Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act
Bill: H.R.2940 | Sponsor: Rep. Price, David E. (D-NC)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise revises international education programs. These programs provide grants to institutions of higher education and related entities to (1) enhance instruction in international and foreign language studies, and (2) promote international business skills and education.
First, the bill reauthorizes programs related to international and foreign language studies. Specifically, it extends (1) the Graduate and Undergraduate Language and Area Centers and Programs, which include the National Resource Centers program; (2) the Language Resource Centers; (3) the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs; and (4) the American Overseas Research Centers.
Next, the bill revises the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships program to permit graduate students to receive a stipend for the beginning, intermediate, or advanced study of a foreign language related to the student's area of specialization.
Further, the bill replaces the existing Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access program with an international research and innovation program.
Additionally, the bill reauthorizes programs related to international business skills and education. Specifically, it reauthorizes the Centers for International Business Education program. It also reauthorizes the Education and Training program and otherwise makes changes to the program, including by (1) renaming the program; and (2) mandating certain program activities, such as the incorporation of specified programs and studies into professional education and technical training curricula.
Finally, the bill permits the Department of Education to prioritize grant applications from minority-serving institutions.

To reauthorize title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing International and Foreign 
Language Education Act''.

SEC. 2. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) Graduate and Undergraduate Language and Area Centers and 
Programs.--Section 602(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1122(b)(2)(B)(ii)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (III), by striking ``or'';
            (2) in subclause (IV), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(V) the beginning, intermediate, or 
                        advanced study of a foreign language related to 
                        the area of specialization.''.
    (b) International Research and Innovation.--Section 605 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1125) is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 605. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to support 
essential international and foreign language education research and 
innovation projects with the goal of assessing and strengthening 
international education capacity, coordination, delivery, and outcomes 
to meet national needs.
    ``(b) Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the amount provided to carry out 
        this section, the Secretary shall carry out the following 
        activities:
                    ``(A) Conduct research and studies that contribute 
                to the purpose described in subsection (a) and include 
                research to provide a systematic understanding of our 
                nation's international and foreign language education 
                capacity, structures, and effectiveness in meeting 
                growing demands by education, government, and the 
                private sector (including business and other 
                professions).
                    ``(B) Create innovative paradigms or enhance or 
                scale up proven strategies and practices that address 
                systemic challenges to developing and delivering 
                international and foreign language education resources 
                and expertise across educational disciplines and 
                institutions, and for employers and other stakeholders.
                    ``(C) Develop and manage a national standardized 
                database that includes the strengths, gaps, and trends 
                in the nation's international and foreign language 
                education capacity, and document the outcomes of 
                programs funded under this title for every grant cycle.
            ``(2) Grants or contracts.--The Secretary shall carry out 
        activities to achieve the outcomes described in paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) directly; or
                    ``(B) through grants awarded under subsection (d) 
                or (e).
    ``(c) Eligible Entities Defined.--In this section, the term 
`eligible entity' means--
            ``(1) an institution of higher education;
            ``(2) a public or private nonprofit library;
            ``(3) a nonprofit educational organization;
            ``(4) an entity that--
                    ``(A) received a grant under this title for a 
                preceding fiscal year; or
                    ``(B) as of the date of application for a grant 
                under this section is receiving a grant under this 
                title; or
            ``(5) a partnership of two or more entities described in 
        paragraphs (1) through (4).
    ``(d)  Research Grants.--
            ``(1) Program authorized.--For any fiscal year for which 
        the Secretary carries out activities to achieve the outcomes 
        described in subsection (b)(1) through research grants under 
        this subsection, the Secretary shall award such grants, on a 
        competitive basis, to eligible entities.
            ``(2) Required activities.--An eligible entity that 
        receives a grant under this subsection shall use the grant 
        funds for the systematic development, collection, analysis, 
        publication, and dissemination of data, and other information 
        resources in a manner that is easily understandable, made 
        publicly available, and that contributes to achieving the 
        purposes of subsection (a) and achieves at least 1 of the 
        outcomes described in subsection (b)(1).
