,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ccbh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #be1 #bjbj,mr4 ,schatz introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to award grants to ,states to establish or improve1 and carry out1 ,seal of ,biliteracy programs 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 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 people of the ,united ,states who are proficient in two or more languages for national security1 economic growth1 and the fulfillment of the potential of all people of the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,the ,commission on ,language ,learning also notes the extensive cognitive1 educational1 and employment benefits deriving from biliteracy4 7#e7 ,biliteracy in general correlates with higher graduation rates1 higher grade point averages1 higher rates of matriculation into higher education1 and higher earnings for all students1 regardless of background4 7#f7 ,the study of ,america's 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#g7 ,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#h7 ,states such as ,utah1 ,arizona1 ,washington1 and ,new ,mexico have developed innovative testing methods for languages1 including ,native ,american languages1 where no formal proficiency test currently exists4 7#i7 ,the use of proficiency in a government-recognized official ,native ,american language as the base language for a ,seal of ,biliteracy1 with proficiency in any additional partner language demonstrated through tested proficiency1 has been successfully demonstrated in ,hawaii4 7#aj7 ,students in every ,state and every school should be able to benefit from a ,seal of ,biliteracy program4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea definitions ,the terms ,english learner1 secondary school1 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 ,native ,american languages ,the term ,native ,american languages has the meaning given the term in section #ajc of the ,native ,american ,languages ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #bijb74 7#c7 ,seal of ,biliteracy program ,the term ,seal of ,biliteracy program means any program described in section #d7;a7 that is established or improved1 and carried out1 with funds received under this ,act4 7#d7 ,second language ,the term second language means any language other than ,english 7or a ,native ,american language1 pursuant to section #d7;a77#b771 including ,braille1 ,american ,sign ,language1 or a ,classical language4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 #d4 ,grants for ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy programs 7a7 ,establishment of program 7#a7 ,in general ,from amounts made available under subsection 7f71 the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to ,states to enable the ,states to establish or improve1 and carry out1 ,seal of ,biliteracy programs to recognize student proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in both ,english and a second language4 7#b7 ,inclusion of ,native ,american languages ,notwithstanding paragraph 7#a71 each ,seal of ,biliteracy program shall contain provisions allowing the use of ,native ,american languages1 including allowing speakers of any ,native ,american language recognized as official by any ,american government1 including any ,tribal government1 to use equivalent proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in the ,native ,american language in lieu of proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in ,english4 7#c7 ,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#d7 ,renewal ,at the end of a grant term1 a ,state that receives a grant under this section may reapply for a grant under this section4 7#e7 ,limitations ,a ,state shall not receive more than #a grant under this section at any time4 7#f7 ,return of unspent grant funds ,each ,state that receives a grant under this section shall return any unspent grant funds not later than #f months after the date on which the term for the grant ends4 7b7 ,grant application ,a ,state that desires a grant under this section 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 the proficiency in speaking1 reading1 and writing in both languages necessary for the ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program2 7#b7 a detailed description of the ,state's plan-- 7,a7 to ensure that ,english learners and former ,english learners are included in the ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program2 7,b7 to ensure that-- 7i7 all languages1 including ,native ,american languages1 can be tested for the ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program2 and 7ii7 ,native ,american language speakers and learners are included in the ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program1 including students at tribally controlled schools and at schools funded by the ,bureau of ,indian ,education2 and 7,c7 to reach students1 including eligible students described in subsection 7c77#b7 and ,english learners1 their parents1 and schools with information regarding the ,state ,seal of ,biliteracy program2 7#c7 an assurance that a student who meets the requirements under paragraph 7#a7 and subsection 7c7 receives-- 7,a7 a permanent seal or other marker on the student's secondary school diploma or its equivalent2 and 7,b7 documentation of proficiency on the student's official academic transcript2 and 7#d7 an assurance that a student is not charged a fee for providing information under subsection 7c77#a74 7c7 ,student participation in a ,seal of ,biliteracy program 7#a7 ,in general ,to participate in a ,seal of ,biliteracy program1 a student shall provide information to the ,state that serves the student at such time1 in such manner1 and including such information and assurances as the ,state may require1 including an assurance that the student has met the criteria established by the ,state under subsection 7b77#a74 7#b7 ,student eligibility for participation ,a student who gained proficiency in a second language outside of school may apply under paragraph 7#a7 to participate in a ,seal of ,biliteracy program4 7d7 ,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 out1 a ,seal of ,biliteracy program that meets the requirements of subsection 7b72 and 7#b7 public outreach and education about the ,seal of ,biliteracy program4 7e7 ,report ,not later than #ah months after receiving a grant under this section1 a ,state shall issue a report to the ,secretary describing the implementation of the ,seal of ,biliteracy program for which the ,state received the grant4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe4