290
cational and cultural exchange programs between 
the United States and eligible countries. 
(2) SPECIFIC PROGRAMS.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary is authorized to conduct or 
initiate programs in eligible countries as follows: 
(A) FULBRIGHT EXCHANGE PROGRAM.—
(i) 
INCREASED
NUMBER
OF 
AWARDS.—The Secretary is authorized to 
substantially 
increase 
the 
number 
of 
awards under the J. William Fulbright 
Educational Exchange Program. 
(ii) INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT
FOR 
FULBRIGHT
PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary 
shall work to increase support for the J. 
William Fulbright Educational Exchange 
Program in eligible countries in order to 
enhance academic and scholarly exchanges 
with those countries. 
(B) HUBERT
H. 
HUMPHREY
FELLOW-
SHIPS.—The Secretary is authorized to sub-
stantially increase the number of Hubert H. 
Humphrey Fellowships awarded to candidates 
from eligible countries. 
(C) SISTER
INSTITUTIONS
PROGRAMS.—
The Secretary is authorized to facilitate the es-
291
tablishment of sister institution programs be-
tween cities and municipalities and other insti-
tutions in the United States and in eligible 
countries in order to enhance mutual under-
standing at the community level. 
(D) LIBRARY TRAINING EXCHANGES.—The 
Secretary is authorized to develop a demonstra-
tion program, including training in the library 
sciences, to assist governments in eligible coun-
tries to establish or upgrade the public library 
systems of such countries for the purpose of im-
proving literacy. 
(E) 
INTERNATIONAL
VISITORS
PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary is authorized to expand 
the number of participants from eligible coun-
tries in the International Visitors Program. 
(F) YOUTH AMBASSADORS.—
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary is 
authorized to establish a youth ambas-
sadors program for visits by middle and 
secondary school students from eligible 
countries to the United States to partici-
pate in activities, including cultural and 
educational activities, that are designed to
292
familiarize 
participating 
students 
with 
United States society and values. 
(ii) VISITS.—The visits of students 
who are participating in the youth ambas-
sador program under clause (i) shall be 
scheduled during the school holidays in the 
home countries of the students and may 
not exceed 4 weeks. 
(iii) CRITERIA.—Students selected to 
participate in the youth ambassador pro-
gram shall reflect the economic and geo-
graphic diversity of eligible countries. 
(G) EDUCATION REFORM.—The Secretary 
is authorized—
(i) to expand programs that seek to 
improve the quality of primary and sec-
ondary school systems in eligible countries; 
and 
(ii) in order to foster understanding of 
the United States, to promote civic edu-
cation through teacher exchanges, teacher 
training, 
textbook 
modernization, 
and 
other efforts. 
(H) PROMOTION
OF
RELIGIOUS
FREE-
DOM.—The Secretary is authorized to establish
293
a program to promote dialogue and exchange 
among leaders and scholars of all faiths from 
the United States and eligible countries. 
(I) BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.—The 
Secretary is authorized to establish a program 
to help foster access to information technology 
among underserved populations and by civil so-
ciety groups in eligible countries. 
(J) PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE DIPLOMACY.—The 
Secretary is authorized to expand efforts to 
promote United States public diplomacy inter-
ests in eligible countries through cultural, arts, 
entertainment, sports and other exchanges. 
(K) COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS.—
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary is 
authorized to establish a program to offer 
scholarships to permit individuals to attend 
eligible colleges and universities. 
(ii) ELIGIBILITY FOR PROGRAM.—To 
be eligible for the scholarship program, an 
individual shall be a citizen or resident of 
an eligible country who has graduated 
from a secondary school in an eligible 
country.
294
(iii) ELIGIBLE COLLEGE OR UNIVER-
SITY DEFINED.—In this subparagraph, the 
term ‘‘eligible college or university’’ means 
a college or university that is organized 
under the laws of the United States, a 
State, or the District of Columbia, accred-
ited by an accrediting agency recognized by 
the Secretary of Education, and primarily 
located in, but not controlled by, an eligible 
country. 
(L) LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary is authorized to provide travel and 
subsistence funding for students who are 
United States citizens to travel to eligible coun-
tries to participate in immersion training pro-
grams in languages used in such countries and 
to develop regulations governing the provision 
of such funding. 
(e) SECONDARY SCHOOL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to establish an international exchange visitor pro-
gram, modeled on the Future Leaders Exchange 
Program established under the FREEDOM Support 
Act (22 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), for eligible students 
to—
295
(A) attend public secondary school in the 
United States; 
(B) live with a host family in the United 
States; and 
(C) participate in activities designed to 
promote a greater understanding of United 
States and Islamic values and culture. 
(2) ELIGIBLE STUDENT DEFINED.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘‘eligible student’’ means an indi-
vidual who—
(A) is a national of an eligible country; 
(B) is at least 15 years of age but not 
more than 18 years and 6 months of age at the 
time of enrollment in the program; 
(C) is enrolled in a secondary school in an 
eligible country; 
(D) has completed not more than 11 years 
of primary and secondary education, exclusive 
of kindergarten; 
(E) demonstrates maturity, good char-
acter, and scholastic aptitude, and has the pro-
ficiency in the English language necessary to 
participate in the program; 
(F) has not previously participated in an 
exchange program in the United States spon-
296
sored by the Government of the United States; 
and 
(G) is not prohibited from entering the 
United States under any provision of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 
seq.) or any other provision of law related to 
immigration and nationality. 
