To strengthen the national security by encouraging and assisting in the expansion and improvement of educational programs to meet critical needs at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels.

December 11, 2001

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON, and Mr. AKAKA) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

To strengthen the national security by encouraging and assisting in the expansion and improvement of educational programs to meet critical needs at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels.

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 `Homeland Security Education Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress makes the following findings:

(1) American elementary and secondary schools need more qualified teachers in mathematics and science.

(2) American colleges and universities must place new emphasis on improving the teaching in areas of discipline that are critical to the interests of the United States.

(3) American elementary and secondary schools need the equipment and resources to improve education in science and mathematics.

(4) Foreign language proficiency is crucial to the economic competitiveness and national security of the United States. Significant improvement in the quantity and quality of foreign language instruction offered in United States elementary and secondary schools is necessary.

(5) All Americans need a global perspective. To understand the world around us, we must acquaint ourselves with the languages, cultures, and history of other nations.

(b) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this Act to ensure national security through increasing the quantity, diversity and quality of the teaching and learning of subjects in the fields of science, mathematics, and foreign language.

TITLE I--LOANS TO STUDENTS IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

SEC. 101. SUBSIDIZED INTEREST LOANS TO STUDENTS.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Education shall establish and implement a program under the guaranteed and direct student loan program provisions of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) to cancel the obligation of loan borrowers (who are United States citizens, United States nationals, permanent legal residents, or citizens of the Freely Associated States) to pay interest on a loan provided for under such title in order to serve as an incentive for students to obtain degrees in science, engineering, mathematics, or a foreign language.

(b) GUARANTEED STUDENT LOANS- Part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 428K (20 U.S.C. 1078-11) the following:

`SEC. 428L. STUDENT LOAN INTEREST FORGIVENESS.

`(a) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this section to forgive interest payments on student loans under this part for selected borrowers in repayment status who has obtained an undergraduate degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or foreign language in order to provide additional incentives for undergraduate students to pursue and obtain degrees in these subjects.

`(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED-

`(1) IN GENERAL- From the sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (e), the Secretary shall carry out a program, through the holder of the loan, assuming the obligation to repay the interest on a loan amount for a loan made under this part in accordance with subsection (c), for a borrower who--

`(A) is in need of the amount of the loan to pursue a course of study at an accredited institution of higher education;

`(B) is in good academic standing and is capable, in the opinion of the institution involved, of maintaining good standing in such course of study;

`(C) will obtain a bachelor's degree in either science, mathematics, engineering, or a foreign language;

`(D) has completed at least half of the course requirements necessary to receive such degree; and

`(E) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness of interest payments.

`(2) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS- The Secretary shall by regulation, establish a formula that ensures fairness and equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan interest repayment under this section, based on the amount available pursuant to subsection (d).

`(c) TERMS- After a borrower has obtained a bachelor's degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or a foreign language, the Federal Government shall assume any interest payments due for as long as the borrower is in loan repayment status, except that in failing to meet any of the obligations set forth in this section, the borrower will reimburse the United States Government for the amount of the assistance provided including interest, at a rate and schedule to be determined by the Secretary.

`(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

`(e) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) FOREIGN LANGUAGE- The term `foreign language' includes the languages of Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian, Russian, Portuguese, and any other language identified by the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Defense Language Institute, the Foreign Service Institute, and the National Security Education Program, as a critical foreign language need.

`(2) SCIENCE- The term `science' means any of the natural and physical sciences including, but not limited to, chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Such term shall not include any of the social sciences.'.

(c) DIRECT STUDENT LOANS- Part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 460A. STUDENT LOAN INTEREST FORGIVENESS.

`(a) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this section to forgive interest payments on student loans under this section for a student in repayment status who has obtained an undergraduate degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or foreign language in order to provide additional incentives for undergraduate students to pursue degrees in these subjects.

