I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1617 
To strengthen communities through English literacy and civics education 
for new Americans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 15, 2011 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. CHU, Ms. CLARKE of New 
York, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FILNER, Mr. AL GREEN 
of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. LEE of Cali-
fornia, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. POLIS, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. 
SABLAN, Mr. STARK, Ms. ZOE
LOFGREN
of California, Mrs. 
NAPOLITANO, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, and Ms. HANABUSA) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To strengthen communities through English literacy and 
civics education for new Americans, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Edu-
cation and English Development Act of 2011’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purposes. 
TITLE I—EXPANDING ENGLISH LITERACY, U.S. HISTORY, AND 
CIVICS EDUCATION 
Sec. 101. Increased investment in English literacy, U.S. history, and civics edu-
cation under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. 
Sec. 102. Definitions of English language learner. 
Sec. 103. Research in adult education. 
TITLE II—SUPPORTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND 
ADULT EDUCATION IN THE WORKFORCE 
Sec. 201. Presidential award for business leadership in promoting United 
States citizenship. 
TITLE III—BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES 
Sec. 301. Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration. 
Sec. 302. Grants to States. 
Sec. 303. Authorized activities. 
Sec. 304. Reporting and evaluation. 
Sec. 305. New citizens award program. 
Sec. 306. Rule of construction. 
Sec. 307. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to meet the growing need for English lit-
eracy, U.S. history, and civics education programs 
for new Americans in the United States; and 
(2) to encourage proactive policies to introduce 
new Americans into the Nation in order to maximize 
the benefits provided to these individuals and to the 
community. 
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TITLE I—EXPANDING ENGLISH 
LITERACY, U.S. HISTORY, AND 
CIVICS EDUCATION 
SEC. 101. INCREASED INVESTMENT IN ENGLISH LITERACY, 
U.S. 
HISTORY, 
AND 
CIVICS 
EDUCATION 
UNDER THE ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY 
LITERACY ACT. 
(a) INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY AND CIVICS 
EDUCATION PROGRAM.—Section 203 of the Adult Edu-
cation and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9202) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (12) through 
(18) as paragraphs (13) through (19), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (11), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(12) INTEGRATED
ENGLISH
LITERACY, U.S. 
HISTORY, AND CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and 
civics education program’ means a program of in-
struction designed to help an English language 
learner achieve competence in English through 
contextualized instruction on the rights and respon-
sibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, 
civic participation, and United States history and 
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government to help such learner acquire the skills 
and knowledge to become an active and informed 
parent, worker, and community member.’’. 
(b) 
STATE
LEADERSHIP
ACTIVITIES.—Section 
223(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
(20 U.S.C. 9223(a)) is amended by inserting after para-
graph (11) the following: 
‘‘(12) Technical assistance for grant applica-
tions of faith- and community-based organizations.’’. 
(c) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY.—Section 
242(c)(1) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
(20 U.S.C. 9252(c)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (G), (H), 
and (I), as subparagraphs (I), (J), and (K), respec-
tively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(G) to coordinate and share information 
with national organizations and associations 
that are interested in integrated English lit-
eracy, U.S. history, and civics education pro-
grams; 
‘‘(H) to study the effectiveness of distance 
learning or self-study programs in assisting the 
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English language learner population achieve 
competence in English;’’. 
(d) REPORT.—Section 242(k) of the Adult Education 
and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9252(k)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (4); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) a separate analysis of— 
‘‘(A) national and State adult English in-
struction needs; 
‘‘(B) data on the composition of recent im-
migration flows and immigration settlement 
patterns across the United States; and 
‘‘(C) estimated instructional needs based 
on the English ability and educational attain-
ment of English language learners under recent 
migration patterns; and’’. 
(e) NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES.—Section 
243 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 
U.S.C. 9253) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
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(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, 
and civics education programs’’ before the semi-
colon at the end; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, 
and civics education programs’’ before ‘‘, based 
on scientific evidence’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, 
and civics education programs’’ before the semi-
colon at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by inserting 
‘‘integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and 
civics education programs,’’ before ‘‘and work-
place literacy programs’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (E)— 
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and in-
tegrated English literacy, U.S. history, and 
civics education programs’’ before the 
semicolon at the end; 
(ii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(iii) in clause (iv)— 
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(I) by striking ‘‘section 231’’ and 
inserting ‘‘sections 231 and 244’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(v) the extent to which integrated 
English literacy, U.S. history, and civics 
education programs carried out under sec-
tion 244 lead participants in such pro-
grams to increase their civic participation 
and, if applicable, lead such participants to 
become United States citizens;’’. 
(f) INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY, U.S. HISTORY, 
AND CIVICS EDUCATION.—Chapter 4 of subtitle A of the 
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 
9251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 244. INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY, U.S. HISTORY, 
AND CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From funds appro-
priated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award 
grants to States, from allocations under subsection (b), 
for integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics 
education programs. 
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‘‘(b) ALLOCATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
from the amount appropriated under subsection (c) 
for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate— 
‘‘(A) 65 percent of such amount to States 
on the basis of a State’s need for integrated 
English, U.S. history, and civics education pro-
grams, as determined by calculating each 
State’s share of a 10-year average of the data 
compiled by the Office of Immigration Statistics 
of the Department of Homeland Security, for 
immigrants admitted for lawful permanent resi-
dence for the 10 most recent years; and 
‘‘(B) 35 percent of such amount to the 
States on the basis of whether the State experi-
enced growth, as measured by the average of 
the 3 most recent years for which data compiled 
by the Office of Immigration Statistics of the 
Department of Homeland Security are avail-
able, for immigrants admitted for lawful perma-
nent residence. 
‘‘(2) MINIMUM.—No State shall receive an allo-
cation under paragraph (1) in an amount that is less 
than $60,000. 
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