To strengthen communities through English literacy and civics education for new Americans, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. HONDA (for himself and Ms. CLARKE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To strengthen communities through English literacy and civics education for new Americans, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009'.

(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 101. Increased investment in English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

Sec. 102. Definitions of English language learner.

Sec. 103. Credits for teachers of English language learners.

Sec. 104. Research in adult education.

Sec. 201. Credit for employer-provided adult English literacy and basic education programs.

Sec. 202. Presidential award for business leadership in promoting United States citizenship.

Sec. 301. Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration.

Sec. 304. Reporting and evaluation.

Sec. 305. New citizens award program.

Sec. 307. Authorization of appropriations.

(1) to meet the growing need for English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs for new Americans in the United States; and

(2) to encourage proactive policies to introduce new Americans into the Nation in order to maximize the benefits provided to these individuals and to the community.

(a) Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Program- Section 203 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9202) is amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (12) through (18) as paragraphs (13) through (19), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (11), the following:

`(12) INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY, U.S. HISTORY, AND CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAM- The term `integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education program' means a program of instruction designed to help an English language learner achieve competence in English through contextualized instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, and United States history and government to help such learner acquire the skills and knowledge to become an active and informed parent, worker, and community member.'.

(b) State Leadership Activities- Section 223(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9223(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:

`(12) Technical assistance for grant applications of faith- and community-based organizations.'.

(c) National Institute for Literacy- Section 242(c)(1) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9252(c)(1)) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (G), (H), and (I), as subparagraphs (I), (J), and (K), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:

`(G) to coordinate and share information with national organizations and associations that are interested in integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs;

`(H) to study the effectiveness of distance learning or self-study programs in assisting the English language learner population achieve competence in English;'.

(d) Report- Section 242(k) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9252(k)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2), by striking `and' after the semicolon;

(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and

(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

`(A) national and State adult English instruction needs;

`(B) data on the composition of recent immigration flows and immigration settlement patterns across the United States; and

`(C) estimated instructional needs based on the English ability and educational attainment of English language learners under recent migration patterns; and'.

(e) National Leadership Activities- Section 243 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9253) is amended--

(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting `and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs' before the semicolon at the end; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting `and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs' before `, based on scientific evidence'; and

(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting `and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs' before the semicolon at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by inserting `integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs,' before `and workplace literacy programs'; and

(i) in clause (i), by inserting `and integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs' before the semicolon at the end;

(ii) in clause (iii), by striking `and' after the semicolon;

(I) by striking `section 231' and inserting `sections 231 and 244'; and

(II) by inserting `and' after the semicolon; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

`(v) the extent to which integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs carried out under section 244 lead participants in such programs to increase their civic participation and, if applicable, lead such participants to become United States citizens;'.

(f) Integrated English Literacy, U.S. History, and Civics Education- Chapter 4 of subtitle A of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(a) Program Authorized- From funds appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award grants to States, from allocations under subsection (b), for integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs.

`(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (2), from the amount appropriated under subsection (c) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate--

`(A) 65 percent of such amount to States on the basis of a State's need for integrated English, U.S. history, and civics education programs, as determined by calculating each State's share of a 10-year average of the data compiled by the Office of Immigration Statistics of the Department of Homeland Security, for immigrants admitted for lawful permanent residence for the 10 most recent years; and

`(B) 35 percent of such amount to the States on the basis of whether the State experienced growth, as measured by the average of the 3 most recent years for which data compiled by the Office of Immigration Statistics of the Department of Homeland Security are available, for immigrants admitted for lawful permanent residence.

`(2) MINIMUM- No State shall receive an allocation under paragraph (1) in an amount that is less than $60,000.

`(c) Authorization of Appropriation- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.'.

