I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7007 

To award grants to States to establish or improve, and carry out, Seal 

of Biliteracy programs to recognize high-level student proficiency in 

speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language, 

and early language programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 17, 2024 

Ms. BROWNLEY (for herself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. 

PANETTA, and Ms. SA ́NCHEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To award grants to States to establish or improve, and 

carry out, Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize highlevel student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language, and early 

language 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 ‘‘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 congressionally requested Commission 

9 on Language Learning, in its 2017 report ‘‘Amer10 ica’s Languages: Investing in Language Education 

11 for the 21st Century’’, notes the pressing national 

12 need for more people of the United States who are 

13 proficient in 2 or more languages for national secu14 rity, economic growth, and the fulfillment of the po15 tential of all people of the United States. 

16 (4) The Commission on Language Learning 

17 also notes the extensive cognitive, educational, and 

18 employment benefits deriving from biliteracy. 

19 (5) Biliteracy in general correlates with higher 

20 graduation rates, higher grade point averages, high21 er rates of matriculation into higher education, and 

22 higher earnings for all students, regardless of back23 ground. 

24 (6) The study of America’s languages in ele25 mentary and secondary schools should be encouraged 


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1 because it contributes to a student’s cognitive devel2 opment and to the national economy and security. 

3 (7) Recognition of student achievement in lan4 guage proficiency will enable institutions of higher 

5 education and employers to readily recognize and ac6 knowledge the valuable expertise of bilingual stu7 dents in academia and the workplace. 

8 (8) States such as Utah, Arizona, Washington, 

9 and New Mexico have developed innovative testing 

10 methods for languages, including Native American 

11 languages, where no formal proficiency test currently 

12 exists. 

13 (9) The use of proficiency in a government-rec14 ognized official Native American language as the 

15 base language for a Seal of Biliteracy, with pro16 ficiency in any additional partner language dem17 onstrated through tested proficiency, has been suc18 cessfully demonstrated in Hawaii. 

19 (10) Students in every State and every school 

20 should be able to benefit from a Seal of Biliteracy 

21 program. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 

24 (1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘elemen25 tary school’’, ‘‘English learner’’, ‘‘local educational 


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1 agency’’, ‘‘middle grades’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and 

2 ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given those terms in sec3 tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

5 (2) CLASSICAL LANGUAGE.—The term ‘‘clas6 sical language’’— 

7 (A) means— 

8 (i) a language that is no longer spo9 ken; or 

10 (ii) a language— 

11 (I) the spoken varieties of which 

12 diverge further away from the clas13 sical language over time; and 

14 (II) that possesses an inde15 pendent literary tradition and a large 

16 body of ancient written literature; and 

17 (B) includes Greek, Latin, Chinese, Arabic, 

18 and Sanskrit. 

19 (3) NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE.—The term 

20 ‘‘Native American language’’ has the meaning given 

21 the term in section 103 of the Native American Lan22 guages Act (25 U.S.C. 2902). 

23 (4) SEAL OF BILITERACY PROGRAM.—The term 

24 ‘‘Seal of Biliteracy program’’ means any program 

25 described in section 4(a) that is established or imVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Feb 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7007.IH H7007

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1 proved, and carried out, with funds received under 

2 this Act. 

3 (5) SECOND LANGUAGE.—The term ‘‘second 

4 language’’— 

5 (A) means any language other than— 

6 (i) English; or 

7 (ii) in a case where the provisions of 

8 paragraph (2) of section 4(a) apply, the 

9 Native American language of proficiency 

10 described in such paragraph; and 

11 (B) includes Braille, American Sign Lan12 guage, or a classical language. 

13 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

14 the Secretary of Education. 

15 SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY PRO16 GRAMS. 

17 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail19 able under subsection (f), the Secretary shall award 

20 grants, on a competitive basis, to States to enable 

21 the States to establish or improve, and carry out, 

22 Seal of Biliteracy programs and early language pro23 grams that lead to a Seal of Biliteracy to recognize 

24 student proficiency in both English and a second 

25 language, which— 


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1 (A) shall be demonstrated through pro2 ficiency in speaking and writing in both lan3 guages; and 

4 (B) may also be demonstrated through 

5 reading and listening in both languages. 

