The Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act, (H.R. 1731, S. 680)
Status: Introduced
JNCL-NCLIS worked with Sen. Schatz’s office to submit proposed pilot language for the FY23
funding bill that leverages the House’s report language last year: “The Committee continues to
recognize that State seal of biliteracy programs, adopted and implemented in more than 80 percent of the States, enrich society by encouraging bilingual and multilingual education and demonstrating to employers and higher education institutions that students have attained proficiency in English and one other language. The Committee directs the Department to continue following the directives in Senate
Report 117–96, as adopted by Public Law 117–103. The Committee provides $1,000,000 to establish a pilot program to enable States to establish or improve, and carry out, Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.”
JNCL-NCLIS will continue to advocate for the BEST Act and work with Members of Congress to create equitable pathways to implementing Seal of Biliteracy programs across the country, and in particular, will work with interested World LEAP sponsors to incorporate supporting Seal of Biliteracy language.
