Foreign Language Assistance Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Foreign Language Assistance Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to State educational agencies applying to reimburse local educational agencies for part of the costs of foreign language instruction for students in grades one through six, at a rate of $20 per student. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a survey of the effectiveness of foreign language training in grades seven through 12, and in community colleges; and (2) report to Congress within two years on the results of such survey. Directs the Secretary to make grants to applicant institutions of higher education as reimbursement for part of the costs of foreign language instruction. Conditions eligibility for such grants upon an institution's: (1) having more than five percent of its total number of students enrolled in qualified postsecondary language courses; and (2) meeting such standards and reporting requirements for assisted instructional programs as the Secretary may establish. Sets rates for such grants, per student beyond the minimum five percent of total enrollment, of $30 for first or second year language courses and $40 for courses above second-year level, with an additional $20 for less commonly taught languages. Directs the Secretary to make grants to each institution of higher education which requires at least two academic years of secondary school foreign language credits or knowledge of a foreign language for each graduating student, at a rate of $30 per number of students enrolled (as full-time students or the full-time equivalent of the number of part-time students) at such institution. Provides that grants under this Act shall be ratably reduced if sums appropriated are not sufficient for full payment. Prohibits the making of a grant, or entering into a contract, under this Act except to such extent, or in such amounts, as provided in appropriation Acts. Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act for fiscal year 1982.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on June 13, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on June 13, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
PAUL SIMON (D-IL) introduced it on June 13, 1980, and 17 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 16 Democrats, 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 13, 1980, 16890 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16890 days ago, on June 13, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers