[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1338 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1338

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2009

  Mr. Carper (for himself and Mr. Alexander) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and 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>