RI H7389

Establishes a bilingual education support fund with $950,000 annual appropriation starting FY 2027, allocated as $300,000 for dual language program implementation, $600,000 for expanding bilingual/world language teacher certifications, and up to $50,000 for administrative costs.

Provides grants to traditional public school districts, community-based organizations partnering with districts, and institutions of higher education to establish or expand bilingual/dual language instruction programs for grades K-12.

Targets local education agencies with high incidence of multilingual learners, defined as having 250 or more multilingual learners or 20% or more of total student population being multilingual learners.

Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to collaborate with the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner to increase and streamline world language and bilingual dual language teacher certifications.

Takes effect July 1, 2026.