To reduce temporarily the duty on product mixtures containing Clothianidin and Bacillus Firmus strain I-1582.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to re-introduce a bill to expand the Federal Impact Aid Program to reimburse schools for the costs of educating students from the Freely Associated States (FAS), residing in the United States, including the territories. This legislation was H.R. 4695 in the 111th Congress and it enjoyed bipartisan support. Impact Aid was originally authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965 to compensate local school districts for the costs of educating federally connected children. Examples of these kinds of students include those whose parents live on military bases, live on Indian lands, or are the children of accredited foreign diplomats. However, the Impact Aid Program does not compensate local schools for the costs incurred by educating students from the FAS.

The United States entered into the Compacts of Free Association with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau and under the Compacts, citizens of these countries can enter the United States without a visa. Thus, children whose parents are citizens of the FAS are in schools in the states and territories under a special immigration category and are federally connected just as children of military families are similarly federally connected. This legislation would provide a means for the federal government to provide assistance to impacted local education authorities.

Mr. Speaker, the economic downturn has forced many local school districts to cut education budgets. This is a longstanding issue for affected jurisdictions and they need this to be redressed now more than ever. I will continue to make this, and all unreimbursed compact-impact funds, a priority in the 112th Congress. I would like to thank Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Pierluisi, Mr. Honda, and Ms. Hanabusa for their support as original co-sponsors. I will work with these cosponsors to pass this bill.