6 (2) INCLUSION OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAN7 GUAGES.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), each Seal 

8 of Biliteracy program shall contain provisions allow9 ing the use of Native American languages, including 

10 allowing speakers of any Native American language 

11 recognized as official by any American government, 

12 including any Tribal government, to use equivalent 

13 proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in the 

14 Native American language in lieu of proficiency in 

15 speaking, reading, and writing in English. 

16 (3) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 

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

18 renewed at the discretion of the Secretary. 

19 (4) RENEWAL.—At the end of a grant term, a 

20 State that receives a grant under this section may 

21 reapply for a grant under this section. 

22 (5) LIMITATIONS.—A State shall not receive 

23 more than 1 grant under this section at any time. 

24 (6) RETURN OF UNSPENT GRANT FUNDS.— 

25 Each State that receives a grant under this section 


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1 shall return any unspent grant funds not later than 

2 6 months after the date on which the term for the 

3 grant ends. 

4 (b) GRANT PROGRAM.—A State that desires a grant 

5 under this section shall submit an application to the Sec6 retary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

7 information and assurances as the Secretary may require, 

8 including— 

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

10 meet to demonstrate proficiency for the State Seal 

11 of Biliteracy in both languages, which— 

12 (A) shall include proficiency criteria for the 

13 2 productive skills of speaking and writing; and 

14 (B) may include proficiency criteria for the 

15 skills of reading and listening; 

16 (2) a detailed description of the State’s plan— 

17 (A) to ensure that English learners and 

18 former English learners are included in the 

19 State Seal of Biliteracy program; 

20 (B) to ensure equitable access to the State 

21 Seal of Biliteracy program for students with 

22 identified disabilities, including vision and hear23 ing impairments and cognitive or learning dis24 abilities, that preclude demonstration of lanVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Feb 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7007.IH H7007

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1 guage proficiency in one of the skills identified 

2 in paragraph (1); 

3 (C) to ensure that— 

4 (i) all languages, including Native 

5 American languages and American Sign 

6 Language, can be tested for the State Seal 

7 of Biliteracy program; and 

8 (ii) Native American language speak9 ers and learners are included in the State 

10 Seal of Biliteracy program, including stu11 dents at tribally controlled schools and at 

12 schools funded by the Bureau of Indian 

13 Education; and 

14 (D) to reach elementary school and middle 

15 grades students (including eligible students de16 scribed in subsection (c)(2), heritage language 

17 learners, and English learners), their parents, 

18 and schools with information regarding the 

19 State Seal of Biliteracy program; 

20 (3) an assurance that a student who meets the 

21 requirements under paragraph (1) and subsection 

22 (c) receives— 

23 (A) a permanent seal or other marker on 

24 the student’s secondary school diploma or its 

25 equivalent; or 


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1 (B) documentation of proficiency on the 

2 student’s official academic transcript; and 

3 (4) an assurance that a student is not charged 

4 a fee for providing information under subsection 

5 (c)(1). 

6 (c) STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN A SEAL OF

7 BILITERACY PROGRAM.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—To participate in a Seal of 

9 Biliteracy program, a student shall provide informa10 tion to the State that serves the student at such 

11 time, in such manner, and including such informa12 tion and assurances as the State may require, in13 cluding an assurance that the student has met the 

14 criteria established by the State under subsection 

15 (b)(1). 

16 (2) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPA17 TION.—A student who gained proficiency in a second 

18 language outside of school may apply to the State of 

19 the student’s residence under paragraph (1) to par20 ticipate in a Seal of Biliteracy program. 

21 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds made available 

22 under this section shall be used for— 

23 (1) the administrative costs of establishing or 

24 improving, and carrying out, a Seal of Biliteracy 


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1 program that meets the requirements of subsection 

2 (b); 

3 (2) public outreach and education about the 

4 Seal of Biliteracy program; and 

5 (3) subgrants to local educational agencies for 

6 language educator professional development, public 

7 outreach, and subsidizing baseline and final Seal of 

8 Biliteracy testing for low-income students. 

9 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after receiv10 ing a grant under this section, a State shall issue a report 

11 to the Secretary describing the implementation of the Seal 

12 of Biliteracy program for which the State received the 

13 grant. 

14 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

15 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

16 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 

Æ 


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