[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 41 (Thursday, March 9, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1747-S1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Reed, Mr. Cochran, 
        Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Brown):
  S. 601. A bill to ensure that significantly more students graduate 
college with the international knowledge and experience essential for 
success in today's global economy through the establishment of the 
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program in the Department of Education; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, Senator Wicker of Mississippi and I 
are reintroducing the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act. This 
bill, named for a mentor of mine--the late Senator from Illinois, 
embodies a vision Paul Simon believed in throughout his life: a vision 
centered on our country's need for a culturally aware, and globally 
knowledgeable population and workforce.
  Senator Simon saw these characteristics as essential to our country's 
economy, society, and national security. He believed that by building 
meaningful relationships with people around the world, America would 
grow even stronger as a nation. In his words, ``America's incompetence 
in foreign languages and cultural awareness jeopardizes our Nation's 
future in global affairs. This lack of global perspective damages 
America's ability to compete in world markets. The more our country 
becomes competent in foreign languages and cultures, the more enhanced 
our foreign policy decisions will become.''
  He also believed that to truly be educated, our students needed more 
than a minimal understanding of the world around them. To be truly 
educated, they need to immerse themselves in the beliefs, customs, 
language, and environment of a culture other than their own. I share 
these beliefs with Senator Simon and many Republicans in this Chamber 
share them as well.
  At a time when there are calls from some to shut out immigrants and 
refugees and pull away from other parts of the world, these beliefs are 
more important than ever. We need to continue to give our young people 
the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world, so 
they can develop their own informed opinions and beliefs.
  Undergraduate study abroad programs are a popular source for this 
type of engagement. Unfortunately, far too few students take advantage 
or have the means to take advantage of this opportunity. Annually, less 
than 2 percent of undergraduate students participate in study abroad.
  Those who do study abroad don't reflect the incredible diversity of 
our postsecondary institutions. Minority students, first-generation 
college students, community college students, and students with 
disabilities are significantly underrepresented in the study abroad 
population. These students miss out on the valuable personal and 
educational growth that comes from a study abroad experience, including 
interacting with other cultures, developing foreign language skills, 
and expanding international knowledge through firsthand experience.
  We also know that those who currently study abroad do so mostly in 
highly developed countries. In fact, over 50 percent of students who 
study abroad each year do so in Europe. Increasing the diversity of 
study abroad destinations to include countries in Asia, the Middle 
East, Africa, South America, and Latin America will help American 
students develop a global perspective and build the insight and skills 
needed to better understand the global challenges of the 21st century.
  In 2004, Congress took the first step towards expanding study abroad 
when it authorized the Commission on Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad 
Fellowship Program to provide recommendations to Congress and the 
President on expanding study abroad programs.
  The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act combines the vision 
of Senator Simon with the recommendations of the Abraham Lincoln Study 
Abroad Commission. It establishes a competitive grant program for 
institutions of higher education to encourage the sustainable expansion 
of study abroad opportunities for students in the United States.
  Over the next 10 years, this grant program aims to increase the 
number of undergraduate students stud g abroad each year to one million 
students. It also emphasizes increasing opportunities for 
nontraditional students, minority students, and students with 
disabilities so that the demographics of students who study abroad more 
closely reflect the population of current undergraduate students.
  This bill also focuses on getting students to study abroad in 
nontraditional destinations particularly in developing countries. We 
need to send more students to developing nations because these are the 
places that America needs to better understand. This legislation takes 
important steps toward expanding and diversifying participation in 
study abroad.
  Senator Wicker and I are pleased to be joined today in introducing 
this bill by Senators Reed, Cochran, Merkley, and Brown. I am also 
pleased that several organizations have endorsed this bill including 
the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association 
of International Educators, the American Council on Education, the 
Association of American Universities, and the Hispanic Association of 
Colleges and Universities.
  In today's increasingly interconnected world, study abroad 
participation is an important element of a meaningful undergraduate 
education. Expanded access to study abroad opportunities is necessary 
to prepare the next generation of Americans with the global knowledge 
and skills needed to succeed. I hope other colleagues will join us in 
that effort.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 601