`(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED-

`(1) IN GENERAL- From the sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (e), the Secretary shall cancel the obligation to pay interest on a loan amount, in accordance with subsection (c) for a loan under this part, for a borrower who--

`(A) is in need of the amount of the loan to pursue a course of study at an accredited institution of higher education;

`(B) is in good standing and is capable, in the opinion of the institution, of maintaining good standing in such course of study;

`(C) will obtain a bachelor's degree in either science, mathematics, engineering, or a foreign language;

`(D) has completed at least half of the course requirements towards such degree; and

`(E) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness of interest payments;

`(2) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS- The Secretary shall by regulation, establish a formula that ensures fairness and equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan interest repayment under this section, based on the amount available pursuant to subsection (d).

`(c) TERMS- After a borrower has obtained a bachelor's degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or foreign language, the Federal Government shall assume any interest payments due for as long as the borrower is in loan repayment status, except that in failing to meet any of the obligations set forth in this section, the borrower will reimburse the United States Government for the amount of the assistance provided including interest, at a rate and schedule to be determined by the Secretary.

`(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

`(e) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) FOREIGN LANGUAGE- The term `foreign language' includes the languages of Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian, Russian, Portuguese, and any language as identified by the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Defense Language Institute, the Foreign Service Institute, and the National Security Education Program, as a critical foreign language need.

`(2) SCIENCE- The term `science' means any of the natural and physical sciences including, but not limited to, chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Such term shall not include any of the social sciences.'.

SEC. 102. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall propose regulations to carry out this section and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on how the Secretary plans to implement the programs under the amendments made by section 101 and advertise such programs to institutions of higher learning and potential applicants. Not later than 6 months after the date on which the comment period for the regulations proposed under the preceding sentence ends, the Secretary shall promulgate final regulations to carry out this section.

TITLE II--STRENGTHENING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION AT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

SEC. 201. FEDERAL GRANTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Title XIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

`PART E--STRENGTHENING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION

`SEC. 13501. FEDERAL GRANTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

`(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY-

`(1) GRANT PROGRAM- The Secretary shall establish a demonstration program under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible local educational agencies to enable such agencies to develop programs that build or expand mathematics and science curriculum, upgrade existing laboratory facilities, and purchase equipment necessary to establish such programs.

`(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS- The program described in paragraph (1) shall be designed to provide students with a rich standards-based course of study in mathematics and science.

`(b) ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- A local educational agency shall be eligible to receive a grant under this section if the agency--

`(1) provides assurances that it has executed conditional agreements with representatives of the private sector to provide services and funds described in subsection (c); and

`(2) agrees to enter into an agreement with the Secretary to comply with the requirements of this section.

`(c) PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION- The conditional agreements referred to in subsection (b)(1) shall describe participation by the private sector in programs carried out under this section, including--

`(1) the donation of technology tools;

`(2) the establishment of internship and mentoring opportunities for students who participate in a mathematics or science program, paying particular attention to those students who are members of traditionally under-represented groups in these fields; or

`(3) the donation of scholarship funds for students to pursue or continue a study of mathematics or science at accredited institutions of higher education.

`(d) APPLICATION-

`(1) IN GENERAL- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible local educational agency (as described in subsection (b)) shall submit an application to the Secretary in accordance with guidelines established by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (2).

`(2) GUIDELINES-

`(A) REQUIREMENTS- The guidelines referred to in paragraph (1) shall require, at a minimum, that the application include--

`(i) a description of proposed activities consistent with the uses of funds and program requirements under subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2);

`(ii) a description of programs involving innovative experience learning such as laboratory experience;

`(iii) a description of any applicable higher education scholarship program, including criteria for selection, duration of scholarship, number of scholarships to be awarded each year, and funding levels for scholarships; and

`(iv) evidence of private sector participation and support in cash or in kind as specified under subsection (c).

`(B) GUIDELINE PUBLICATION- Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue and publish proposed guidelines under subparagraph (A). Not later than 6 months after the date on which the period for comment concerning the

proposed guidelines ends, the Secretary shall issue final guidelines under such subparagraph.

