[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2813 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2813
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving
institutions and local educational agencies with high enrollments of
Hispanic or Latino students, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 14, 2023
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Durbin,
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Warren)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving
institutions and local educational agencies with high enrollments of
Hispanic or Latino students, and for other purposes.
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 ``Hispanic Educational Resources and
Empowerment Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Hispanics and Latinos are the largest, youngest, and
second-fastest growing minority population in the United
States, accounting for half of the Nation's population growth
between 2010 and 2020.
(2) While Hispanics and Latinos compose 18 percent of the
population of the United States, they compose 26 percent of the
prekindergarten through grade 12 public school student
enrollment in the United States.
(3) Over 3,300 local educational agencies have 25 percent
or more Hispanic and Latino enrollment and those local
educational agencies enroll 78 percent of all prekindergarten
through grade 12 Hispanic and Latino students in the United
States.
(4) Hispanic and Latino students face disparities in
educational outcomes, including lower grades, lower scores on
standardized tests, and higher dropout rates.
(5) Hispanic and Latino students tend to face greater
barriers once in college than their non-Hispanic and Latino
peers. Seventy percent of Hispanic and Latino college students
are first-generation college students and nearly half of
Hispanic and Latino college students are eligible to receive a
Federal Pell Grant.
(6) Hispanics and Latinos have less access to enrolling in,
or graduating from, institutions of higher education.
(7) More Hispanics and Latinos are going to college than
ever before, but only slightly more than half of the Hispanic
and Latino students who enroll earn a bachelor's degree.
(8) Hispanics and Latinos lag behind non-Hispanic Whites,
Blacks, and Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islanders in educational attainment of high school diplomas,
associate's degrees, and bachelor's degrees.
(9) In 2019, the median weekly earnings among high school
graduates with no postsecondary degree were lower than such
earnings for individuals holding associate's degrees by $123,
and for individuals holding bachelor's degrees by $635. Given
this information, and the growth in the Hispanic and Latino
population relative to the nearly stagnant population growth of
the Nation as a whole, gains in Hispanic and Latino educational
attainment are crucial to economic gains for the United States.
(10) Hispanics and Latinos are an increasingly vital
component of the workforce of the United States. The number of
Hispanics and Latinos in the labor force is expected to grow by
approximately 6,900,000 between 2020 and 2030.
(11) To help ensure that the United States is prepared to
meet the needs of its changing workforce, Hispanics and Latinos
and the institutions that enroll them most, Hispanic-serving
institutions, must be afforded the resources and support
necessary to close the achievement and opportunity gaps.
SEC. 3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new part:
``PART D--COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES WITH HIGH ENROLLMENTS OF HISPANIC OR LATINO
STUDENTS
``SEC. 531. PURPOSES.
``The purposes of this part are--
``(1) to promote and support opportunities for academic
alliances and collaborative partnerships between Hispanic-
serving institutions and local educational agencies with high
enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students for the purpose of
improving postsecondary educational attainment of Hispanic and
Latino students; and
``(2) to expand and enhance the course offerings, program
quality, and overall functionality of the colleges,
universities, and local educational agencies that educate the
majority of Hispanic and Latino students.
``SEC. 532. PROGRAM AUTHORITY, APPLICATION, AND ELIGIBILITY.
``(a) Program Authority.--Subject to the availability of funds
appropriated to carry out this part, the Secretary shall award grants,
on a competitive basis, to Hispanic-serving institutions serving as
grant recipient and fiscal agent for an eligible entity, to enable the
eligible entity to carry out activities described under section 533 to
improve and expand the capacity to develop innovative collaboration
agreements between local educational agencies and institutions of
higher education to better serve Hispanic and Latino students.
``(b) Eligible Entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a
partnership that--
``(1) shall include--
``(A) one or more Hispanic-serving institutions,
one of which shall serve as the grant recipient and
fiscal agent for the eligible entity; and
``(B) one or more local educational agencies with
high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students; and
``(2) may include--
``(A) one or more emerging Hispanic-serving
institutions;
``(B) one or more local educational agencies with
high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students; and
``(C) one or more nonprofit or community-based
organizations, or public or private nonprofit entities
with a demonstrated record of success in implementing
activities similar to the activities authorized under
section 533.
``(c) Application.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a
grant under this part shall--
``(1) designate a Hispanic-serving institution that is a
member of the eligible entity to serve as the grant applicant,
grant recipient, and fiscal agent for the eligible entity; and
``(2) through such designated Hispanic-serving institution,
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary
may require under part C and this part.
``SEC. 533. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
``An eligible entity that receives a grant under this part shall
use the grant funds for 1 or more of the following activities to
support eligible students:
``(1) Creating a college-bound culture among students,
which may include activities to promote the early exposure of
such students and their families to the opportunities and
requirements of postsecondary education, and other evidence-
based services, including services determined to have proven
positive outcomes by the What Works Clearinghouse maintained by
the Institute of Education Sciences.
``(2) Improvements to school-based and institutional
practices to prepare students for postsecondary education, and
provide high quality postsecondary supports when necessary,
which may include--
``(A) aligning high school coursework and high
school graduation requirements with the requirements
for entrance into credit-bearing coursework at 4-year
institutions of higher education, including Hispanic-
serving institutions;
``(B) early identification and support for students
at risk of not graduating from high school within 4
years, or at risk of requiring remediation upon
enrolling in postsecondary education;
``(C) developing and implementing pathways to
postsecondary education that--
``(i) provide students with advanced
coursework and result in a recognized
postsecondary credential, as defined in section
3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); or
``(ii) integrate rigorous and challenging
career and technical education, work-based
learning, and advanced coursework or other
academic instruction aligned with the
challenging State academic standards adopted by
the State in which the eligible entity is
located under section 1111(b)(1) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(1));
``(D) co-requisite courses;
``(E) technology-enhanced diagnostics and delivery
of remedial education;
``(F) use of multiple measures by institutions of
higher education for the purposes of placement;
``(G) analysis of a given placement approach and
how the approach affected equity;
``(H) faculty development to ensure effective
instruction; and
``(I) practices to teach college success skills.
