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105th Congress
2d Session
H.R. 4766
To require the Secretary of Education to conduct a study and submit
a report regarding the availability of educational instruction in the English
language to student citizens in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 9, 1998
Mr. BURTON of Indiana introduced the following bill, which was referred
to the Committee on Education and the Work force
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Education to conduct a study and submit
a report regarding the availability of educational instruction in the English
language to student citizens in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Be in 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 "English Empowerment Act".
SECTION 2. PURPOSE
(a) FINDINGS - Congress finds the following:
- The Government provides more than $10,000,000,000 to the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico (referred to in this Act as "Puerto Rico") annually
with a significant portion of such amount provided through Federal assistance
for education.
- The Government should ensure that it is not subsidizing an education
system in which student citizens of the United States in Puerto Rico (referred
to in this Act as "student citizens") who want greater access
to English language education are denied that opportunity.
- Local government officials, educators and parents in Puerto Rico who
want to make English language education available to all student citizens
need to be aware that Congress is in support of their efforts.
- Regardless of Puerto Rico's political status, English is a universal
language of economic and social empowerment and student citizens should
have open and equal access to English education without becoming inadvertent
victims of the debate regarding the political status of Puerto Rico.
- If Puerto Rico opts to become a State at some future date, it will
have to comply with the national English language policy, and if independence
is the ultimate status of Puerto Rico, then English should be strongly
promoted as a universal language of economic and social empowerment.
- It is imperative for Congress, which presides over the present commonwealth
system, to promote English for the student citizens of Puerto Rico.
(b) PURPOSE - The purpose of this legislation is to require the Secretary
of Education to develop policy recommendations throughout the next decade
to address the unique language education problems in Puerto Rico without
delay to ensure that student citizens there have an opportunity to learn,
master, use and promote the English language to obtain an equal footing
with global competitors.
SECTION 3. REPORT
(a) IN GENERAL - Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment
of this Act and each year thereafter for the next 10 years, the Secretary
of Education shall conduct a study and submit, to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the President of the Senate, a report regarding
the availability of educational instruction in the English language to
student citizens in public schools in Puerto Rico.
(b) REPORT - The report shall include comprehensive, specific and complete
recommendations for measures that can be implemented if Congress adopts
legislation that provides conditions and restrictions on the availability
and use of Federal assistance for education in Puerto Rico, including English
instruction requirements for Federal Pell grant recipients.
CLICK HERE for Bill HR 4769
CLICK HERE for related article, The
San Juan Star
CLICK HERE for related article, El Nuevo
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