`(3) SELECTION- The Secretary shall select a local educational agency to receive a grant under this section on the basis of merit, as determined after the Secretary has conducted a comprehensive review, and in accordance with subsection (e).

`(e) PRIORITY- The Secretary shall give special priority in awarding grants under this section to eligible high need local educational agencies (as such term is defined in section 201(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965).

`(f) CONDITIONAL AGREEMENT- In this section, the term `conditional agreement' means an arrangement between representatives of the private sector and local educational agencies to provide certain services and funds, such as the donation of computer hardware and software, donation of science laboratory equipment suitable for students in kindergarten through 12th grades, the establishment of internship and mentoring opportunities for students who participate in mathematics, science, and information technology programs, and the donation of scholarship funds for use at institutions of higher education by eligible students who have participated in the mathematics, science, and information technology programs.

`(g) APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

`SEC. 13502. SCIENCE AND MATH EDUCATION STUDY.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary, in cooperation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall conduct a study of how math and science efforts at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education relating to students in kindergarten through 12th grade are coordinated, and if such coordination does not exist, how such entities plan to coordinate such efforts.

`(b) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the findings made with respect to the study conducted under subsection (a).

`SEC. 13503. DEFINITION.

`In this part, the term `science' means any of the natural and physical sciences including chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Such term does not include any of the social sciences.'.

SEC. 202. NATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Education, jointly with the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall conduct an assessment of the long-term mathematics and science needs of the national security workforce and of the larger Federal workforce of which the national security workforce is a part.

(b) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Education shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the findings made with respect to the assessment conducted under subsection (a).

TITLE III--PROMOTING FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

SEC. 301. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Foreign language skills and area expertise are integral to, or directly support, every foreign intelligence discipline and are essential factors in national security readiness, information superiority, and coalition peacekeeping or warfighting missions.

(2) Federal intelligence and defense agencies have been reporting shortfalls in language capability.

(3) Communicating in languages other than English and understanding and accepting cultural and societal differences is vital to the success of peacetime and wartime military operations.

(4) The optimum time to begin learning a second language is in elementary school, when children have the ability to learn and excel in several foreign language acquisition skills, including pronunciation.

(5) Foreign language study can increase children's capacity for critical and creative thinking skills and children who study a second language show greater cognitive development in areas such as mental flexibility, creativity, tolerance, and higher order thinking skills.

(6) Children who have studied a foreign language in elementary school achieve expected gains and score higher on standardized tests in reading, language arts, and mathematics than children who have not studied a foreign language.

(7) Proficiency levels required to perform national security functions have been raised. What was once considered proficiency is no longer the case. The ability to comprehend and articulate technical and complex information has become critical.

(8) Languages taught in universities are often not the languages that address national security needs. The top languages the United States Defense Language Institute requires are Arabic, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Serbian/Croatian, Portuguese, Pashto, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. Existing foreign language proficiency in nontargeted languages also provides a foundation for subsequent foreign languages, even if unrelated.

(9) Immersion through work or schooling abroad is very beneficial for developing needed language proficiencies.

(10) Federal agencies have identified the need for employees with skills in cryptography, translation (particularly with technical documents), debriefing and interrogation.

SEC. 302. ENCOURAGING EARLY FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES.

(a) IN GENERAL- Part B of title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 7207. ENCOURAGING EARLY FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES.

`(a) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP- The term `eligible partnership' means a partnership that--

`(A) shall include--

`(i) a foreign language department of an institution of higher education; and

`(ii) a local educational agency; and

`(B) may include--

`(i) another foreign language or teacher training department of an institution of higher education;

`(ii) another local educational agency, or an elementary or secondary school;

`(iii) a business;

`(iv) a nonprofit organization of demonstrated effectiveness, including a museum;

`(v) heritage or community centers for language study;

`(vi) language resource centers; or

`(vii) the State foreign language coordinator or State education agency.

