I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2313 

To support programs that offer instruction in Chinese language and culture, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 7, 2009 

Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Mr. KIRK, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, 

and Mr. ISRAEL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To support programs that offer instruction in Chinese 

language and culture, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘U.S.-China Language 

5 Engagement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LOCAL EDU9 CATIONAL AGENCY, SECONDARY SCHOOL, STATE

10 EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The terms ‘‘elementary 


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1 school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary 

2 school’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the 

3 meanings given such terms in section 9101 of the 

4 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

5 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

6 (2) PHYSICAL EXCHANGE.—The term ‘‘physical 

7 exchange’’ means an academic, professional, or cul8 tural exchange between the United States and the 

9 People’s Republic of China that requires inter10 national travel by one or more individuals involved 

11 in the exchange. 

12 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

13 the Secretary of Education. 

14 (4) VIRTUAL EXCHANGE.—The term ‘‘virtual 

15 exchange’’ means an academic, professional, or cul16 tural exchange between the United States and the 

17 People’s Republic of China that does not require 

18 international travel by one or more individuals in19 volved in the exchange. 

20 SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CUL21 TURAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION. 

22 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 

24 under subsection (e), the Secretary of Education 

25 shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to local 


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1 educational agencies to carry out innovative model 

2 programs providing for the establishment, improve3 ment, or expansion of Chinese language and cultural 

4 studies instruction for elementary school and sec5 ondary school students in the schools served by such 

6 local educational agencies. 

7 (2) DURATION.—A grant under paragraph (1) 

8 shall be for a period of three years. 

9 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In awarding a grant under 

10 subsection (a) to a local educational agency, the Secretary 

11 shall support programs that— 

12 (1) demonstrate approaches that can be dis13 seminated and duplicated in other local educational 

14 agencies; and 

15 (2) may include a professional development 

16 component. 

17 (c) RESERVATION.—The Secretary may reserve not 

18 more than .05 percent of funds appropriated under sub19 section (e) to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs 

20 funded under this section. 

21 (d) APPLICATIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency 

23 desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 

24 application to the Secretary at such time, in such 


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1 manner, and containing such information as the Sec2 retary may require. 

3 (2) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In awarding 

4 grants under this section, the Secretary shall give 

5 special consideration to applications describing pro6 grams that— 

7 (A) include intensive summer Chinese lan8 guage instruction programs for professional de9 velopment, with particular regard to such pro10 grams that include physical exchanges; 

11 (B) link speakers in the community who 

12 are bilingual in English and Chinese with ele13 mentary and secondary schools in order to pro14 mote two-way language learning; 

15 (C) promote the sequential study of Chi16 nese language for students, beginning in ele17 mentary school; 

18 (D) make effective use of technology, such 

19 as computer-assisted instruction, language lab20 oratories, or distance learning, to promote Chi21 nese language study; 

22 (E) promote innovative activities, such as 

23 Chinese language immersion, partial Chinese 

24 language immersion, or content-based instruc25 tion; and 


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1 (F) promote a comprehensive approach to 

2 learning Chinese, which includes programs on 

3 the history and culture of China. 

4 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

6 appropriated to the Secretary carry out this section 

7 $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $25,000,000 for 

8 each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2014, and 

9 such sums as are necessary for each succeeding fis10 cal year. 

11 (2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro12 priated under this subsection are authorized to re13 main available until expended. 

14 SEC. 4. SCHOOL LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT. 

15 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts appro16 priated under subsection (e) for a fiscal year, the Sec17 retary shall award grants to local educational agencies in 

18 order for such agencies to acquire communications tech19 nologies or equipment to improve Chinese language in20 struction in elementary schools and secondary schools 

21 through computer-assisted instruction, distance learning, 

22 and virtual exchanges. 

23 (b) APPLICATION.—Each local educational agency 

24 desiring a grant under this section shall submit an appliVerDate Nov 24 2008 23:52 May 08, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2313.IH H2313

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1 cation to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

2 containing such information as the Secretary may require. 

3 (c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec4 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to local educational 

5 agencies that commit to use the grant funds to acquire 

6 communications technologies or equipment for the purpose 

7 of conducting virtual exchanges involving elementary 

8 school students and secondary school students served by 

9 the local educational agencies. 

10 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—A local educational agency re11 ceiving a grant under this section shall use the grant to 

12 acquire communications technologies or equipment that— 

13 (1) may be used for collaborative ventures 

14 with— 

15 (A) foreign language and area or inter16 national studies centers supported under section 

17 602(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

18 (20 U.S.C. 1122(a)); or 

19 (B) national language resource and train20 ing centers supported under section 603 of the 

21 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

22 1123); and 

23 (2) shall be used to conduct virtual exchanges 

24 with schools or other educational institutions in the 

25 People’s Republic of China. 


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1 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

3 appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this sec4 tion $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 

5 through 2013, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, and 

6 such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding 

7 fiscal year. 

8 (2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro9 priated under this subsection are authorized to re10 main available until expended. 

11 SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING BENEFIT OF EX12 POSURE TO CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CUL13 TURE. 

14 It is the sense of Congress that an increase in the 

15 number of students who receive substantial exposure to 

16 Chinese language and cultural studies before graduating 

17 from secondary school will enhance the global economic 

18 competitiveness of the United States in the 21st century. 

Æ 


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