``(3) Support for students for high school completion and
transition to postsecondary education, which may include--
``(A) assistance with the college application
process;
``(B) assistance with applying for financial aid;
and
``(C) assistance with selecting institutions of
higher education to which a student should apply based
on the needs and attributes of the student, available
degree programs, and outcomes of the institutions.
``(4) Addressing non-academic needs that are barriers to
college enrollment, persistence, and completion for students,
which may include--
``(A) activities to address the comprehensive needs
of students, including child care, housing and food
insecurity, finances, health issues, and
transportation; and
``(B) activities to promote a positive campus
climate at institutions of higher education and to
increase the sense of belonging among students,
including through first year support programs such as
mentoring and peer networks and advisories.
``(5) Developing and offering `grow your own' programs that
encourage students to pursue careers in education and that
provide pathways to meet applicable certification and licensure
requirements in the State such program is operating in,
including any requirements for certification obtained through
alternative routes to certification, which may include--
``(A) opportunities for students to take dual
credit courses in education, where such courses align
with the regular high school diploma (as defined in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965) and count for credit at the institution of
higher education;
``(B) opportunities for students to engage in work-
based learning opportunities in the field of education;
``(C) experiential learning that supports the
success of students and increases students' interest in
pursuing a teaching career;
``(D) providing direct supports, including wrap-
around services, for students to enroll and be
successful in postsecondary enrollment options for
courses that would meet degree requirements for teacher
licensure; and
``(E) scholarships to students who have completed a
secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent
to enroll in teacher preparation programs.
``SEC. 534. REPORTING.
``Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this part shall,
through the Hispanic-serving institution designated under section
532(b), submit to the Secretary, at the end of each grant period, a
report that includes information the Secretary may require. Such report
shall include information on the outcomes of the activities carried out
by the eligible entity, before and after such activities were funded
under this part, on the number and percentage of students entering,
persisting, and completing postsecondary education. Such information
shall be disaggregated to measure the specific impact on economically
disadvantaged students, students from each major racial and ethnic
group, students with disabilities, English learners, students of
different genders, and migrant students.
``SEC. 535. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EVALUATION.
``(a) Reservations.--From the total amount appropriated for this
part under section 528(a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall
reserve not more than the lesser of 5 percent or $5,000,000 for--
``(1) providing technical assistance to eligible entities,
directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative
agreements, by qualified experts on using practices grounded in
evidence to improve the outcomes of programs funded under this
part; and
``(2) conducting the evaluation described in subsection
(b).
``(b) Evaluation.--The Secretary, in partnership with the Director
of the Institute of Education Sciences, shall contract with a third
party to conduct an independent evaluation of the activities funded
under this part. Such evaluation shall include the impact of the
policies and services resulting from such activities on the number and
percentage of students entering, persisting, and completing
postsecondary education. The data collected by such evaluation shall be
disaggregated to measure the specific impact on economically
disadvantaged students, students from each major racial and ethnic
group, students with disabilities, English learners, students of
different genders, and migrant students.
``SEC. 536. DEFINITIONS.
``In this part:
``(1) Advanced coursework.--The term `advanced coursework'
means coursework designed for students to earn postsecondary
credit upon successful completion of the coursework while still
in secondary school, such as Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate, dual or concurrent enrollment programs, and
early college high school programs.
``(2) Co-requisite courses.--The term `co-requisite
courses' means courses designed for students at institutions of
higher education that combine credit-bearing postsecondary-
level coursework with supplemental instruction or additional
academic support.
``(3) Dual or concurrent enrollment program.--The term
`dual or concurrent enrollment program' has the meaning given
the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
``(4) Early college high school.--The term `early college
high school' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
``(5) Eligible student.--The term `eligible student'
means--
``(A) any student who is enrolled or eligible to
enroll in a secondary school that is served by a local
educational agency with high enrollments of Hispanic or
Latino students; and
``(B) any student who is enrolled or has been
accepted for enrollment at a Hispanic-serving
institution or an emerging Hispanic-serving
institution.
``(6) Emerging hispanic-serving institution.--The term
`emerging Hispanic-serving institution' means an institution of
higher education that--
``(A) is an eligible institution, as defined in
section 502; and
``(B) has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time
equivalent students that is at least 15 percent but
less than 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of
the award year immediately preceding the date of the
application for a grant under this part.
``(7) Local educational agency with high enrollments of
hispanic or latino students.--The term `local educational
agency with high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students'
means a local educational agency--
``(A) in which at least 25 percent of the students
served by the local educational agency are Hispanic or
Latino students, as determined by the enrollment data
of the local educational agency no later than the date
by which student membership data is collected annually
by State educational agencies for submission to the
National Center for Education Statistics under section
153 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20
U.S.C. 9543); and
``(B) in which at least 50 percent of the students
served by the local educational agency meet a measure
of poverty described in section 1113(a)(5) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)).''.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 528(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1103g(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) Part d.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out part D $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and such
sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal
years.''.
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