II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5098 

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 State. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2022 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. WICKER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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 State. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Senator Paul Simon 

5 Study Abroad Program Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) To prepare students for success in the mod2 ern global economy, opportunities for study abroad 

3 should be included as part of a well-rounded edu4 cation. 

5 (2) Study abroad programs provide students 

6 with unparalleled access to international knowledge, 

7 an unmatched opportunity to learn foreign lan8 guages, and a unique environment for developing 

9 cultural understanding, all of which are knowledge 

10 and skills needed in today’s global economy. 

11 (3) Only 10 percent of United States college 

12 students study abroad before they graduate, leaving 

13 90 percent of graduates entering the workforce with14 out the global skills, knowledge, and experiences af15 forded by study abroad programs that will position 

16 them for success in the global economy. Minority 

17 students, first-generation college students, commu18 nity college students, and students with disabilities 

19 are also significantly underrepresented in study 

20 abroad participation. 

21 (4) Congress authorized the establishment of 

22 the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study 

23 Abroad Fellowship Program (referred to in this sec24 tion as the ‘‘Lincoln Commission’’) under section 

25 104 of the Miscellaneous Appropriations and Offsets 


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1 Act, 2004 (division H of Public Law 108–199). Pur2 suant to its mandate, the Lincoln Commission sub3 mitted a report to Congress and to the President 

4 containing its recommendations for greatly expand5 ing the opportunity for students at institutions of 

6 higher education in the United States to study 

7 abroad, with special emphasis on studying in devel8 oping nations. 

9 (5) According to the Lincoln Commission, 

10 ‘‘[e]xperience shows that leadership from adminis11 trators and faculty will drive the number of study 

12 abroad participants higher and improve the quality 

13 of programs. Such leadership is the only way that 

14 study abroad will become an integral part of the un15 dergraduate experience.’’ A competitive grant pro16 gram is necessary to encourage and support such 

17 leadership. 

18 (6) Student health, safety, and security while 

19 studying abroad is, and must continue to be, a pri20 ority for institutions of higher education and study 

21 abroad programs. 

22 (7) The COVID–19 pandemic has limited or 

23 prevented students from participating in study 

24 abroad due to travel restrictions and reduced budg25 ets. In the post-pandemic world, increasing access to 


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1 study abroad for students at institutions of higher 

2 education throughout the United States will be crit3 ical to ensuring that those students gain the skills, 

4 knowledge, and experiences necessary to maintain 

5 the leadership of the United States in tackling global 

6 challenges, such as pandemics, and succeeding in a 

7 global economy. 

8 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

9 The purposes of this Act are— 

10 (1) to ensure that significantly more students 

11 have access to quality study abroad opportunities; 

12 (2) to ensure that the diversity of students 

13 studying abroad reflects the diversity of students 

14 and institutions of higher education in the United 

15 States; 

16 (3) to encourage greater diversity in study 

17 abroad destinations by increasing the portion of 

18 study abroad that takes place in nontraditional 

19 study abroad destinations, especially in developing 

20 countries; and 

21 (4) to encourage a greater commitment by in22 stitutions of higher education to expand study 

23 abroad opportunities. 


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1 SEC. 4. SENATOR PAUL SIMON STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM. 

2 (a) SENATOR PAUL SIMON STUDY ABROAD PRO3 GRAM.— 

4 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the avail5 ability of appropriations and under the authority of 

6 the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 

7 of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.), the Secretary of 

8 State shall— 

9 (A) rename the Increase and Diversify 

10 Education Abroad for U.S. Students Program 

11 (commonly known as ‘‘IDEAS’’) as the ‘‘Sen12 ator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program’’ (re13 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’); and 

14 (B) enhance the program in accordance 

15 with this paragraph. 

16 (2) OBJECTIVES.—Not later than 10 years 

17 after the date of enactment of the Senator Paul 

18 Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2022, the Pro19 gram shall strive to accomplish the following objec20 tives: 

21 (A) At least 1,000,000 undergraduate stu22 dents from the United States are studying 

23 abroad annually. 

24 (B) The demographics of study abroad 

25 participation reflect the demographics of the 

26 United States undergraduate population 


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1 through an increase in the participation rate of 

2 previously underrepresented groups. 

3 (C) An increasing portion of study abroad 

4 takes place in nontraditional study abroad des5 tinations, with a substantial portion of such in6 creases in developing countries. 

7 (3) COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF

8 HIGHER EDUCATION.—In order to accomplish the 

9 objectives described in paragraph (2), the Secretary 

10 of State shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 

11 to institutions of higher education, either individ12 ually or as part of a consortium, based on applica13 tions by such institutions that— 

14 (A) set forth detailed plans for using grant 

15 funds to further such objectives; 

16 (B) include an institutional commitment to 

17 expanding access to study abroad; 

18 (C) include plans for evaluating progress 

19 made in increasing access to study abroad; 

20 (D) describe how increases in study abroad 

21 participation achieved through the grant will be 

22 sustained in subsequent years; and 

23 (E) demonstrate that the study abroad 

24 programs have established health, safety, and 

25 security guidelines and procedures, informed by 


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1 Department of State travel advisories and other 

2 appropriate Federal agencies and resources, in3 cluding the Overseas Security Advisory Council 

4 and the Centers for Disease Control and Pre5 vention. 

6 (4) IMPLEMENTATION OF LINCOLN COMMISSION

7 RECOMMENDATIONS.—In administering the Pro8 gram, the Secretary of State shall take fully into ac9 count the recommendations of the Lincoln Commis10 sion, including— 

11 (A) institutions of higher education apply12 ing for grants described in paragraph (3) may 

13 use Program funds to support direct student 

14 costs; 

15 (B) diversity shall be a defining char16 acteristic of the Program; and 

17 (C) quality control shall be a defining 

18 characteristic of the Program. 

19 (5) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this sub20 section, the Secretary of State shall consult with 

21 representatives of diverse institutions of higher edu22 cation and educational policy organizations and 

23 other individuals with appropriate expertise. 

24 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31 

25 of each year, the Secretary of State shall submit a report 


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1 to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 

2 the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep3 resentatives that describes the implementation of the Pro4 gram during the most recently concluded fiscal year. 

5 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

6 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Pro7 gram such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023 

8 and for each subsequent fiscal year. 

9 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) CONSORTIUM.—The term ‘‘consortium’’ 

11 means a group that— 

12 (A) includes at least 1 institution of higher 

13 education; and 

14 (B) may include nongovernmental organi15 zations that provide and promote study abroad 

16 opportunities for students. 

17 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

19 meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 

20 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

21 (3) NONTRADITIONAL STUDY ABROAD DESTINA22 TION.—The term ‘‘nontraditional study abroad des23 tination’’ means a location that is determined by the 

24 Secretary of State to be a less common destination 

25 for students who study abroad. 


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1 (4) STUDENT.—The term ‘‘student’’ means an 

2 individual who— 

3 (A) meets the requirements under section 

4 484(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

5 (20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(5)); and 

6 (B) is enrolled at an institution of higher 

7 education located within the United States. 

8 (5) STUDY ABROAD.—The term ‘‘study abroad’’ 

9 means an educational program of study, work, serv10 ice learning, research, internship, or combination of 

11 such activities that— 

12 (A) is conducted outside of the United 

13 States; and 

14 (B) carries academic credit. 

Æ 


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