Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, throughout his life, the late Senator Paul Simon believed that for the United States to be a true world leader, our country and its citizens needed to strengthen our international understanding. In a 1995 floor speech, he posed the question ``Can someone really be considered educated if, upon graduation as an engineer or physician or teacher or journalist or accountant or architect, he or she does not have the most minimal understanding of the rest of the world?'' At the heart of this question was his aspiration for our country to become more internationally aware.
Following the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001--an event that is now 15 years in our past, Senator Simon shared his vision of a world in which peace and security is fostered through mutual understanding and global awareness. He believed the best way to develop this understanding and awareness was through fulling submerse oneself in another culture. Senator Simon saw that the opportunity for this already existed on college campuses through study abroad programs. Study abroad helps students make a connection with another part of the world and begin to develop insight into the perspectives of other nations. By exposing young adults to study abroad, today's students will become more globally aware future leaders.
Unfortunately, as a country, we are falling short of achieving the great vision set forth by Senator Simon. Currently, less than 2 percent of enrolled post-secondary students in the United States study abroad. Furthermore, the students who do study abroad are not reflective of post-secondary enrollment in the United States. Minority students, first generation college students, and community college students are significantly underrepresented among those who do study abroad. These groups of students disproportionately lose out on the remarkable educational opportunities that come along with studying abroad-- engaging with other cultures, enhancing foreign language skills, and expanding international knowledge through firsthand experience.
Further, the students who study abroad do so overwhelmingly in just one part of the world. Of all students who study abroad, 40 percent study in just four countries: the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France. An additional 13 percent study in other European countries, meaning that over half of all U.S. students who study abroad do so in Europe. Europe has many valuable and important educational experiences to offer American students. But, increasing the diversity of study abroad destinations allows students to expand their horizons and make connections that will help them develop a global perspective and deeper understanding of the challenges we face in the 21st Century.
In 2004, Congress took the first step towards expanding study abroad when it authorized the Commission on Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program to provide recommendations to Congress and the President on expanding study abroad programs.
Today, I am honored to carry on the vision laid out by Senator Simon as Senator Wicker and I introduce the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act. This legislation takes an important step towards making the vision of Senator Simon a reality based on the recommendations made by the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Commission.
It establishes a competitive grant program for institutions of higher education to encourage the sustainable expansion of study abroad opportunities for students in the United States. Over the next 10 years, this grant program aims to increase the overall number of undergraduate students studying abroad each year to one million students. It will place a special emphasis on increasing opportunities for nontraditional and minority students, so that the demographics of students who study abroad more closely reflect the population of current undergraduate students.
This bill will also emphasize getting students to study abroad in nontraditional destinations particularly in developing countries. We need to send more students to developing nations because these are the places that America needs to better understand--countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, South America, and the Middle East. This legislation takes important steps toward expanding and diversifying participation in study abroad.
I am pleased that several organizations have endorsed this bill including the American Public and Land-grant Universities, Association of International Educators, Partners of the Americas, American Council on Education, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Forum on Education Abroad, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Association of American Universities.
In today's global society, an undergraduate education that includes a meaningful study abroad experience is more important than ever. Expanded participation in study abroad is necessary to prepare the next generation of Americans with the global knowledge and skills needed for success in an increasingly interconnected world. I thank Senator Wicker for standing with me in this effort and I hope my colleagues will join us.
3390
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 ``Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2016''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) To prepare students for success in the modern global economy, opportunities for study abroad should be included as part of a well-rounded education.
(2) Study abroad programs provide students with unparalleled access to international knowledge, an unmatched opportunity to learn foreign languages, and a unique environment for developing cultural understanding, all of which are knowledge and skills needed in today's global economy.
(3) Less than 2 percent of all enrolled postsecondary students in the United States study abroad for credit in any given year, and minority students, first generation college students, and community college students are significantly underrepresented in study abroad participation.
(4) Congress authorized the establishment of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program pursuant to section 104 of the Miscellaneous Appropriations and Offsets Act, 2004 (division H of Public Law 108-199). Pursuant to its mandate, the Lincoln Commission submitted to Congress and the President a report of its recommendations for greatly expanding the opportunity for students at institutions of higher education in the United States to study abroad, with special emphasis on studying in developing nations.
(5) According to the Lincoln Commission, ``[e]xperience shows that leadership from administrators and faculty will drive the number of study abroad participants higher and improve the quality of programs. Such leadership is the only way that study abroad will become an integral part of the undergraduate experience.''. A competitive grant program is necessary to encourage and support such leadership. SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to ensure that significantly more students have access to quality study abroad opportunities;
(2) to ensure that the diversity of students studying abroad reflects the diversity of students and institutions of higher education in the United States;
(3) to encourage greater diversity in study abroad destinations by increasing the portion of study abroad that takes place in nontraditional study abroad destinations, especially in developing countries; and
(4) to encourage a greater commitment by institutions of higher education to expand study abroad opportunities. SEC. 4. SENATOR PAUL SIMON STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM.
Section 741 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1138) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (12) and (13) as paragraphs (13) and (14), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:
``(12) awarding grants under the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program described in subsection (g);''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Institution of higher education.--The term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the term in section 101(a).
``(B) National of the united states.--The term `national of the United States' means a national of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as those terms are defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)).
``(C) Nontraditional study abroad destination.--The term `nontraditional study abroad destination' means a location that is determined by the Secretary to be a less common destination for students who study abroad.
``(D) Student.--The term `student' means a national of the United States who is enrolled at an institution of higher education located within the United States.
``(E) Study abroad.--The term `study abroad' means an educational program of study, work, research, internship, or combination thereof that is conducted outside the United States and that carries academic credit.
``(2) Senator paul simon study abroad program.--
``(A) Establishment.--There is established in the Department a program to be called the `Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program'.
``(B) Objectives.--The objectives of the program established under subparagraph (A) are, that not later than 10 years after the date of enactment of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2016--
``(i) not less than 1,000,000 undergraduate students will study abroad annually;
``(ii) the demographics of study abroad participation will reflect the demographics of the United States undergraduate population; and
``(iii) an increasing portion of study abroad will take place in nontraditional study abroad destinations, with a substantial portion of such increases in developing countries.
``(C) Competitive grants to institutions of higher education.--In order to accomplish the objectives set forth in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to institutions of higher education, individually or in a consortium, based on applications by the institutions that--
``(i) set forth detailed plans for using grant funds to further such objectives;
``(ii) include an institutional commitment to expanding access to study abroad;
``(iii) include plans for evaluating progress made in increasing access to study abroad;
``(iv) describe how increases in study abroad participation achieved through the grant will be sustained in subsequent years; and
``(v) demonstrate that the programs have established health and safety guidelines and procedures.
``(D) Nongovernmental institutions.--Consortia of institutions of higher education applying for grants described in subparagraph (C) may include nongovernmental institutions that provide and promote study abroad opportunities for students.
``(E) Commission on the abraham lincoln study abroad fellowship program.--In administering the program, the Secretary shall take fully into account the recommendations of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, established pursuant to section 104 of the Miscellaneous Appropriations and Offsets Act, 2004 (division H of Public Law 108-199).
``(F) Consultation.--In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall consult with representatives of diverse institutions of higher education, educational policy organizations, and others with appropriate expertise.
``(3) Annual report.--Not later than December 31 of each year following the date of enactment of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2016, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a report on the implementation of this subsection during the prior fiscal year.
``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017 and each subsequent fiscal year.''. ______
By Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cochran, and Mrs. Gillibrand):
S. 3391. A bill to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source