(a) Adult Education and Family Literacy Act- The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.) is amended--

(1) in section 203(6) (20 U.S.C. 9202(6)), by striking `individuals of limited English proficiency' and inserting `English language learners';

(2) in section 203 (20 U.S.C. 9202)--

(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking `INDIVIDUAL OF LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY' and inserting `ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER'; and

(ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking `individual of limited English proficiency' and inserting `English language learner'; and

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10), as paragraphs (7), (8), (9), (10), and (6), respectively;

(3) in section 224(b)(10)(D) (20 U.S.C. 9224(b)(10)(D)), by striking `individuals with limited English proficiency' and inserting `English language learners'; and

(4) in section 243(2)(D)(ii) (20 U.S.C. 9253(2)(D)(ii)), by striking `individuals with limited English proficiency who are adults' and inserting `adult English language learners'.

(b) Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965-

(1) AMENDMENT- Section 9101(25) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(25)) is amended by striking the matter preceding subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:

`(25) ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER- The term `English language learner' means an individual--'.

(2) REFERENCES- Any reference in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) to an individual who is limited English proficient shall be construed to refer to an English language learner.

(a) In General- Subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to nonrefundable personal credits) is amended by inserting after section 25D the following new section:

`(a) In General- In the case of an eligible teacher, there shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to--

`(1) $1500, for each of the first 5 taxable years for which the taxpayer is allowed a credit under this section; and

`(2) $1000, for any other taxable year.

`(b) Credit Allowed Only for 10 Taxable Years- No credit shall be allowed under this section with respect to a taxpayer for any taxable year after the 10th taxable year for which such taxpayer is allowed a credit under this section.

`(c) Eligible Teacher- For purposes of this section--

`(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), the term `eligible teacher' means, with respect to a taxable year, any individual who is--

`(A) a full-time teacher of English as a second language or bilingual instruction for the academic year ending in such taxable year, or

`(B) an eligible part-time teacher of English as a second language or bilingual instruction for the academic year ending in such taxable year.

`(2) ELIGIBLE PART-TIME TEACHER- The term `eligible part-time teacher' means, with respect to a taxable year, an individual who teaches at least 20 hours per week during the academic year ending in such taxable year. Such term does not include any individual who is a full-time teacher of English as a second language during such academic year.

`(3) SPECIAL RULE- In the case of an eligible part-time teacher, subsection (a) shall be applied by substituting `$375' for `$750' and by substituting `$250' for `$500'.'.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections for such subpart is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 25D the following new item:

`Sec. 25E. Teachers of English language learners.'.

(c) Teacher Certification Expenses- Part VII of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to additional itemized deductions for individuals) is amended by redesignating section 224 as section 225 and by inserting after section 223 the following new section:

`(a) In General- In the case of an individual, there shall be allowed a deduction for eligible teacher certification expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer for the taxable year.

`(b) Eligible Teacher Certification Expenses- The term `eligible teacher certification expenses'--

`(1) means the tuition and fees required for the enrollment or attendance of the taxpayer at an eligible educational institution (as defined in section 25A) for a course which is required for certification or licensure of such individual as qualified to provide English as a second language or bilingual instruction to elementary or secondary school students who are limited English proficient (as defined in section 9901 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965); and

`(2) shall not include any amounts that are--

`(A) used for a course that is part of the individual's degree program; or

`(B) funded by another person or any governmental entity.

`(c) Denial of Double Benefit- No deduction shall be allowed under this section for any expense for which a deduction or credit is allowed under any other provision of this chapter.

`(d) Termination- This section shall not apply to expenses paid or incurred after December 31, 2014.'.

(d) Certification Deduction Allowed Whether or Not Taxpayer Itemizes Other Deductions- Subsection (a) of section 62 of such Code is amended by inserting after paragraph (21) the following new paragraph:

`(22) TEACHER CERTIFICATION EXPENSES- The deduction allowed by section 224.'.

(e) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections for part VII of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by striking the last item and inserting the following new items:

`Sec. 224. Certification expenses for teachers of English language learners.

(f) Regulations- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of this section.

(g) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009.

