Legislation intended to help schools in rural areas combat the threat of closure due to decreases in student enrollment has been proposed by two upstate congressmen.

The proposal would ease restrictions on allowing a district to recruit foreign students who pay tuition.

The Strengthening America's Public Schools Through Promoting Foreign Investment Act eases restrictions in the nonimmigrant F-1 visa program for public secondary schools. These restrictions target public schools by only permitting one year of study for foreign exchange students who pay the full cost of their education, while these same students may attend private and parochial schools with no restrictions.

Allowing foreign students who pay tuition to attend public school in the U.S. for longer than one year will allow for better long-term planning by school districts and help them financially by generating revenue at no cost to the taxpayer, according to New York District 23 Rep. Bill Owens, a Democrat, and District 20 Rep. Chris Gibson, a Republican.

“This bill is a no-cost, direct investment in the nation’s rural education system and will give local school officials a wider range of opportunities to keep their schools open and educate the next generation,” said Owens. “Many public schools, particularly those in rural areas, face the threat of closure due to recent decreases in student enrollment and the inability to cover operating costs. Innovative school districts across the country are ensuring their longevity by increasing enrollment and revenue through recruiting foreign exchange students from around the world who pay for their education.”

Local public schools would benefit from the nonimmigrant F-1 visa program by changing current rules to allow foreign exchange students to attend these schools for more than one year. “Having the public schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial interest is a great opportunity for all of us,” Owens added. “This legislation will make it easier for our school districts to succeed.”

The legislation is a companion bill to S. 823, introduced in the United States Senate by New York Sen. Charles Schumer.