text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Act of 
  2006''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) According to President George W. Bush, ``America's 
          leadership and national security rest on our commitment to 
          educate and prepare our youth for active engagement in the 
          international community.''.
              (2) According to former President William J. Clinton, 
          ``Today, the defense of United States interests, the effective 
          management of global issues, and even an understanding of our 
          Nation's diversity require ever-greater contact with, and 
          understanding of, people and cultures beyond our borders.''.
              (3) Congress created the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln 
          Study Abroad Fellowship Program in section 104(a) of Division H 
          of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108-
          199). Pursuant to its mandate, the Commission has submitted to 
          Congress and the President a report of its recommendations for 
          greatly expanding the opportunity for students at institutions 
          of higher education in the United States to study abroad, with 
          special emphasis on studying in developing nations and 
          nontraditional study abroad destinations.
              (4) Studies consistently show that United States students 
          score below their counterparts in other advanced countries on 
          indicators of international knowledge. This lack of global 
          literacy is a national liability in an age of global trade and 
          business, global interdependence, and global terror.
              (5) By numbers ranging from 77 to more than 90 percent, 
          Americans believe that it is important for their children to 
          learn other languages, study abroad, attend a college where 
          they can interact with international students, learn about 
          other countries and cultures, and generally be prepared for the 
          global age, according to a December 2005 national survey 
          conducted by Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group.
              (6) In today's world, it is more important than ever for 
          the United States to be a responsible, constructive leader that 
          other countries are willing to follow. Such leadership cannot 
          be sustained without an informed citizenry with much more 
          knowledge and awareness of the world than most Americans tend 
          to possess.
              (7) Study abroad has proven to be a very effective means of 
          imparting international and foreign-language competency to 
          students.
              (8) In the 2003-2004 academic year, an estimated 16,910,000 
          students were enrolled in United States postsecondary 
          institutions, yet only 191,321, representing approximately 1 
          percent of those students, studied abroad for academic credit, 
          according to the National Center for Education Statistics and 
          the Institute of International Education, respectively.
              (9) Less than 10 percent of the students who graduate from 
          United States institutions of higher education with bachelors 
          degrees have studied abroad.
              (10) Far more study abroad must take place in the 
          developing countries. Ninety-five percent of the world's 
          population growth is anticipated to occur outside of Europe in 
          the future. Yet in the academic year 2003-2004, 61 percent of 
          United States students studying abroad studied in Europe, and 
          46 percent studied in the 4 countries of the United Kingdom, 
          Italy, Spain, and France, according to the Institute of 
          International Education.
              (11) Study abroad helps to build mutual understanding among 
          nations and serves to promote national leadership in the United 
          States, international effectiveness, and economic 
          competitiveness by helping to create a globally literate 
          citizenry.
              (12) The Senate designated 2006 as the Year of Study 
          Abroad, raising awareness of the importance of study abroad.
              (13) To complement such worthwhile Federal programs as the 
          Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and the 
          National Security Education Program, a broad-based 
          undergraduate study abroad program is needed that will 
          democratize study abroad and make opportunities of study abroad 
          accessible to all undergraduate students, regardless of their 
          field of study, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender.
              (14) A majority of barriers to study abroad are due to 
          institutional policies at the campus level, according to a 
          report of the Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad issued 
          by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
              (15) To make study abroad an integral part of undergraduate 
          students' education, regardless of field of study, ethnicity, 
          socio-economic status, or gender, institutions of higher 
          education should address institutional barriers that stand in 
          the way of study abroad.
              (16) According to the Institute of International Education, 
          the percentages of African-American, Asian-American, and 
          Hispanic-American students among individuals studying abroad 
          are extremely low and underrepresentative of the numbers of 
          those students in the general student population.
              (17) The majority of students who study abroad are students 
          in the social sciences, humanities, and foreign languages, 
          while students who major in engineering, mathematics, computer 
          science, or education are underrepresented in study abroad 
          programs. Within the total enrolled United States undergraduate 
          population, approximately 10.7 percent of United States 
          students majoring in business have studied abroad, 8 percent of 
          United States students majoring in engineering have studied 
          abroad, and 5.9 percent of United States students majoring in 
          education have studied abroad.