(a) In General- Section 133(c)(2)(A) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting `education and' before `literacy'.

(b) National Research and Development Center-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Education shall direct the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research established pursuant to section 131 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9531) to establish a national research and development center for adult education and literacy as described in section 133(c)(2)(A) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)(2)(A)) (as amended by subsection (a)).

(2) PROVISION FOR EXPANSION OF RESEARCH- If, as of the date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner has established a center for adult literacy in accordance with section 133(c)(2)(A) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Commissioner shall expand the topic of research of such center to include adult education, in accordance with the amendment made by subsection (a).

(a) In General- Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to business related credits) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(a) In General- For the purposes of section 38, the credit determined under this section with respect to any employer for the taxable year is an amount equal to 20 percent of qualified education program expenses, but in no case shall the employer receive a credit in an amount of more than $1,000 per full-time employee participating in the qualified education program.

`(b) Qualified Education Program Expenses- For purposes of this section--

`(1) IN GENERAL- The term `qualified education program expenses' means expenses paid or incurred by an employer to make available qualified education to employees of the employer, who--

`(A) are English language learners; and

`(B)(i) have not received a secondary school diploma, or its recognized equivalent; or

`(ii) lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills, including financial literacy, to enable the individuals to function effectively in society.

`(2) QUALIFIED EDUCATION- The term `qualified education' means adult education and literacy activities provided--

`(A) by an eligible provider which for the fiscal year ending during the employer's taxable year receives or is eligible to receive Federal funds under section 231 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act for adult education and literacy activities; or

`(B) in curriculum approved by the Department of Education, the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, or in current use by a Federal agency.

`(3) ELIGIBLE PROVIDER; ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY ACTIVITIES- The terms `eligible provider' and `adult education and literacy activities' shall have the respective meanings given to such terms in section 203 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

`(4) ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER- The term `English language learner' shall have the same meaning given to such term in section 9101(25) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

`(c) Special Rules- For purposes of this section--

`(1) FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT- An employee shall be considered full-time if such employee is employed at least 30 hours per week for 25 or more calendar weeks in the taxable year.

`(2) AGGREGATION RULE- All persons treated as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) or section 52, or subsection (m) or (o) of section 414, shall be treated as 1 person.

`(d) Denial of Double Benefit- No deduction or credit shall be allowed under any other provision of this chapter for any amount taken into account in determining the credit under this section.

`(e) Termination- This section shall not apply to expenses paid or incurred after December 31, 2014.'.

(b) Credit To Be Part of General Business Credit- Subsection (b) of section 38 of such Code (relating to the current year business credit) is amended--

(1) by striking `plus' at the end of paragraph (34);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (35) and inserting `, plus'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(36) the adult English literacy and basic education programs credit determined under section 45R.'.

(c) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`Sec. 45R. Employer-provided adult English literacy and basic education programs.'.

(d) Regulations- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of this section.

(e) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009.

(a) Establishment- There is established the Presidential Award for Business Leadership in Promoting United States Citizenship (referred to in this section as the `Presidential Citizenship Award'), which shall be awarded to companies and other organizations that make extraordinary efforts in assisting their employees and members to learn English and increase their understanding of United States history and civics.

(b) Selection and Presentation of Award-

(1) SELECTION- The President shall periodically award the Presidential Citizenship Award to large and small companies and other organizations described in subsection (a) after reviewing recommendations to the President with respect to such award by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(2) PRESENTATION- The presentation of the Presidential Citizenship Award shall be made by the President, or a designee of the President, in conjunction with an appropriate ceremony.

(a) Renaming of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Office of Citizenship within United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security shall be renamed the `Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration'.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 451(f) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 271(f)) is amended--

(A) in the subsection heading, by striking `Citizenship.' and inserting `Citizenship and Immigrant Integration.';

(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting `and Immigrant Integration' after `Office of Citizenship'; and

(C) in paragraph (2), by inserting `and Immigrant Integration' after `Office of Citizenship'.

(3) REFERENCES- Any reference in a law, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Office of Citizenship within United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security shall be deemed to be a reference to the `Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration'.

(b) Functions- Section 451(f)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 271(f)(2)), as amended by subsection (a)(2)(C), is further amended by striking `for promoting' and all that follows through the period and inserting `for--

`(A) establishing national goals for introducing new Americans into the United States and measuring the degree to which such goals are met;

`(B) assessing and coordinating Federal policies, regulations, task forces, and commissions related to introducing immigrants into the United States;

`(C) continuing with the efforts of the Task Force on New Americans established under Executive Order No. 13404 to facilitate a dialogue among Federal agencies, make recommendations to the President of the United States, and follow through with initiatives administered by the Task Force under the authority of such Executive Order;

`(D) serving as a liaison and intermediary with State and local governments and other entities to assist in establishing local goals, task forces, and councils to assist in introducing immigrants to the United States;

`(E) coordinating with other Federal agencies to provide information to State and local governments on the demand for English acquisition programs and best practices in place on the Federal and State level for aliens who have recently arrived in the United States;

`(F) assisting States in coordinating activities with the grant program carried out under title III of the Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009; and

`(G) promoting instruction and training on citizenship responsibilities for aliens interested in becoming naturalized citizens of the United States, including the development of educational materials for such aliens.'.

(c) Donations- Section 451(f) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 271(f)), as amended by this section, is further amended by adding at the end the following:

`(A) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration may accept monetary and in-kind donations to support the activities described in paragraph (2).

`(B) DEDICATION OF FUNDS- Notwithstanding any other provision of law--

`(i) any funds donated to the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration to support the activities described in paragraph (2) shall be deposited entirely into an account established for such purpose;

`(ii) the funds contained in such account shall be used solely to support such activities; and

`(iii) funds that were not donated for the exclusive purpose of supporting such activities may not be deposited into such account.'.

(d) Report to Congress- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration shall submit a biennial report to the authorizing Committees in Congress that describes the activities of the office.

(a) Authority To Provide Grants- Subject to subsections (c) and (d), the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration is authorized to provide competitive grants to States to form State New American Councils as described in subsection (b) to carry out activities described in section 303.

(b) State New American Councils- A State New American Council shall consist of not less than 15 and not more than 19 individuals from the State and shall include, to the extent practicable, representatives from the following sectors:

(5) Nonprofit organizations, including those with experience working with immigrant communities.

(6) Representatives from key education stakeholders, such as State educational agencies, local educational agencies, community colleges, teachers, or organizations representing teachers and other employees.

(7) Representatives of State adult education offices.

(8) Representatives of State or local public libraries.

(9) Representatives of statewide or local government officials.

(1) AUTHORITY TO GRANT- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration may award a grant under subsection (a) to a State without requiring the State to form a State New American Council if the Chief determines that the State is carrying out similar statewide initiatives to introduce immigrants into the State and into the United States.

(2) GUIDELINES- The Chief shall establish guidelines for awarding grants to States described in paragraph (1).

(d) Grants to Local Governments- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration may provide a grant under subsection (a) to a local government at the discretion of the Chief.

(e) Application- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an applicant shall submit an application to the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Chief may reasonably require. Such application shall include--

(1) if the applicant is a State seeking to form a State New American Council, an assurance that such State New American Council will meet the requirements of subsection (b);

(2) the number of immigrants in the State in which the applicant is located;

(3) a description of the challenges in introducing new Americans in the State and local community; and

(4) any other information that the Chief may reasonably require.

(f) Duration- A grant awarded under subsection (a) shall be for a period of 5 years.

(g) Priority- Priority shall be given to grant applications that--

(1) use matching funds, from non-Federal sources, which may include in-kind contributions; and

(2) demonstrate collaboration with private entities to achieve the goals of their comprehensive plan.