            ``(3) Discretionary activities.--An eligible entity that 
        receives a grant under this subsection may use the grant to 
        carry out the following activities:
                    ``(A) Assess and document international and foreign 
                language education capacity and supply through studies 
                or surveys that--
                            ``(i) determine the number of foreign 
                        language courses, programs, and enrollments at 
                        all levels of education and in all languages, 
                        including a determination of gaps in those 
                        deemed critical to the national interest;
                            ``(ii) measure the number and types of 
                        degrees or certificates awarded in area 
                        studies, global studies, foreign language 
                        studies, and international business and 
                        professional studies, including identification 
                        of gaps in those deemed critical to the 
                        national interest;
                            ``(iii) measure the number of foreign 
                        language, area or international studies 
                        faculty, including international business 
                        faculty, and elementary school and secondary 
                        school foreign language teachers by language, 
                        degree, and world area; or
                            ``(iv) measure the number of undergraduate 
                        and graduate students engaging in long- or 
                        short-term education or internship abroad 
                        programs as part of their curriculum, including 
                        countries of destination.
                    ``(B) Assess the demands for, and outcomes of, 
                international and foreign language education and their 
                alignment, through studies, surveys, and conferences 
                to--
                            ``(i) determine demands for increased or 
                        improved instruction in foreign language, area 
                        or global studies, or other international 
                        fields, and the demand for employees with such 
                        skills and knowledge in the education, 
                        government, and private sectors (including 
                        business and other professions);
                            ``(ii) assess the employment or utilization 
                        of graduates of programs supported under this 
                        title by educational, governmental, and private 
                        sector organizations (including business and 
                        other professions); or
                            ``(iii) assess standardized outcomes and 
                        effectiveness and benchmarking of programs 
                        supported under this title.
                    ``(C) Develop and publish specialized materials for 
                use in foreign language, area, global, or other 
                international studies, including in international 
                business or other professional education or technical 
                training, as appropriate.
                    ``(D) Conduct studies or surveys that identify and 
                document systemic challenges and changes needed in 
                higher education and elementary school and secondary 
                school systems to make international and foreign 
                language education available to all students as part of 
                the basic curriculum, including challenges in current 
                evaluation standards, entrance and graduation 
                requirements, program accreditation, student degree 
                requirements, or teacher and faculty legal workplace 
                barriers to education and research abroad.
                    ``(E) With respect to underrepresented institutions 
                of higher education (including minority-serving 
                institutions or community colleges), carry out studies 
                or surveys that identify and document--
                            ``(i) systemic challenges and changes and 
                        incentives and partnerships needed to 
                        comprehensively and sustainably 
                        internationalize educational programming; or
                            ``(ii) short- and long-term outcomes of 
                        successful internationalization strategies and 
                        funding models.
                    ``(F) Evaluate the extent to which programs 
                assisted under this title reflect diverse perspectives 
                and a wide range of views and generate debate on world 
                regions and international affairs.
    ``(e)  Innovation Grants.--
            ``(1) Program authorized.--For any fiscal year for which 
        the Secretary carries out activities to achieve the outcomes 
        described in subsection (b)(1) through innovation grants under 
        this subsection, the Secretary shall award such grants, on a 
        competitive basis, to eligible entities.
            ``(2) Uses of funds.--An eligible entity that receives an 
        innovation grant under this subsection shall use the grant 
        funds to fund projects consistent with the purposes described 
        in subsection (a) that establish and conduct innovative 
        strategies, or scale up proven strategies, and that achieve at 
        least 1 of the outcomes described in subsection (b)(1), which 
        may include one or more of the following:
                    ``(A) Innovative paradigms to improve 
                communication, sharing, and delivery of resources that 
                further the purposes described in subsection (a) 
                including the following:
                            ``(i) Networking structures and systems to 
                        more effectively match graduates with 
                        international and foreign language education 
                        skills with employment needs.
                            ``(ii) Sharing international specialist 
                        expertise across institutions of higher 
                        education or in the workforce to pursue 
                        specialization or learning opportunities not 
                        available at any single institution of higher 
                        education, such as shared courses for studying 
                        less commonly taught languages, world areas or 
                        regions, international business or other 
                        professional areas, or specialized research 
                        topics of national strategic interest.
                            ``(iii) Producing, collecting, organizing, 
                        preserving, and widely disseminating 
                        international and foreign language education 
                        expertise, resources, courses, and other 
                        information through the use of electronic 
                        technologies and other techniques.
                            ``(iv) Collaborative initiatives to 
                        identify, capture, and provide consistent 
                        access to, and creation of, digital global 
                        library resources that are beyond the capacity 
                        of any single eligible entity receiving a grant 
                        under this section or any single institution of 
                        higher education, including the professional 
                        development of library staff.
                            ``(v) Utilization of technology to create 
                        open-source resources in international, area, 
                        global, and foreign language studies that are 
                        adaptable to multiple educational settings and 
                        promote interdisciplinary partnerships between 
                        technologists, curriculum designers, 
                        international and foreign language education 
                        experts, language teachers, and librarians.
                    ``(B) Innovative curriculum, teaching, and learning 
                strategies, including the following:
                            ``(i) New initiatives for collaborations of 
                        disciplinary programs with foreign language, 
                        area, global, and international studies, and 
                        education abroad programs that address the 
                        internationalization of such disciplinary 
                        studies with the purpose of producing globally 
                        competent graduates.
                            ``(ii) Innovative collaborations between 
                        established centers of international and 
                        foreign language education excellence and 
                        underrepresented institutions and populations 
                        seeking to further their goals for 
                        strengthening international, area, global, and 
                        foreign language studies, including at 
                        minority-serving institutions or community 
                        colleges.
                            ``(iii) Teaching and learning 
                        collaborations among foreign language, area, 
                        global, or other international studies with 
                        diaspora communities, including heritage 
                        students.
                            ``(iv) New approaches and methods to 
                        teaching emerging global issues, cross-regional 
                        interactions, and underrepresented regions or 
                        countries, such as project- and team-based 
                        learning.
                    ``(C) Innovative assessment and outcome tools and 
                techniques that further the purposes described in 
                subsection (a), including the following:
                            ``(i) International and foreign language 
                        education assessment techniques that are 
                        coupled with outcome-focused training modules, 
                        such as certificates or badges, immersion 
                        learning, or e-portfolio systems.
                            ``(ii) Effective and easily accessible 
                        methods of assessing professionally useful 
                        levels of proficiency in foreign languages or 
                        competencies in area, culture, and global 
                        knowledge or other international fields in 
                        programs under this title, which may include 
                        use of open access online and other cost-
                        effective tools for students and educators at 
                        all educational levels and in the workplace.
    ``(f) Application.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall 
require, including--
            ``(1) a description of each proposed project the eligible 
        entity plans to carry out under this section and how such 
        project meets the purposes described in subsection (a);
            ``(2) if applicable, a demonstration of why the entity 
        needs a waiver or reduction of the matching requirement under 
        subsection (g); and
            ``(3) an assurance that each such proposed project will be 
        self-sustainable after the project is completed.
    ``(g) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost for 
        carrying out a project supported by a grant under this section 
        shall be no more than 66.66 percent.
            ``(2) Non-federal share contributions.--The non-Federal 
        share of such cost may be provided either in-kind or in cash, 
        from institutional and non-institutional funds, including 
        contributions from State or private sector corporations, 
        nonprofits, or foundations.
            ``(3) Special rule.--The Secretary may waive or reduce the 
        share required under paragraph (1) for eligible entities that--
                    ``(A) are minority-serving institutions or are 
                community colleges; or
                    ``(B) have submitted a grant application as 
                required by subsection (f) that demonstrates a need for 
                such a waiver or reduction.
    ``(h) Database and Reporting.--The Secretary shall directly, or 
through grants or contracts with an eligible grant recipient--
            ``(1) establish, curate, maintain, and update at least 
        every grant cycle a web-based site which shall showcase the 
        results of this section and serve as a user-friendly repository 
        of the information, resources, and best practices generated 
        through activities conducted under this section; and
            ``(2) prepare, publish, and disseminate to Congress and the 
        public at least once every 5 years, a report that summarizes 
        key findings and policy issues from the activities conducted 
        under this section, especially as such activities relate to 
        international and foreign language education and outcomes.''.
