        2010, earthquake.
    (f) Return.--Upon completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree 
at an institution of higher education, a Haitian student who has 
received a scholarship under this section shall return to Haiti.
    (g) Scholarship Defined.--In this section, the term ``scholarship'' 
means an amount awarded to a Haitian student under this section that 
shall only be used to pay costs related to the tuition and fees at the 
institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled as a 
full-time student.
    (h) Scholarship Amount.--A scholarship awarded to a Haitian student 
under this section may not exceed an amount equal to the total costs 
related to the tuition and fees for 1 academic year at an institution 
of higher education in which the student is enrolled as a full-time 
student.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO UNITED STATES COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

    The Secretary of State, acting through the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, may make grants to 
institutions of higher education that have enrolled a significant 
number of Haitian students who have been enrolled as full-time students 
in a Haitian university at the time of the January 12, 2010, 
earthquake. Such grants shall be used to provide social and educational 
support services to such students.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Fees.--The term ``fees'' means--
                    (A) fees normally assessed a full-time student, as 
                determined by an institution of higher education, 
                including--
                            (i) costs for the rental or purchase of any 
                        equipment, materials, or supplies required of 
                        all students in the same course of study; and
                            (ii) an allowance for room and board at the 
                        institution; and
                    (B) travel expenses to the institution from Haiti 
                and, upon the completion of a degree at such 
                institution, from the institution to Haiti.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
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