`(2) HIGH NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term `high need local educational agency' has the meaning given the term in section 201(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

`(3) LESS-COMMONLY TAUGHT FOREIGN LANGUAGES- The term `less-commonly taught foreign languages' includes the languages of Arabic, Korean, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, and any other language identified by the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Defense Language Institute, the Foreign Service Institute, and the National Security Education Program, as a critical foreign language need.

`(4) SUMMER WORKSHOP OR INSTITUTE- The term `summer workshop or institute' means a workshop or institute, conducted during the summer, that--

`(A) is conducted for a period of not less than 2 weeks;

`(B) provides for a program that provides direct interaction between students and faculty; and

`(C) provides for followup training during the academic year that--

`(i) except as provided in clause (ii) or (iii), shall be conducted in the classroom for a period of not less than 3 days, which may or may not be consecutive;

`(ii) if the program described in subparagraph (B) is for a period of not more than 2 weeks, shall be conducted for a period of more than 3 days; or

`(iii) if the program is for teachers in rural school districts, may be conducted through distance education.

`(b) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this section to improve the performance of students in the study of foreign languages by encouraging States, institutions of higher education, elementary schools, and secondary schools to participate in programs that--

`(1) upgrade the status and stature of foreign language teaching by encouraging institutions of higher education to assume greater responsibility for improving foreign language teacher education through the establishment of a comprehensive, integrated system of recruiting and advising such teachers;

`(2) focus on education of foreign language teachers as a career-long process that should continuously stimulate teachers' intellectual growth and upgrade teachers' knowledge and skills;

`(3) bring foreign language teachers in elementary schools and secondary schools together with linguists or higher education foreign language professionals to increase the subject matter knowledge and improve the teaching skills of teachers through the use of more sophisticated resources that institutions of higher education are better able to provide than the schools; and

`(4) develop more rigorous foreign language curricula that are aligned with--

`(A) professional accepted standards for elementary and secondary education instruction; and

`(B) the standards expected for post-secondary study in foreign language.

`(c) GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to enable the eligible partnerships to pay the Federal share of the costs of carrying out the authorized activities described in this section.

`(2) DURATION- The Secretary shall award grants under this section for a period of 5 years.

`(3) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the costs of the activities assisted under this section shall be--

`(A) 75 percent of the costs for the first year that an eligible partnership receives a grant payment under this section;

`(B) 65 percent of such costs for the second such year; and

`(C) 50 percent of such costs for each of the third, fourth, and fifth such years.

`(4) NON-FEDERAL SHARE- The non-Federal share of the costs of carrying out the authorized activities described in this section may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated.

`(5) PRIORITY- In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible partnerships--

`(A) that include high need local educational agencies; or

`(B) that emphasize the teaching of the less-commonly taught foreign languages.

`(d) APPLICATIONS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.

`(2) CONTENTS- An application under paragraph (1) shall include--

`(A) an assessment of the teacher quality and professional development needs of all the

schools and agencies participating in the eligible partnership with respect to the teaching and learning of foreign languages;

`(B) a description of how the activities to be carried out by the eligible partnership will be based on a review of relevant research, and an explanation of why the activities are expected to improve student performance and to strengthen the quality of foreign language instruction; and

`(C) a description of--

`(i) how the eligible partnership will carry out the authorized activities described in subsection (e); and

`(ii) the eligible partnership's evaluation and accountability plan as described in subsection (f).

`(e) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES- An eligible partnership shall use the grant funds provided under this section for 1 or more of the following activities related to elementary schools or secondary schools:

`(1) Creating opportunities for enhanced and ongoing professional development that improves the subject matter knowledge of foreign language teachers.

`(2) Recruiting university students with foreign language majors for teaching.

`(3) Promoting strong teaching skills for foreign language teachers and teacher educators.

`(4) Establishing foreign language summer workshops or institutes (including followup training) for teachers.

`(5) Establishing distance learning programs for foreign language teachers.

`(6) Designing programs to prepare a teacher at a school to provide professional development to other teachers at the school and to assist novice teachers at such school, including (if applicable) a mechanism to integrate experiences from a summer workshop or institute.

