Department of State December 29, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 23, 2009 the State Department published in the Federal Register a proposed rule titled Exchange Visitor Program Secondary School Students. The Department revised existing regulations to provide greater specificity and clarity to sponsors of the Secondary School Student category with respect to the execution of sponsor oversight responsibilities under the exchange visitor program. This rule is being withdrawn because it was submitted prior to OMB completing review. The proposed rule is withdrawn in its entirety.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the International Sports Programming Initiative. Public and private non- profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals for projects designed to reach out to youth and promote mutual understanding by increasing the professional capacity of those who design and manage youth sports programs in select countries in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, the Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere. The focus of all programs must be on reaching out to both male and female youth ages 7- 17 and/or their coaches/administrators. Programs designed to train elite athletes or coaches will not be considered. Eligible countries and territories in each region are: Africa: Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia; East Asia and the Pacific: Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Australia, and New Zealand; Near East and North Africa: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, West Bank/Gaza, and Israel; South and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh; Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Turkey, and France (Marseille) NOTE: Programs submitted for France MUST focus on the culturally diverse southern part of the country, specifically the region around Marseille. During the two-way exchange, participants selected for the U.S. portion must come from the Marseille area and be representative of the multi- cultural population. The in-country portion must take place in the Marseille region.; and the Western Hemisphere: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Barbados, Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti, Paraguay, and Uruguay.