              (18) Recognizing that the international scope of scientific 
          research in United States institutions of higher education and 
          government facilities is often conducted by foreign-born 
          scientists, the effectiveness of their work will be greatly 
          enhanced by United States researchers who have similarly spent 
          time studying abroad.
      (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act--
              (1) to encourage not less than 1,000,000 undergraduate 
          students in United States institutions of higher education to 
          study abroad for academic credit within 10 years of the date of 
          enactment of this Act; and
              (2) to establish an Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program 
          that--
                      (A) reflects the demographics of the United States 
                  undergraduate population, including undergraduate 
                  students in technical and scientific fields of study;
                      (B) ensures an increasing portion of study abroad 
                  takes place in nontraditional study abroad 
                  destinations, with a substantial portion of such 
                  increases taking place in developing countries; and
                      (C) is accessible by students at diverse types of 
                  institutions of higher education, including 2-year 
                  institutions, minority-serving institutions, and 
                  institutions that serve nontraditional students.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
          term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
          U.S.C. 1001(a)).
              (2) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
          serving institution'' means--
                      (A) a part B institution, as defined in section 322 
                  of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061);
                      (B) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in 
                  section 502(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)); or
                      (C) another school that traditionally serves a 
                  racial or ethnic minority, as determined by the 
                  Secretary after consultation with the Secretary of 
                  Education.
              (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of State.
  
  SEC. 4. ABRAHAM LINCOLN STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to establish and carry 
  out an Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program to facilitate the 
  participation of undergraduate students in study abroad for academic 
  credit. The program shall consist of the following:
              (1) Fellowships for undergraduate students.--
                      (A) Fellowships.--From amounts made available under 
                  section 5(1), the Secretary shall award fellowships to 
                  undergraduate students to enable the students to study 
                  abroad for academic credit.
                      (B) Designation.--Fellowships awarded under this 
                  paragraph shall be known as ``Lincoln Fellowships''.
              (2) Grants to institutions of higher education.--
                      (A) In general.--From amounts made available under 
                  section 5(2), the Secretary shall award grants to 
                  institutions of higher education--
                              (i) to enable the institutions of higher 
                          education to award fellowships to undergraduate 
                          students to enable the students to study abroad 
                          for academic credit; and
                              (ii) for the reform of academic programs 
                          and institutional policies that inhibit 
                          participation by students in study abroad.
                      (B) Designation.--Grants awarded under this 
                  paragraph shall be known as ``Lincoln Institutional 
                  Leverage Grants''.
                      (C) Limitation.--Each institution of higher 
                  education that receives a grant under this paragraph 
                  shall use not less than 85 percent of the grant funds 
                  to award fellowships to students under subparagraph 
                  (A)(i).
      (b) Fellowship Award Rules.--The Secretary shall ensure that--
              (1) fellowships awarded under subsections (a)(1)(A) and 
          (a)(2)(A)(i) reflect the demographics of the United States 
          undergraduate population; and
              (2) there is an annual increase in the number or percentage 
          of fellowships awarded under subsections (a)(1)(A) and 
          (a)(2)(A)(i) for study abroad taking place in nontraditional 
          study abroad destinations, with a substantial portion of such 
          increase taking place in developing countries.
      (c) Program Development and Implementation.--The Secretary shall, 
  to the extent practicable, consult with nonprofit and private 
  organizations with experience in programs involving study abroad for 
  academic credit, in establishing and carrying out the Abraham Lincoln 
  Study Abroad Program.
      (d) Coordination With Other Federal Study Abroad Activities.--The 
  Secretary may integrate the activities assisted under this section with 
  other undergraduate study abroad activities supported by the Department 
  of State, the Department of Education, and the Department of Defense.
  
  SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
  sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 and for each of the 4 
  succeeding fiscal years, of which--
              (1) 25 percent of such sums shall be available to carry out 
          section 4(a)(1) for each fiscal year; and
              (2) 75 percent of such sums shall be available to carry out 
          section 4(a)(2) for each fiscal year.
target: Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to establish an Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program to facilitate undergraduate study abroad for academic credit. States that the Program shall consist of: (1) undergraduate fellowships (Lincoln Fellowships); and (2) grants to institutions of higher education (Lincoln Institutional Leverage Grants).
feat_title: A bill to establish the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program.