`(7) Developing instruction materials.

`(f) EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN- Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this section shall develop an evaluation and accountability plan for activities assisted under this section that includes strong performance objectives. The plan shall include objectives and measures for--

`(1) increased participation by students in advanced courses in foreign language;

`(2) increased percentages of secondary school classes in foreign language taught by teachers with academic majors in foreign language, respectively; and

`(3) increased numbers of foreign language teachers who participate in content-based professional development activities.

`(g) REPORT- Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this section shall annually report to the Secretary regarding the eligible partnership's progress in meeting the performance objectives described in subsection (f).

`(h) TERMINATION- If the Secretary determines that an eligible partnership is not making substantial progress in meeting the performance objectives described in subsection (f) by the end of the third year of a grant under this section, the grant payments shall not be made for the fourth and fifth year of the grant.

`(i) APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.'.

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 7206 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7516) is amended by inserting `other than section 7207,' after `this part,'.

SEC. 303. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) PURPOSE- It is the purpose of this section to support programs in colleges and universities that encourage students to develop both--

(1) an understanding of science and technology;

(2) foreign language proficiency; and

(3) foster future international scientific collaboration.

(b) DEVELOPMENT- The Secretary of Education shall develop a program for the awarding of grants to institutions of higher learning that develop innovative programs for the teaching of foreign languages.

(c) REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS- The Secretary of Education shall promulgate regulations for the awarding of grants under subsection (b). Such regulations shall require institutions of higher learning to use grant funds for, among other things--

(1) the development of an on-campus cultural awareness program by which students attend classes taught in the foreign language and study the science and technology developments and practices in a non-English speaking country;

(2) immersion programs where students take science or technology related coursework in a non-English speaking country; and

(3) other programs, such as summer workshops, that emphasize the intense study of a foreign language and science technology.

(d) GRANT DISTRIBUTION- In distributing grants to institutions of higher education under this section, the Secretary of Education shall give priority to--

(1) institutions that have programs focusing on curriculum that combine the study of foreign languages and the study of science and technology and produce graduates who have both skills; and

(2) institutions teaching the less-commonly taught languages of Arabic, Korean, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, and any language identified by the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Defense Language Institute, the Foreign Service Institute, and the National Security Education Program, as a critical foreign language need.

(e) SCIENCE- In this section, the term `science' means any of the natural and physical sciences including chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Such term does not include any of the social sciences.

(f) APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.

SEC. 304. NATIONAL FLAGSHIP LANGUAGE INITIATIVE.

The David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 (50 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 811. NATIONAL FLAGSHIP LANGUAGE INITIATIVE.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Defense, acting through the National Security Education Trust, shall establish a program to award grants to accredited United States institutions of higher education for the purpose of producing graduates in a range of disciplines with advanced levels of proficiency in the languages most critical to United States national security.

`(b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION- An institution of higher education that receives a grant under this section shall give special consideration to student applicants who are Federal employees.

`(c) REPORT- The Secretary of Defense shall annually submit a report to Congress on the status of the program under this section.

`(d) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- In this section, the term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given to such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

`(e) APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006.'.

SEC. 305. STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF A NATIONAL LANGUAGE FOUNDATION.

(a) IN GENERAL- The National Research Council shall conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a National Language Foundation whose mission would include--

(1) research and development of teaching and learning curriculum and software;

(2) the establishment or advancement of standards to be used in the performance of language instruction and testing;

(3) service as a national resource center and provider for both public and private sectors in language education and training;

(4) the development of, and advocacy for, national policy and programs to improve the skills and certify the qualification of language teachers;

(5) the development of, and advocacy for, national policy and programs related to the development of foreign language capabilities and expansion of country and regional studies;

(6) the development of, and advocacy for, national professional criteria for qualification, employment and adequate compensation for language services; and

(7) the development of a better understanding of the changing level of language proficiency and language needs of the Federal Government.

(b) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Research Council shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).

END