Bill Summary
The Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019 is a bill that aims to provide financial support to students who are participating in study abroad programs. This bill would direct the Secretary of Education to establish a pilot program that would grant funds to institutions of higher education to cover the costs of obtaining a United States passport for students in need. To be eligible, an institution must demonstrate a history of students enrolled in the program and must report annually on the number of Pell Grant recipients who participate. The bill also requires the Secretary to make grants to specific types of institutions, such as four-year public universities and historically Black colleges and universities. The Secretary must also provide a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the program. The pilot program would last for five years and would receive a budget of $500,000 per year. Definitions are provided for terms used in the bill, such as "Pell Grant recipient" and "institution of higher education."
Possible Impacts
1. The Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act could potentially impact low-income students and students of color who may not have the financial means to obtain a passport necessary for studying abroad. By providing grants to cover the costs of obtaining a passport, this legislation could make study abroad programs more accessible and equitable for these students.
2. The institutions of higher education participating in the pilot program may need to allocate resources and time to implement the program, potentially impacting their other programs and services. This could require adjustments in budgeting and staffing for these institutions.
3. The reporting requirements outlined in the legislation could create additional administrative burdens for the Secretary of Education and institutions of higher education, potentially diverting resources away from other tasks and initiatives.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3503 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3503
To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a pilot program to
make grants to institutions of higher education to pay the costs of
obtaining a United States passport necessary for certain students to
participate in a study abroad program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2019
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Young) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a pilot program to
make grants to institutions of higher education to pay the costs of
obtaining a United States passport necessary for certain students to
participate in a study abroad program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Passport Assistance for
Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program
to make grants to institutions of higher education to--
(1) reimburse a student who is a Pell Grant recipient
enrolled at the institution for the costs of obtaining a United
States passport necessary for such student to participate in a
study abroad program; and
(2) in coordination with the Secretary of State, directly
pay the costs described in paragraph (1) in the case of a
United States passport event carried out by the Secretary of
State on the campus of such institution.
(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an institution of higher education shall, not later than 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit an application
to the Secretary that includes--
(1) the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled at the
institution that participated in a study abroad program during
each of the 5 years before the date of such application;
(2) an assurance that the institution will report to the
Secretary the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled at the
institution that participated in a study abroad program
annually for each of the 4 years after the date on which the
application is submitted;
(3) a description of how the institution will engage in
student outreach in carrying a grant under this section;
(4) such other information as the Secretary may require.
(c) Awards.--
(1) Requirements.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make grants
under subsection (a) to each of the following:
(A) A four-year public institution of higher
education.
(B) A public historically Black college or
university.
(C) A public Hispanic-serving institution.
(2) Other awards.--After making the awards required under
paragraph (1), the Secretary--
(A) may make grants to additional institutions of
higher education; and
(B) shall give priority under subparagraph (A) to
institutions of higher education with study abroad
programs that offer science, technology, engineering,
and math courses.
(d) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Institution reporting.--An institution of higher
education that receives a grant under this section shall not
later than 1 year after receiving such grant submit to the
Secretary and the Secretary of State a report that includes--
(A) a description of the student outreach carried
out through a grant under this section; and
(B) the number of Pell Grant recipients who--
(i) obtained a United States passport
pursuant to such grant; and
(ii) participated in a study abroad program
in the year after the institution received such
grant.
(2) Department reporting.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section, and annually for the 3
years thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, shall submit a report to Congress that
includes--
(A) a description of the awards made under this
section; and
(B) an assessment of the pilot program under this
section.
(e) Final Assessment.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the pilot program authority terminates under subsection (f), the
Secretary and the Secretary of State shall each--
(1) prepare an assessment of the pilot program, including a
recommendation as to whether--
(A) the pilot program should be continued and
expanded; or
(B) a similar program related to other higher
education programs, such as graduate and postgraduate
programs, community colleges, vocational programs, and
apprenticeship programs, should be carried out; and
(2) submit such assessment to Congress.
(f) Term.--The authority to carry out the pilot program under this
section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000 for fiscal year 2021
and each of the succeeding 3 fiscal years.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term ``Hispanic-
serving institution'' has the meaning given the term under
section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101a).
(2) Historically black college or university.--The term
``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' under section 322(2) of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1002).
(4) Pell grant recipient.--The term ``Pell Grant
recipient'' means a recipient of financial aid under subpart 1
of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1070a et seq.).
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
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