Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017

Summary: Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program. Under the program, grants may be awarded for providing and expanding study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students.

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--
            (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.''.