[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4767 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4767
To encourage the growth of educational exchanges between international
scholars and United States junior or community colleges and United
States postsecondary vocational institutions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2025
Mr. Olszewski (for himself, Mr. Bera, Mrs. McClain Delaney, Ms. Clarke
of New York, Mr. Fields, Mrs. McIver, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage the growth of educational exchanges between international
scholars and United States junior or community colleges and United
States postsecondary vocational institutions, and for other purposes.
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 ``Community College Educational
Exchange Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate.
(2) Educational exchange.--The term ``educational
exchange'' means an activity listed in section 102(a)(1)(B) of
the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2452(a)(1)(B)).
(3) Eligible institutions.--The term ``eligible
institutions'' means United States junior or community colleges
and United States postsecondary vocational institutions that
the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development have identified
that--
(A) have entered into a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement with the Department of State or
the United States Agency for International Development;
or
(B) are eligible to participate in programs and
initiatives under the jurisdiction of either such
agency.
(4) Junior or community college.--The term ``junior or
community college'' mean an institution of higher education (as
such term is defined in section 312(f) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)))--
(A) that admits as regular students persons who are
beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the
State in which the institution is located and who have
the ability to benefit from the training offered by the
institution;
(B) that does not provide an educational program
for which it awards a bachelor's degree (or an
equivalent degree); and
(C) that--
(i) provides an educational program of not
less than 2 years that is acceptable for full
credit toward such a degree, or
(ii) offers a 2-year program in
engineering, mathematics, or the physical or
biological sciences, designed to prepare a
student to work as a technician or at the
semiprofessional level in engineering,
scientific, or other technological fields
requiring the understanding and application of
basic engineering, scientific, or mathematical
principles of knowledge.
(5) Postsecondary vocational institution.--The term
``postsecondary vocational institution'' means a school that--
(A) provides an eligible program of training to
prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized
occupation;
(B) meets the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2),
(4), and (5) of section 102(c) in the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)); and
(C) has been in existence for at least 2 years.
(6) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term
``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' includes--
(A) the Department of State;
(B) the United States Agency for International
Development; and
(C) any other Federal department or agency that is
engaged in designing, providing, or supporting United
States foreign assistance (including development
finance) that the President determines is relevant for
the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 3. EXPANDING EXCHANGE PROGRAMMING FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS AND
EXPERTS TO STUDY AT UNITED STATES JUNIOR OR COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND UNITED STATES POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development should seek to
strengthen and expand partnerships and educational exchange
opportunities, including by working with eligible institutions, that
build the capacity and expertise of students, scholars, and experts in
key development sectors, including--
(1) food systems and agriculture-led economic growth;
(2) microenterprise business development and
entrepreneurship;
(3) early childhood education;
(4) engineering;
(5) information technology;
(6) media;
(7) social services, health, and public safety;
(8) tourism and hospitality management;
(9) water, sanitation, and hygiene;
(10) water security; and
(11) environmental resilience.
(b) Exchange Programming.--To deepen relationships and educational
exchange between foreign participants from underrepresented backgrounds
and the United States in ways that advance United States foreign policy
goals and increase academic collaboration, there is established in the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State a
Community College and Postsecondary Vocational Institution Initiative
Program to provide scholarships for students, scholars, and technical
experts to spend up to one academic year at eligible institutions to
support knowledge and skills training in the sectors referred to in
subsection (a).
SEC. 4. BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF UNITED STATES JUNIOR OR COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND UNITED STATES POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS TO EXPAND STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMMING.
(a) Capacity Building Program.--To strengthen educational grant
opportunities for eligible institutions and expand educational
exchanges with these institutions, there is established in the Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State a
capacity building program to increase the capacity of eligible
institutions to create and expand study abroad programs for their
scholars through small-grant and in-person and virtual study abroad
capacity building activities. This program should seek to prepare
scholars to contribute to the fields critical to United States national
and economic security.
(b) Small-Grant and In-Person and Virtual Study Abroad Capacity
Building Activities.--The Secretary of State is authorized to award
grants, provide technical assistance, and develop resources for the
program outlined in subsection (a) to--
(1) increase the number of eligible institution students
participating in study abroad programs;
(2) provide training for faculty and staff at eligible
institutions to design, implement, and sustain study abroad
programs;
(3) create and disseminate toolkits, curriculum guides, and
program templates for eligible institutions seeking to launch
or expand study abroad offerings;
(4) fund faculty and staff training workshops on best
practices for developing, managing, and sustaining study abroad
programs;
(5) support the development of study abroad programs
aligned with workforce needs to STEM, technical, and vocational
fields;
(6) pilot hybrid exchange models that combine virtual and
short-term in-person components to make study abroad more
flexible and accessible for students at eligible institutions;
(7) develop outreach and advising resources for
underrepresented student populations to increase their
participation in study-abroad programs; and
(8) other activities the Secretary of State determines are
necessary to strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions
to create or expand their ability to administer study abroad
programs.
SEC. 5. COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMING.
As part of strengthening and enhancing partnerships, the Secretary
of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall advance outreach to and communications
with eligible institutions, including by--
(1) providing technical assistance in the development of
grant and partnership applications; and
(2) upon request, providing feedback to eligible
institutions to the maximum extent practicable, after a grant
rejection in order to improve future grant applications, as
appropriate.
SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTATION.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, shall consult with
the appropriate congressional committees regarding implementation of--
(1) the countries prioritized for the program established
by section 3;
(2) existing partnerships and programs between relevant
Federal departments and agencies and eligible institutions and
efforts to expand such partnerships and programs;
(3) efforts to strengthen the capacity of eligible
institutions to participate, or to be eligible to participate,
in relevant programs and initiatives; and
(4) any progress made towards--
(A) advancing plans to develop partnerships or
programs and initiatives with eligible institutions
that are not engaged in existing partnerships with
relevant Federal departments and agencies;
(B) identifying plans in which an eligible
institution may participate; and
(C) any other information that relevant Federal
departments and agencies determine is relevant to
promoting opportunities to fund, partner, contract, or
otherwise interact with eligible institutions.
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