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110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 176 

To authorize assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to fund educational 

development and exchange programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2007 

Ms. LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize assistance to the countries of the Caribbean 

to fund educational development and exchange programs. 

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 ‘‘Shirley A. Chisholm 

5 United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 

6 2007’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) CARIBBEAN.—The term ‘‘Caribbean’’ in10 cludes— 


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1 (A) the member countries of the Caribbean 

2 Community (CARICOM), but does not include 

3 any country having observer status in 

4 CARICOM; and 

5 (B) the member countries of the Associa6 tion of Caribbean States (ACS), but does not 

7 include any country having observer status in 

8 the ACS. 

9 (2) SECRETARY.—Except as otherwise provided, 

10 the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of State. 

11 (3) ADMINISTRATOR.—Except as otherwise pro12 vided, the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Adminis13 trator of the United States Agency for International 

14 Development. 

15 (4) UNITED STATES COOPERATING AGEN16 CIES.—The term ‘‘United States cooperating agen17 cies’’ means any nongovernmental organization hav18 ing United States citizenship that is designated by 

19 the Secretary to carry out the program authorized 

20 under section 6. 

21 (5) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec22 ondary school’’ means a school that serves students 

23 in any of the grades 9 through 12 or equivalent 

24 grades in a foreign education system as determined 


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1 by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 

2 of Education. 

3 (6) UNDERGRADUATE.—The term ‘‘under4 graduate’’ means a college or university student 

5 working toward an associate-level or bachelor’s de6 gree. 

7 (7) GRADUATE.—The term ‘‘graduate’’ means a 

8 student pursuing a degree beyond the bachelor’s 

9 level. 

10 (8) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT11 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com12 mittees’’ means the Committee on International Re13 lations and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

14 House of Representatives and the Committee on 

15 Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropria16 tions of the Senate. 

17 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

18 Congress finds the following: 

19 (1) The United States and the Caribbean have 

20 enjoyed long-standing friendly relations. 

21 (2) As an important regional partner for trade 

22 and democratic values, the Caribbean constitutes a 

23 ‘‘Third Border’’ of the United States. 

24 (3) The decrease in tourism revenue in the 

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1 tember 11, 2001, had an adverse affect on the Car2 ibbean. 

3 (4) According to a 2005 World Bank Report on 

4 the Caribbean, unemployment, particularly youth 

5 unemployment, has severe implications on poverty 

6 and income distributions, as well as drug trafficking 

7 and addiction. 

8 (5) The World Bank Report also concludes that 

9 better synchronization is needed between current 

10 Caribbean curricula and the skills needed in an 

11 evolving job market and economy. 

12 (6) Many Caribbean leaders have linked the in13 crease in crime to a decrease in economic alter14 natives. Consequently, United States and Caribbean 

15 leaders have highlighted the need for increased edu16 cational opportunities for Caribbean students. 

17 (7) By enhancing United States cultural and 

18 educational exchange programs in the Caribbean, re19 gional security is improved by expanding human re20 sources and providing opportunities that promote 

21 economic growth. 

22 (8) Many Caribbean leaders studied at the un23 dergraduate or graduate level in the United States 

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1 tribute towards the strengthening of democracy, the 

2 economy, or the provision of social services. 

3 (9) From 2003 through 2005, 217 Caribbean 

4 leaders participated in exchange programs with the 

5 United States that focused on good governance, 

6 combating drug trafficking, anti-corruption, and 

7 other regional issues of concern. 

8 (10) The Department of State currently admin9 isters public outreach programs that include cul10 tural, academic, and citizen exchange initiatives in 

11 Caribbean countries through the Embassy Public Af12 fairs Sections with support from the Office of Public 

13 Diplomacy in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere 

14 Affairs. 

15 (11) In some Caribbean countries, the United 

16 States Agency for International Development coordi17 nates the Center of Excellence for Teacher Training 

18 (CETT), a successful Presidential initiative that em19 phasizes teacher training as a key to the develop20 ment of a competitive work force. 

21 (12) In Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the 

22 Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, 

23 the Dominican Republic, Dominica, Grenada, Guy24 ana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. 

25 Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, 


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1 and Trinidad and Tobago, the Bureau of Edu2 cational and Cultural Affairs sponsors educational 

3 advisors to promote study in the United States. 

4 (13) In the 2004–2005 academic year, approxi5 mately 14,000 Caribbean students were enrolled in 

6 United States universities. 

7 SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

8 The purpose of this Act is to develop two comprehen9 sive educational initiatives targeted toward the Caribbean. 

10 The first will establish a system for United States-Carib11 bean educational exchange programs, and the second will 

12 develop a plan to enhance teacher training and community 

13 involvement in early education in the region. 

14 SEC. 5. AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION. 

15 The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary 

16 for Public Diplomacy, shall consult with the Administrator 

17 and the Secretary of Education to ensure that— 

18 (1) activities under this act are not duplicative 

19 of other efforts in the Caribbean; and 

20 (2) partner institutions in the Caribbean and 

21 United States cooperating agencies are creditable. 

22 SEC. 6. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM UNITED STATES-CARIBBEAN 

23 EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the purpose of this 

25 section, the Secretary of State, acting through the Under 


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1 Secretary for Public Diplomacy, is authorized to establish 

2 a Caribbean international exchange visitor program, to be 

3 known as the ‘‘Shirley Chisholm United States-Caribbean 

4 Educational Exchange Program’’, under which— 

5 (1) secondary students from the Caribbean 

6 would— 

7 (A) attend a public equivalent school in the 

8 United States; 

9 (B) participate in activities designed to 

10 promote a greater understanding of United 

11 States values and culture; and 

12 (C) have the option to live with a United 

13 States host family and experience life in a 

14 United States host community; and 

15 (2) undergraduate, graduate students, and 

16 scholars from the Caribbean would— 

17 (A) attend a private or public college or 

18 university in the United States; 

19 (B) participate in activities designed to 

20 promote a greater understanding of United 

21 States values and culture; and 

22 (C) have the option to live with a United 

23 States host family and experience life in a 

24 United States host community. 


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1 (b) PERCENTAGE REQUIREMENT.—Not less than 75 

2 percent of Program participants may be from member 

3 countries of CARICOM. 

4 (c) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall collabo5 rate with Caribbean counterparts to establish similar ex6 change opportunities for United States secondary, under7 graduate, graduate students, and scholars. 

8 (d) COOPERATION.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall cooper10 ate with United States cooperating agencies to de11 velop and implement the Program. 

12 (2) ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.—The 

13 cooperating agencies shall be eligible for Federal 

14 funds and may request assistance from other private 

15 donors to assist in the implementation of the Pro16 gram. 

17 (3) SCHOLARSHIPS.—The cooperating agencies 

18 may offer, on a merit and need-based basis, scholar19 ships to eligible United States and Caribbean par20 ticipants. 

21 SEC. 7. CARIBBEAN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRO22 GRAMS. 

23 The Administrator, acting through the Assistant Ad24 ministrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, shall 

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1 pands existing primary and secondary school initiatives in 

2 the Caribbean to provide— 

3 (1) teacher training methods; and 

4 (2) increased community involvement in school 

5 activities. 

6 SEC. 8. PUBLIC PRIVATE VENTURE. 

7 Where possible for the purposes of implementing sec8 tions 6 and 7, the Secretary, the Administrator, and co9 operating agencies are authorized to solicit funding from 

10 private sources. 

11 SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 

12 (a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than three months 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

14 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

15 a report setting forth plans to implement sections 6 and 

16 7. The report shall include— 

17 (1) an estimate of the number of participating 

18 students from each country; 

19 (2) an identification of United States cooper20 ating agencies; and 

21 (3) a schedule for implementation of the Shirley 

22 Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Ex23 change Program. 

24 (b) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—The Secretary shall 

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1 ular reports upon the request of such committees or their 

2 Members. 

3 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro5 priated to the President to carry out this Act such sums 

6 as may be necessary for each of fiscal years from 2008 

7 through 2018. 

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that not less than $6,000,000 in additional funding 

10 above the amount that is otherwise authorized to be appro11 priated for educational exchange programs should be made 

12 available for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018 to 

13 carry out this Act, as follows: 

14 (1) $4,000,000 for the Shirley Chisholm United 

15 States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program 

16 administered by the Department of State under sec17 tion 6; and 

18 (2) $2,000,000 for Caribbean educational devel19 opment programs administered by the United States 

20 Agency for International Development under section 

21 7. 

Æ 


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