Title: BEST Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act or the BEST Act
This bill directs the Department of Education to award renewable two-year grants to states to establish or improve, and carry out, Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3119 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3119

To award grants to States to establish or improve, and carry out a Seal 
 of Biliteracy program to recognize high-level student proficiency in 
 speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 5, 2019

Ms. Brownley of California (for herself, Mr. Carbajal, Mrs. Napolitano, 
 Mr. Cardenas, and Mr. Langevin) introduced the following bill; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award grants to States to establish or improve, and carry out a Seal 
 of Biliteracy program to recognize high-level student proficiency in 
 speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.

    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 ``Biliteracy Education Seal and 
Teaching Act'' or the ``BEST Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The people of the United States celebrate cultural and 
        linguistic diversity and seek to prepare students with skills 
        to succeed in the 21st century.
            (2) It is fitting to commend the dedication of students who 
        have achieved proficiency in multiple languages and to 
        encourage their peers to follow in their footsteps.
            (3) The study of world languages in elementary and 
        secondary schools should be encouraged because it contributes 
        to a student's cognitive development and to the national 
        economy and security.
            (4) The congressionally requested Commission on Language 
        Learning, in its 2017 report ``America's Languages: Investing 
        in Language Education for the 21st Century,'' notes the 
        pressing national need for more Americans proficient in two or 
        more languages, for national security, economic growth, and the 
        fulfillment of the potential of all Americans.
            (5) Recognition of student achievement in language 
        proficiency will enable institutions of higher education and 
        employers to readily recognize and acknowledge the valuable 
        expertise of bilingual students in academia and the workplace.
            (6) California has pioneered the first State system in the 
        Nation to recognize students for achieving proficiency in 
        multiple languages. In 2012, California awarded a Seal of 
        Biliteracy to over 10,000 graduating high school seniors in 37 
        school districts. By 2019, 35 States and the District of 
        Columbia will have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy.
            (7) Students in every State should be able to benefit from 
        a Seal of Biliteracy program.

SEC. 3. STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Education shall award grants 
to States to establish or improve, and carry out a Seal of Biliteracy 
program to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and 
writing in both English and a second language.
    (b) Grant Application.--In order to receive a grant under this 
section, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as 
the Secretary may require, including--
            (1) a description of the criteria a student must meet to 
        demonstrate proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in 
        both English and a second language;
            (2) assurances that a student who meets the requirements 
        under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) receives a permanent seal or other marker on 
                the student's secondary school diploma or its 
                equivalent; and
                    (B) receives documentation of proficiency in the 
                student's official academic transcript; and
            (3) assurances that a student is not charged a fee for 
        submitting an application under subsection (c).
    (c) Student Participation in a Seal of Biliteracy Program.--To 
participate in a Seal of Biliteracy program, a student must submit an 
application to the State that serves the student at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information and assurances as the State may 
require, including assurances that the student--
            (1) will receive a secondary school diploma or its 
        equivalent in the year the student submits an application; and
            (2) has met the criteria established by the State under 
        subsection (b)(1).
    (d) Student Eligibility for Application.--A student who gained 
proficiency in a second language outside of school may apply to 
participate in a Seal of Biliteracy program under subsection (c).
    (e) Use of Funds.--Grant funds made available under this section 
shall be used for--
            (1) the administrative costs of establishing or improving, 
        and carrying out a Seal of Biliteracy program; and
            (2) public outreach and education about such program.
    (f) Grant Terms.--
            (1) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be 
        for a period of 2 years, and may be renewed at the discretion 
        of the Secretary.
            (2) Renewal.--At the end of a grant term, the recipient of 
        such grant may reapply for a grant under this section.
            (3) Limitations.--A grant recipient under this section 
        shall not have more than 1 grant under this section at anytime.
            (4) Return of unspent grant funds.--Not later than 6 months 
        after the date on which a grant term ends, a recipient of a 
        grant under this section shall return any unspent grant funds 
        to the Secretary.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 9 months after receiving a grant under 
this section, a grant recipient shall issue a report to the Secretary 
describing the implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy program for 
which the State received such grant.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``secondary school'', 
        ``Secretary'', and ``State'' have the meanings given those 
        terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Second language.--The term ``second language'' means 
        any language other than English, including Braille and American 
        Sign Language.
            (3) Seal of biliteracy program.--The term ``Seal of 
        Biliteracy program'' means any program established or improved, 
        and carried out with funds received under this section.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024 to carry out this section.
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