I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2549 

To award grants to States to establish a Seal of Biliteracy program to 

recognize high-level student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing 

in both English and a second language. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 2013 

Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself, Mr. VARGAS, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To award grants to States to establish a Seal of Biliteracy 

program to recognize high-level student proficiency in 

speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a 

second language. 

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 ‘‘Biliteracy Education 

5 Seal and Teaching Act’’ or the ‘‘BEST Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The people of the United States celebrate 

2 cultural and linguistic diversity and seek to prepare 

3 students with skills to succeed in the 21st century. 

4 (2) It is fitting to commend the dedication of 

5 students who have achieved proficiency in multiple 

6 languages and to encourage their peers to follow in 

7 their footsteps. 

8 (3) The study of world languages in elementary 

9 and secondary schools should be encouraged because 

10 it contributes to a student’s cognitive development 

11 and to the national economy and security. 

12 (4) Recognition of student achievement in lan13 guage proficiency will enable institutions of higher 

14 education and employers to readily recognize and ac15 knowledge the valuable expertise of bilingual stu16 dents in academia and the workplace. 

17 (5) California has pioneered the first State sys18 tem in the Nation to recognize students for achiev19 ing proficiency in multiple languages. In 2012, Cali20 fornia awarded a Seal of Biliteracy to over 10,000 

21 graduating high school seniors in 37 school districts. 

22 (6) Students in every State should be able to 

23 benefit from a Seal of Biliteracy program. 


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1 SEC. 3. STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Education 

3 shall award grants to States to establish or improve a Seal 

4 of Biliteracy program to recognize student proficiency in 

5 speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a sec6 ond language. 

7 (b) GRANT APPLICATION.—In order to receive a 

8 grant under this section, a State shall submit an applica9 tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

10 containing such information and assurances as the Sec11 retary may require, including— 

12 (1) a description of the criteria a student must 

13 meet to demonstrate proficiency in speaking, read14 ing, and writing in both English and a second lan15 guage; 

16 (2) assurances that a student who meets the re17 quirements under paragraph (1)— 

18 (A) receives a permanent seal or other 

19 marker on the student’s secondary school di20 ploma or its equivalent; and 

21 (B) receives documentation of proficiency 

22 in the student’s official academic transcript; 

23 and 

24 (3) assurances that a student is not charged a 

25 fee for submitting an application under subsection 

26 (c). 


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1 (c) STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN A SEAL OF

2 BILITERACY PROGRAM.—To participate in a Seal of 

3 Biliteracy program, a student must submit an application 

4 to the State that serves the student at such time, in such 

5 manner, and containing such information and assurances 

6 as the State may require, including assurances that the 

7 student— 

8 (1) will receive a secondary school diploma or 

9 its equivalent in the year the student submits an ap10 plication; and 

11 (2) has met the criteria established by the State 

12 under subsection (b)(1). 

13 (d) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLICATION.—A 

14 student who gained proficiency in a second language out15 side of school may apply to participate in a Seal of 

16 Biliteracy program under subsection (c). 

17 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds made available 

18 under this section shall be used for administrative costs 

19 of establishing or improving and carrying out a Seal of 

20 Biliteracy program and for public outreach and education 

21 about that program. 

22 (f) GRANT TERMS.— 

23 (1) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 

24 section shall be for a period of 2 years, and may be 

25 renewed at the discretion of the Secretary. 


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1 (2) RENEWAL.—At the end of a grant term, the 

2 recipient of such grant may reapply for a grant 

3 under this section. 

4 (3) LIMITATIONS.—A grant recipient under this 

5 section shall not have more than 1 grant under this 

6 section at anytime. 

7 (4) RETURN OF UNSPENT GRANT FUNDS.—Not 

8 later than 6 months after the date on which a grant 

9 term ends, a recipient of a grant under this section 

10 shall return any unspent grant funds to the Sec11 retary. 

12 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 9 months after receiv13 ing a grant under this section, a grant recipient shall issue 

14 a report to the Secretary describing the implementation 

15 of the Seal of Biliteracy program. 

16 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘sec18 ondary school’’, ‘‘Secretary’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the 

19 meanings given those terms in section 9101 of the 

20 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

21 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

22 (2) SECOND LANGUAGE.—The term ‘‘second 

23 language’’ means any language other than English, 

24 including Braille and American Sign Language. 


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1 (3) SEAL OF BILITERACY PROGRAM.—The term 

2 ‘‘Seal of Biliteracy program’’ means any program es3 tablished under section 3 of this Act. 

4 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 

6 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019 

7 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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