,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #caai ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #e1 #bjai,ms4 ,brownley of ,california 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,carbajal1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 and ,mr4 ,langevin7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to award grants to ,states to establish or improve1 and carry out a ,seal of ,biliteracy program to recognize high-level student proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in both ,english and a second language4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,biliteracy ,education ,seal and ,teaching ,act or the ,,best ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the people of the ,united ,states celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity and seek to prepare students with skills to succeed in the #bast century4 7#b7 ,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 footsteps4 7#c7 ,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 security4 7#d7 ,the congressionally requested ,commission on ,language ,learning1 in its #bjag report ,america's ,languages3 ,investing in ,language ,education for the #bast ,century1 notes the pressing national need for more ,americans proficient in two or more languages1 for national security1 economic growth1 and the fulfillment of the potential of all ,americans4 7#e7 ,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 workplace4 7#f7 ,california has pioneered the first ,state system in the ,nation to recognize students for achieving proficiency in multiple languages4 ,in #bjab1 ,california awarded a ,seal of ,biliteracy to over #aj1jjj graduating high school seniors in #cg school districts4 ,by #bjai1 #ce ,states and the ,district of ,columbia will have adopted the ,seal of ,biliteracy4 7#g7 ,students in every ,state should be able to benefit from a ,seal of ,biliteracy program4 #c4 ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of ,education shall award grants to ,states to establish or improve1 and carry out a ,seal of ,biliteracy program to recognize student proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in both ,english and a second language4 7b7 ,grant application ,in order to receive a grant under this section1 a ,state shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information and assurances as the ,secretary may require1 including-- 7#a7 a description of the criteria a student must meet to demonstrate proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in both ,english and a second language2 7#b7 assurances that a student who meets the requirements under paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 receives a permanent seal or other marker on the student's secondary school diploma or its equivalent2 and 7,b7 receives documentation of proficiency in the student's official academic transcript2 and 7#c7 assurances that a student is not charged a fee for submitting an application under subsection 7c74 7c7 ,student participation in a ,seal of ,biliteracy program ,to participate in a ,seal of ,biliteracy program1 a student must submit an application to the ,state that serves the student at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information and assurances as the ,state may require1 including assurances that the student-- 7#a7 will receive a secondary school diploma or its equivalent in the year the student submits an application2 and 7#b7 has met the criteria established by the ,state under subsection 7b77#a74 7d7 ,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 7c74 7e7 ,use of funds ,grant funds made available under this section shall be used for-- 7#a7 the administrative costs of establishing or improving1 and carrying out a ,seal of ,biliteracy program2 and 7#b7 public outreach and education about such program4 7f7 ,grant terms 7#a7 ,duration ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of #b years1 and may be renewed at the discretion of the ,secretary4 7#b7 ,renewal ,at the end of a grant term1 the recipient of such grant may reapply for a grant under this section4 7#c7 ,limitations ,a grant recipient under this section shall not have more than #a grant under this section at anytime4 7#d7 ,return of unspent grant funds ,not later than #f months after the date on which a grant term ends1 a recipient of a grant under this section shall return any unspent grant funds to the ,secretary4 7g7 ,report ,not later than #i months after receiving a grant under this section1 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 grant4 7h7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,,esea definitions ,the terms secondary school1 ,secretary1 and ,state have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,second language ,the term second language means any language other than ,english1 including ,braille and ,american ,sign ,language4 7#c7 ,seal of ,biliteracy program ,the term ,seal of ,biliteracy program means any program established or improved1 and carried out with funds received under this section4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary #aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd to carry out this section4