(3) COMPLIANCE WITH VISA REQUIREMENTS.—
An eligible student may not participate in the ex-
change visitor program authorized by paragraph (1) 
unless the eligible student has the status of non-
immigrant under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Immi-
gration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)(J)). 
(4) BROAD PARTICIPATION.—Whenever appro-
priate, the Secretary shall make special provisions to 
ensure the broadest possible participation in the ex-
change visitor program authorized by paragraph (1), 
particularly among females and less advantaged citi-
zens of eligible countries. 
(5) DESIGNATED
EXCHANGE
VISITOR
PRO-
GRAM.—The exchange visitor program authorized by 
paragraph (1) shall be a designated exchange visitor 
program for the purposes of section 641 of the Ille-
297
gal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsi-
bility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1372). 
(6) 
REGULAR
REPORTING
TO
THE
SEC-
RETARY.—If the Secretary utilizes a United States 
sponsoring organization to carry out the exchange 
visitor program authorized by paragraph (1), such 
United States sponsoring organization shall report 
regularly to the Secretary on the progress it has 
made to implement such program. 
(f) REPORT ON EXPEDITING VISAS FOR PARTICI-
PANTS IN EXCHANGE, SCHOLARSHIP, AND VISITORS PRO-
GRAMS.—
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit to Congress a report on expediting the 
issuance of visas to individuals who are entering the 
United States for the purpose of participating in a 
scholarship, exchange, or visitor program authorized 
in subsection (d) or (e) without compromising the 
security of the United States. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report required 
by paragraph (1) shall include—
(A) the recommendations of the Secretary 
and the Secretary of Homeland Security, if any,
298
for methods to expedite the processing of re-
quests for such visas; and 
(B) a proposed schedule for implementing 
any recommendations described in subpara-
graph (A). 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated for educational 
and cultural exchange programs for fiscal year 2005, there 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
State $60,000,000 to carry out programs under this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 248. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY FUND. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Consistent with the report of the Na-
tional Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States, Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Education that teaches tolerance, the dig-
nity and value of each individual, and respect for 
different beliefs is a key element in any global strat-
egy to eliminate Islamist terrorism. 
(2) Education in the Middle East about the 
world outside that region is weak. 
(3) The United Nations has rightly equated lit-
eracy with freedom. 
(4) The international community is moving to-
ward setting a concrete goal of reducing by half the
299
illiteracy rate in the Middle East by 2010, through 
the implementation of education programs targeting 
women and girls and programs for adult literacy, 
and by other means. 
(5) To be effective, the effort to improve edu-
cation in the Middle East must also include—
(A) support for the provision of basic edu-
cation tools, such as textbooks that translate 
more of the world’s knowledge into local lan-
guages and local libraries to house such mate-
rials; and 
(B) more vocational education in trades 
and business skills. 
(6) The Middle East can benefit from some of 
the same programs to bridge the digital divide that 
already have been developed for other regions of the 
world. 
(b) INTERNATIONAL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY FUND.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President shall es-
tablish an International Youth Opportunity 
Fund (hereafter in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Fund’’). 
(B) 
INTERNATIONAL
PARTICIPATION.—
The President shall seek the cooperation of the
300
international community in establishing and 
generously supporting the Fund. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Fund shall 
be to provide financial assistance for the improve-
ment of public education in the Middle East, includ-
ing assistance for the construction and operation of 
primary and secondary schools in countries that 
have a sizable Muslim population and that commit 
to sensibly investing their own financial resources in 
public education. 
(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE.—
(A) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary of 
State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International De-
velopment, shall determine which countries are 
eligible for assistance through the Fund. 
(B) CRITERIA.—In determining whether a 
country is eligible for assistance, the Secretary 
shall consider whether the government of that 
country is sensibly investing financial resources 
in public education and is committed to pro-
moting a system of education that teaches toler-
ance, the dignity and value of each individual, 
and respect for different beliefs.
301
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Financial assistance pro-
vided through the Fund shall be used for expanding 
literacy programs, providing textbooks, reducing the 
digital divide, expanding vocational and business 
education, constructing and operating public schools, 
establishing local libraries, training teachers in mod-
ern education techniques, and promoting public edu-
cation that teaches tolerance, the dignity and value 
of each individual, and respect for different beliefs. 
(c) REPORT.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter, the Secretary of State and the Ad-
ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development shall jointly prepare and sub-
mit to Congress a report on the improvement of edu-
cation in the Middle East. 
(2) CONTENT.—Reports submitted under this 
subsection shall include the following: 
(A) A general strategy for working with el-
igible host governments in the Middle East to-
ward establishing the International Youth Op-
portunity Fund and related programs. 
(B) A listing of countries that are eligible 
for assistance under such programs.
302
(C) A description of the specific programs 
initiated in each eligible country and the 
amount expended in support of such programs. 
(D) A description of activities undertaken 
to close the digital divide and expand vocational 
and business skills in eligible countries. 
(E) A listing of activities that could be un-
dertaken if additional funding were provided 
and the amount of funding that would be nec-
essary to carry out such activities. 
(F) A strategy for garnering programmatic 
and financial support from international organi-
zations and other countries in support of the 
Fund and activities related to the improvement 
of public education in eligible countries. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the President for the 
establishment of the International Youth Opportunity 
Fund, in addition to any amounts otherwise available for 
such purpose, $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 and such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2006 through 
2009.