I 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5179 

To establish in the Department of Education an Assistant Secretary for 

International and Foreign Language Education and an Office of International and Foreign Language Education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 29, 2008 

Mr. HOLT (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. EHLERS, and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To establish in the Department of Education an Assistant 

Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education and an Office of International and Foreign Language Education. 

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 ‘‘International Edu5 cation Leadership Act of 2008’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR 

2 INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE 

3 EDUCATION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(b)(1) of the Depart5 ment of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 

6 3412(b)(1)) is amended— 

7 (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

8 the end; 

9 (2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub10 paragraph (G); and 

11 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(F) an Assistant Secretary for International 

14 and Foreign Language Education; and’’. 

15 (b) FUNCTIONS.—Section 202 of such Act is further 

16 amended by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(j) The Assistant Secretary for International and 

18 Foreign Language Education— 

19 ‘‘(1) shall be an individual with extensive back20 ground and experience in international and foreign 

21 language education; and 

22 ‘‘(2) notwithstanding any other provision of 

23 law, shall report directly the Secretary.’’. 

24 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 202(e) of 

25 such Act is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (4), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the 

4 end and inserting a period; and 

5 (3) by striking paragraph (6). 

6 (d) OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN LAN7 GUAGE EDUCATION.—Title II of the Department of Edu8 cation Organization Act is amended by inserting after sec9 tion 207 (20 U.S.C. 3417) the following: 

10 ‘‘OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

11 EDUCATION

12 ‘‘SEC. 207A. There shall be in the Department an 

13 Office of International and Foreign Language Education, 

14 to be administered by the Assistant Secretary for Inter15 national and Foreign Language Education appointed 

16 under section 202(b). In addition to performing such func17 tions affecting international and foreign language edu18 cation as the Secretary may prescribe, the Assistant Sec19 retary shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) have responsibility for encouraging and 

21 promoting the study of foreign languages and the 

22 study of cultures of other countries at the elemen23 tary, secondary, and postsecondary levels in the 

24 United States; 


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1 ‘‘(2) carry out the administration of all Depart2 ment programs on international and foreign lan3 guage education and research; 

4 ‘‘(3) coordinate with related international and 

5 foreign language education programs of other Fed6 eral departments and agencies; and 

7 ‘‘(4) administer and coordinate the Department 

8 of Education’s activities in international affairs.’’. 

Æ 


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