    (c) Discontinuation of Foreign Information Access Program.--Part A 
of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1121 et 
seq.) is further amended by striking sections 606 and 610, and 
redesignating sections 607, 608, and 609 as sections 606, 607, and 608, 
respectively.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) Findings; Purpose.--Section 611 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1130) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) the future welfare of the United States will depend 
        substantially on increasing international and global skills in 
        business, educational, and other professional communities and 
        creating an awareness among the American public of the 
        internationalization of our economy and numerous other 
        professional areas important to the national interest in the 
        21st century;'';
                    (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) concerted efforts are necessary to engage business 
        and other professional education and technical training 
        programs, language, area, and global study programs, 
        professional international affairs education programs, public 
        and private sector organizations, and United States business in 
        a mutually productive relationship which benefits the Nation's 
        future economic and security interests;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and the 
                international'' and inserting ``and other professional 
                fields and the international and global''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (4)--
                            (i) by inserting ``, as well as other 
                        professional organizations'' after 
                        ``departments of commerce''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``or other professions'' 
                        after ``business''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``and economic enterprise'' 
                        and inserting ``, economic enterprise, and 
                        security''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``and other 
                        professional'' before ``personnel''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``to prosper in 
                an international'' and inserting ``and other 
                professional fields to prosper in a global''.
    (b) Professional and Technical Education for Global 
Competitiveness.--Section 613 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1130a) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 613. PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR GLOBAL 
              COMPETITIVENESS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to support 
innovative strategies that provide undergraduate and graduate students 
with the global professional competencies, perspectives, and skills 
needed to strengthen and enrich global engagement and competitiveness 
in a wide variety of professional and technical fields important to the 
national interest in the 21st Century.
    ``(b) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall make grants to, or 
enter into contracts with eligible entities to pay the Federal share of 
the cost of programs designed to--
            ``(1) establish an interdisciplinary global focus in the 
        undergraduate and graduate curricula of business, science, 
        technology, engineering, and other professional education and 
        technical training programs to be determined by the Secretary 
        based on national needs;
            ``(2) produce graduates with proficiencies in both the 
        global aspects of their professional education or technical 
        training fields and international, cross-cultural, and foreign 
        language skills; and
            ``(3) provide appropriate services to or partnerships with 
        the corporate, government, and nonprofit communities in order 
        to expand knowledge and capacity for global engagement and 
        competitiveness and provide internship or employment 
        opportunities for students and graduates with international 
        skills.
    ``(c) Mandatory Activities.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall use the grant to carry out the 
following:
            ``(1) With respect to undergraduate or graduate 
        professional education and technical training curricula, 
        incorporating--
                    ``(A) foreign language programs that lead to 
                proficiency, including immersion opportunities;
                    ``(B) international, area, or global studies 
                programs;
                    ``(C) education, internships, or other innovative 
                or technological linkages abroad; and
                    ``(D) global business, economic, and trade studies, 
                where appropriate.
            ``(2) Innovating and improving international, global, and 
        foreign language education curricula to serve the needs of 
        business and other professional and non-profit communities, 
        including development of new programs for nontraditional, mid-
        career, or part-time students.
            ``(3) Establishing education or internship abroad programs, 
        domestic globally-focused internships, or other innovative 
        approaches to enable undergraduate or graduate students in 
        professional education or technical training to develop foreign 
        language skills and knowledge of foreign cultures, societies, 
        and global dimensions of their professional fields.
            ``(4) Developing collaborations between institutions of 
        higher education and corporations or non-profit organizations 
        in order to strengthen engagement and competitiveness in global 
        business, trade, or other global professional activities.
    ``(d) Discretionary Activities.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section may use the grant to carry out the following:
            ``(1) Developing specialized teaching materials and 
        courses, including foreign language and area or global studies 
        materials, and innovative technological delivery systems 
        appropriate for professionally-oriented students.
            ``(2) Establishing student fellowships or other innovative 
        support opportunities, including for underrepresented 
        populations, first generation college students (defined in 
        section 402A), and heritage learners, for education and 
        training in global professional development activities.
            ``(3) Developing opportunities or fellowships for faculty 
        or junior faculty of professional education or technical 
        training (including the faculty of minority-serving 
        institutions or community colleges) to acquire or strengthen 
        international and global skills and perspectives.
            ``(4) Creating institutes that take place over academic 
        breaks, like the summer, including through technological means, 
        and cover foreign language, world area, global, or other 
        international studies in learning areas of global business, 
        science, technology, engineering, or other professional 
        education and training fields.
            ``(5) Internationalizing curricula at minority-serving 
        institutions or community colleges to further the purposes of 
        this section.