       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 ``Senator Paul Simon Study 
     Abroad Program Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) To prepare students for success in the modern global 
     economy, opportunities for study abroad should be included as 
     part of a well-rounded education.
       (2) Study abroad programs provide students with 
     unparalleled access to international knowledge, an unmatched 
     opportunity to learn foreign languages, and a unique 
     environment for developing cultural understanding, all of 
     which are knowledge and skills needed in today's global 
     economy.
       (3) Less than 2 percent of all enrolled postsecondary 
     students in the United States study abroad for credit in any 
     given year, and minority students, first generation college 
     students, community college students, and students with 
     disabilities are significantly underrepresented in study 
     abroad participation.
       (4) Congress authorized the establishment of the Commission 
     on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program 
     pursuant to section 104 of the Miscellaneous Appropriations 
     and Offsets Act, 2004 (division H of Public Law 108-199). 
     Pursuant to its mandate, the Lincoln Commission submitted to 
     Congress and the President a report of its recommendations 
     for greatly expanding the opportunity for students at 
     institutions of higher education in the United States to 
     study abroad, with special emphasis on studying in developing 
     nations.
       (5) According to the Lincoln Commission, ``[e]xperience 
     shows that leadership from administrators and faculty will 
     drive the number of study abroad participants higher and 
     improve the quality of programs. Such leadership is the only 
     way that study abroad will become an integral part of the 
     undergraduate experience.''. A competitive grant program is 
     necessary to encourage and support such leadership.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to ensure that significantly more students have access 
     to quality study abroad opportunities;
       (2) to ensure that the diversity of students studying 
     abroad reflects the diversity of students and institutions of 
     higher education in the United States;
       (3) to encourage greater diversity in study abroad 
     destinations by increasing the portion of study abroad that 
     takes place in nontraditional study abroad destinations, 
     especially in developing countries; and
       (4) to encourage a greater commitment by institutions of 
     higher education to expand study abroad opportunities.

     SEC. 4. SENATOR PAUL SIMON STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM.

       Section 741 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1138) is amended--

[[Page S1748]]

       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (12) and (13) as paragraphs 
     (13) and (14), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:
       ``(12) awarding grants under the Senator Paul Simon Study 
     Abroad Program described in subsection (g);''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 101(a).
       ``(B) National of the united states.--The term `national of 
     the United States' means a national of the United States or 
     an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as those 
     terms are defined in section 101 of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)).
       ``(C) Nontraditional study abroad destination.--The term 
     `nontraditional study abroad destination' means a location 
     that is determined by the Secretary to be a less common 
     destination for students who study abroad.
       ``(D) Student.--The term `student' means a national of the 
     United States who is enrolled at an institution of higher 
     education located within the United States.
       ``(E) Study abroad.--The term `study abroad' means an 
     educational program of study, work, research, internship, or 
     combination thereof that is conducted outside the United 
     States and that carries academic credit.
       ``(2) Senator paul simon study abroad program.--
       ``(A) Establishment.--There is established in the 
     Department a program to be called the `Senator Paul Simon 
     Study Abroad Program'.
       ``(B) Objectives.--The objectives of the program 
     established under subparagraph (A) are, that not later than 
     10 years after the date of enactment of the Senator Paul 
     Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017--
       ``(i) not less than 1,000,000 undergraduate students will 
     study abroad annually;
       ``(ii) the demographics of study abroad participation will 
     reflect the demographics of the United States undergraduate 
     population by increasing the participation of 
     underrepresented groups; and
       ``(iii) an increasing portion of study abroad will take 
     place in nontraditional study abroad destinations, with a 
     substantial portion of such increases in developing 
     countries.
       ``(C) Competitive grants to institutions of higher 
     education.--In order to accomplish the objectives set forth 
     in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall award grants on a 
     competitive basis to institutions of higher education, 
     individually or in a consortium, based on applications by the 
     institutions that--
       ``(i) set forth detailed plans for using grant funds to 
     further such objectives;
       ``(ii) include an institutional commitment to expanding 
     access to study abroad;
       ``(iii) include plans for evaluating progress made in 
     increasing access to study abroad;
       ``(iv) describe how increases in study abroad participation 
     achieved through the grant will be sustained in subsequent 
     years; and
       ``(v) demonstrate that the programs have established health 
     and safety guidelines and procedures.
       ``(D) Nongovernmental institutions.--Consortia of 
     institutions of higher education applying for grants 
     described in subparagraph (C) may include nongovernmental 
     institutions that provide and promote study abroad 
     opportunities for students.
       ``(E) Commission on the abraham lincoln study abroad 
     fellowship program.--In administering the program, the 
     Secretary shall take fully into account the recommendations 
     of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad 
     Fellowship Program, established pursuant to section 104 of 
     the Miscellaneous Appropriations and Offsets Act, 2004 
     (division H of Public Law 108-199).
       ``(F) Consultation.--In carrying out this paragraph, the 
     Secretary shall consult with representatives of diverse 
     institutions of higher education, educational policy 
     organizations, and others with appropriate expertise.
       ``(3) Annual report.--Not later than December 31 of each 
     year following the date of enactment of the Senator Paul 
     Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017, the Secretary shall 
     submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce of the House of Representatives a report on the 
     implementation of this subsection during the prior fiscal 
     year.
       ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
     such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018 and each 
     subsequent fiscal year.''.
                                 ______