(h) Additional Consideration- Additional consideration shall be given to grant applications submitted by States with a large increase in the population of immigrants over the previous 10 years relative to past migration patterns, based on data compiled by the Office of Immigration Statistics of the Department of Homeland Security.

(i) Grant Amount- The amount of a grant awarded under subsection (a) shall be not less than $500,000 and not more than $5,000,000 for each fiscal year.

(1) NATIONAL- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration shall reserve not more than 1 percent of the amount appropriated to carry out this section for such Office, including the evaluation of funds distributed.

(2) STATES- A State awarded a grant under subsection (a) may reserve not more than 10 percent of such grant amount for the creation and operation of the State New American Council.

(a) Mandatory Activities- A grant awarded under section 302(a) shall be used--

(1) to develop, implement, expand, or enhance a comprehensive plan to introduce new immigrants into the State, including the increase in English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education;

(2) to provide subgrants to local communities as described in subsection (c);

(3) if the grant is awarded to a State to form a State New American Council, to convene meetings of the State New American Council not less frequently than once each quarter;

(4) to disseminate best practices and other information compiled by the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration that pertains to effective programs for English acquisition and civics education; and

(5) to convene public hearings not less frequently than once each year to report on the activities carried out by such grant.

(b) Permissible Activities- A grant awarded under section 302(a) may be used--

(1) to solicit and disseminate solutions and remedies to the challenges of introducing new Americans in the State or municipality in which the grant is awarded;

(2) to provide technical assistance, training, or coordination for State or local agencies to improve programs to introduce new Americans into the United States, such as English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education;

(3) to review and develop strategies to expand distance learning as a method of instruction for English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education and available technological programs that may supplement or supplant quality classroom instruction;

(4) to coordinate with entities of other States engaged in activities under this title or other activities to introduce new Americans into the State or community; and

(5) to develop materials focused on preparation for the naturalization test, engage in outreach and educational activities on the naturalization process, and provide assistance to immigrants with the naturalization application, where appropriate.

(1) REQUIREMENT TO AWARD- A grant under section 302(a) shall be used to award subgrants to entities of local governments to assist communities with local efforts to introduce new Americans into the community.

(2) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES- Subgrants shall be awarded under paragraph (1) to entities of local governments for use to carry out activities in accordance with--

(A) a comprehensive plan described in subsection (a)(1); and

(B) any guidance provided by the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration.

(3) SUBGRANT AMOUNT- The amount of a subgrant awarded under this subsection shall be not less than $100,000 and not more than $600,000 for a fiscal year.

(1) IN GENERAL- Each entity awarded a grant under section 302(a) shall submit a report annually to the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration that--

(A) describes the activities of the State New American Council and subgrant recipients and how these activities meet the goals of--

(i) the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration; and

(ii) the comprehensive plan described in section 303(a)(1); and

(B) describes the geographic areas being served, the number of immigrants in such areas, and the primary languages spoken there.

(2) OTHER REQUIREMENTS- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration may set out other requirements as the Chief sees fit in order to--

(B) measure the outcomes of the activities carried out with grants awarded under section 302(a).

(b) Annual Evaluation- The Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration shall conduct an annual evaluation of the grant program established under this title and use such evaluation--

(1) to improve the effectiveness of programs carried out by the Chief;

(2) to assess future needs of immigrants and of State and local governments related to immigrants;

(3) to determine the effectiveness of such grant program; and

(4) to ensure that the grantees and subgrantees are acting within the scope and purpose of this title.

(a) Establishment- There is established a new citizens award program to recognize citizens who--

(1) have made an outstanding contribution to the United States; and

(2) are naturalized during the 10-year period ending on the date of such recognition.

(1) IN GENERAL- The President is authorized to present a medal, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the United States, to citizens described in subsection (a).

(2) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF AWARDS- Not more than 10 citizens may receive a medal under this section in any calendar year.

Nothing in this title shall be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or such other officials of the Department of Homeland Security as the Secretary of Homeland Security may direct, to manage, direct, and control the activities of the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2015.