§ 2452c — Program To Provide Grants To American-sponsored Schools In Predominantly Muslim Countries To Provide Scholarships

(a) Congress makes the following findings: (1) During the 2003–2004 school year, the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State is financially assisting 189 elementary and secondary schools in foreign countries. (2) United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools are located in more than 20 countries with predominantly Muslim populations in the Near East, Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia. (3) United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools provide an American-style education in English, with curricula that typically include an emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills. (b) The United States has an interest in increasing the level of financial support provided to United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools in countries with predominantly Muslim populations in order to— (1) increase the number of students in such countries who attend such schools; (2) increase the number of young people who may thereby gain at any early age an appreciation for the culture, society, and history of the United States; and (3) increase the number of young people who may thereby improve their proficiency in the English language. (c) The Secretary of State, acting through the Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State, may conduct a program to make grants to United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools in countries with predominantly Muslim populations for the purpose of providing full or partial merit-based scholarships to students from lower-income and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools. (d) For purposes of the program, a United States-sponsored elementary and secondary school that receives a grant under the program may establish criteria to be implemented by such school to determine what constitutes lower-income and middle-income families in the country (or region of the country, if regional variations in income levels in the country are significant) in which such school is located. (e) Amounts appropriated to the Secretary of State pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in subsection (h) shall be used for the sole purpose of making grants under this section, and may not be used for the administration of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State or for any other activity of the Office. (f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require participation in the program by a United States-sponsored elementary or secondary school in a predominantly Muslim country. (g) Not later than April 15, 2006, and April 15, 2008, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the program. The report shall assess the success of the program, examine any obstacles encountered in its implementation, and address whether it should be continued, and if so, provide recommendations to increase its effectiveness. (h) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State for each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008, unless otherwise authorized by Congress, such sums as necessary to implement the program under this section.