            ``(6) Establishing international linkages or partnerships 
        with institutions of higher education, corporations, or 
        organizations that contribute to the objectives of this 
        section.
            ``(7) Developing programs to inform the public of 
        increasing global interdependence in professional education and 
        technical training fields.
            ``(8) Establishing trade education programs through 
        agreements with regional, national, global, bilateral, or 
        multilateral trade centers, councils, or associations.
    ``(e) Application.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and including such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require, including assurances that--
            ``(1) each proposed project have reasonable and 
        demonstrable plans for sustainability and replicability upon 
        completion of the project;
            ``(2) the institution of higher education will use the 
        assistance provided under this section to supplement and not 
        supplant activities conducted by institutions of higher 
        education described in (b);
            ``(3) in the case of eligible entities that are consortia 
        of institutions of higher education, or partnership described 
        in subsection (g)(1)(C), a copy of their partnership agreement 
        that demonstrates compliance with subsection (b) will be 
        provided to the Secretary;
            ``(4) the activities funded by the grant will reflect 
        diverse perspectives and a wide range of views of world regions 
        and international affairs where applicable; and
            ``(5) if applicable, a demonstration of why the eligible 
        entity needs a waiver or reduction of the matching requirement 
        under subsection (f).
    ``(f) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Federal share of the total cost for 
        carrying out a program supported by a grant under this section 
        shall be not more than 50 percent.
            ``(2) Non-federal share contributions.--The non-Federal 
        share of such cost may be provided either in-kind or in cash, 
        from institutional and non-institutional funds, including 
        contributions from State and private sector corporations, 
        nonprofits, or foundations.
            ``(3) Special rule.--The Secretary may waive or reduce the 
        share required under paragraph (1) for eligible entities that--
                    ``(A) are minority-serving institutions or are 
                community colleges; or
                    ``(B) have submitted a grant application as 
                required by subsection (e) that demonstrates a need for 
                such a waiver or reduction.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) an institution of higher education;
                    ``(B) a consortia of such institutions; or
                    ``(C) a partnership between--
                            ``(i) an institution of higher education or 
                        a consortia of such institutions; and
                            ``(ii) at least one corporate or nonprofit 
                        entity.
            ``(2) Professional education and technical training.--The 
        term `professional education and technical training' means a 
        program at an institution of higher education that offers 
        undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level education in a 
        professional or technical field that is determined by the 
        Secretary as meeting a national need for global or 
        international competency (which may include business, science, 
        technology, engineering, law, health, energy, environment, 
        agriculture, transportation, or education).''.
    (c) Discontinuation of Certain Authorizations of Appropriations.--
Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1130 et seq.) is 
further amended by striking section 614.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
              PUBLIC POLICY.

    Part C of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.) is repealed.

SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 631(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1132(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) the term `community college' means a public 
        institution of higher education at which the highest degree 
        that is predominantly awarded to students is an associate 
        degree, including a 2-year Tribal College or University (as 
        defined in section 316);
            ``(12) the term `heritage student' means a postsecondary 
        student who--
                    ``(A) was born in the United States to immigrant 
                parents or immigrated to the United States at an early 
                age;
                    ``(B) is proficient in English, but raised in a 
                family primarily speaking 1 or more languages of the 
                country of origin; and
                    ``(C) maintains a close affinity with the family's 
                culture and language of origin; and
            ``(13) the term `minority-serving institution' means an 
        institution of higher education that is eligible to receive a 
        grant under part A or B of title III or title V.''.
    (b) Minority-Serving Institutions.--Part D of title VI of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1132 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by striking sections 637 and 638; and
            (2) by inserting after section 636, the following:

``SEC. 637. PRIORITY TO MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

    ``(a) Priority.--In seeking applications and awarding grants under 
this title, the Secretary, may give priority to--
            ``(1) minority-serving institutions; or
            ``(2) institutions of higher education that apply for such 
        grants that propose significant and sustained collaborative 
        activities with one or more minority-serving institutions.
    ``(b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to minority-serving institutions to ensure maximum 
distribution of grants to eligible minority-serving institutions and 
among each category of such institutions.''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Part D of title VI of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1132 et seq.) is further 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 638. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022 and for each 
succeeding fiscal year.''.
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