To authorize the Secretary of State to make grants to American-sponsored schools in Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit-based scholarships for children from lower- and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools, and for other purposes.

Summary: American Schools Abroad Support Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that additional funds should be made available to American-sponsored schools in Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit-based scholarships to students from lower- and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools.

Authorizes the Secretary of State, acting through the Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State, to make grants to such schools to provide scholarships to such students.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Schools Abroad Support 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) During the 2003-2004 school year, the Office of 
        Overseas Schools of the Department of State is financially 
        assisting 189 elementary and secondary schools in other 
        countries.
            (2) These ``American-sponsored'' schools serve 99,318 
        students, of whom 27,412 are United States citizens.
            (3) Twenty of these American-sponsored schools--serving 
        10,907 students--are located in the Near East and South Asia 
        region, and other American-sponsored schools are located in 
        countries with significant Muslim populations in Africa, 
        Central Asia, and East Asia.
            (4) American-sponsored schools provide an American-style 
        education in English, with curricula that typically include an 
        emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical 
        skills.
            (5) In response to growing anti-American sentiment in Arab 
        and other predominantly Muslim countries, the United States has 
        placed a renewed emphasis on public diplomacy programs, with 
        education at the elementary, secondary, and university levels 
        representing an important part of that effort.
            (6) Education is a key element of the efforts of the United 
        States to promote political, economic, and social reform in 
        Arab and predominantly Muslim countries, and is one of the main 
        components of the Middle East Partnership Initiative.
            (7) As active, vibrant institutions, American-sponsored 
        schools play a vital role in their local communities, and help 
        advance public diplomacy interests of the United States.
            (8) The Department of State currently provides funds to 
        American-sponsored schools amounting only, on average, to 
        between one and two percent of their annual operating expenses.
            (9) The United States has an interest in increasing the 
        level of financial support provided to American-sponsored 
        schools in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries, in order 
        to--
                    (A) increase the number of students in such 
                countries who attend such schools; and
                    (B) increase the number of young people who may 
                thereby gain at any early age an appreciation for the 
                culture, society, and history of the United States.
            (10) The United States has an interest in increasing the 
        number of students in Arab and predominately Muslim countries 
        who attend American-sponsored schools beyond those from 
        affluent families who are able to afford the cost of tuition, 
        to include children from lower- and middle-income families who 
        otherwise might not be able to afford to attend such schools.
            (11) Many American-sponsored schools have the capacity to 
        increase the number of students who attend such schools.
            (12) The Department of State has legal authority under the 
        Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
        2451 et seq.) (commonly referred to as the Fulbright-Hays Act) 
        to provide increased financial support for American-sponsored 
        schools.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that, based on the findings contained 
in section 2, additional funds should be made available to American-
sponsored schools in Arab and predominately Muslim countries to provide 
full or partial merit-based scholarships to children from lower- and 
middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO AMERICAN-SPONSORED SCHOOLS IN ARAB AND OTHER 
              PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM COUNTRIES TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO 
              STUDENTS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary of State, acting through the 
Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State, 
may make grants to American-sponsored schools in Arab and predominantly 
Muslim countries for the purpose of providing full or partial merit-
based scholarships to students from lower- and middle-income families 
of such countries to attend such schools.
    (b) Determination of Eligible Students.--For purposes of expending 
grant funds, an American-sponsored school that receives a grant under 
subsection (a) is authorized to establish criteria to be implemented by 
such school to determine what constitutes lower- and middle-income 
families in the country (or region of the country, if regional 
variations in income levels in the country are significant) in which 
such school is located.
    (c) Restriction on Use of Funds.--Amounts appropriated to the 
Secretary of State pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in 
subsection (c) shall be used for the sole purpose of making grants 
under this section, and may not be used for the administration of the 
Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State or any other 
activity of the Office.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for each of fiscal years 2005 and 2006, $15,000,000 to 
carry out subsection (a).