I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5091 
To authorize assistance to the people of the Republic of Haiti to fund 
scholarships for talented disadvantaged students in Haiti to continue 
their education in the United States and to return to Haiti to contribute 
to the development of their country, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 5, 2006 
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ROS- 
LEHTINEN, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. LEE, Mr. 
WELLER, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. 
NAPOLITANO, and Mr. MEEKS of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To authorize assistance to the people of the Republic of 
Haiti to fund scholarships for talented disadvantaged 
students in Haiti to continue their education in the 
United States and to return to Haiti to contribute to 
the development of their country, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Henry J. Hyde Schol-
arships for Haiti Act of 2006’’. 
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SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish an under-
graduate scholarship program which is designed to bring 
talented students of limited financial means from Haiti 
to the United States for study at United States institu-
tions of higher education to— 
(1) improve the diversity and quality of edu-
cational opportunities for such students; 
(2) assist the development efforts of Haiti by 
providing training and educational assistance to per-
sons who can help address the social and economic 
needs of Haiti; 
(3) build a well-educated middle-class in Haiti 
which is capable and willing to provide leadership in 
the public and private sectors to help sustain the po-
litical and economic progress that is sorely needed to 
confront the daunting challenges of that country; 
and 
(4) promote positive and productive relation-
ships between the United States and Haiti. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) It is in the national interest of the United 
States to provide a stable source of financial support 
to give talented students in Haiti the opportunity to 
study in the United States in order to improve the 
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range and quality of educational alternatives for 
these students, further the development of Haiti, 
and build enduring relationships between the people 
of the United States and the people of Haiti. 
(2) Providing scholarship to foreign students to 
study in the United States has proven to be an ef-
fective means of creating strong bonds between the 
United States and the future leadership of devel-
oping countries and assisting those countries to sub-
stantially further their development objectives. 
(3) Talented students from families of limited 
financial means in Haiti traditionally have few, if 
any, opportunities to continue their education in 
their own country and are less likely to pursue high-
er education in the United States. 
(4) In 2003, 76 percent of the population in 
Haiti earned less than the equivalent of $2.00 per 
day, and 56 percent of the population in the country 
in the same year earned less than the equivalent of 
$1.00 per day. 
(5) In 2003, the literacy rate of individuals in 
Haiti who are older than 15 years of age was less 
than 52 percent. The net primary school enrollment 
rate was 68 percent, as compared to the average of 
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approximately 78 percent for other low income coun-
tries, such as Afghanistan and Guinea-Bissau. 
(6) Women in Haiti are more likely to be ad-
versely affected by the dire economic and social con-
ditions in Haiti. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, shall provide scholarships (includ-
ing partial assistance) for undergraduate study at United 
States institutions of higher education (as such term is 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) by citizens and nationals of Haiti 
who have completed their secondary education with dis-
tinction and who would not otherwise have the opportunity 
to study in the United States due to financial constraints. 
(b) FORM OF SCHOLARSHIP; FORGIVENESS OF LOAN 
REPAYMENT.—To encourage Haitian students to use their 
training and education for the benefit of Haiti, each schol-
arship that is extended under this Act shall be in the form 
of a loan. All repayment of the loan (including principal 
and accrued interest) shall be forgiven upon the scholar-
ship recipient’s prompt return to Haiti for a period which 
is at least one year longer than the period spent studying 
in the United States under the scholarship. 
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(c) GUIDELINES.—The scholarship program under 
this Act shall be carried out in accordance with the perti-
nent guidelines of section 604 of the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 (22 
U.S.C. 4704; Public Law 99–93; relating to guidelines for 
United States scholarship program for developing coun-
tries). 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE PEACE 
CORPS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the President, acting 
through the Director of the Peace Corps, should, as soon 
as practicable, make available again to the Government 
of Haiti qualified Peace Corps volunteers who would serve 
under hardship conditions to— 
(1) assist the people of Haiti to improve literacy 
rates and meet other basic needs so that they can 
become economically self-sufficient; and 
(2) promote mutual understanding between the 
people of the United States and the people of Haiti. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2007, 2008, 
and 2009, for the President, acting through the Adminis-
trator for the United States Agency for International De-
velopment, to carry out this Act. 
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