Basic Assistance for Students In College Act or the BASIC Act
This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award planning and implementation grants to institutions of higher education in order to identify and meet the basic needs of students, including food, housing, transportation, and health care. ED must also implement an agreement to (1) share data with other federal agencies in order to identify students who may be eligible for certain federal benefits; and (2) coordinate efforts to enroll those students in federal benefits programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4968 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4968
To provide for the basic needs of students at institutions of higher
education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 31, 2019
Mrs. Torres of California (for herself, Ms. Lee of California, Mr.
Carbajal, Mr. Vargas, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Hastings,
Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Cardenas, and
Mr. Takano) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the basic needs of students at institutions of higher
education.
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 ``Basic Assistance for Students In
College Act'' or the ``BASIC Act''.
SEC. 2. DATA SHARING.
Not more than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall develop and implement an
agreement to--
(1) securely share data among the respective Federal
agencies of such Secretaries in order to identify students who
are enrolled at institutions of higher education (as defined in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1002)) (including full-time and part-time students) who may be
eligible for benefits through--
(A) the supplemental nutrition assistance program
under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011
et seq.);
(B) the supplemental security income program under
title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et
seq.);
(C) the program of block grants to States for
temporary assistance for needy families under part A of
title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.);
(D) the special supplemental nutrition program for
women, infants, and children established by section 17
of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);
(E) the Medicaid program under title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
(F) Federal housing assistance programs, including
tenant-based assistance under section 8(o) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)),
and public housing, as defined in section 3(b)(1) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(1)); or
(G) any other means-tested Federal benefit program
as identified by the Secretary of Education in
accordance with section 479(d)(2)(F) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(d)(2)(F)); and
(2) coordinate efforts to provide assistance to
institutions of higher education to facilitate the enrollment
of eligible students in the programs listed in paragraph (1).
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE BASIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161a) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``PART BB--GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE BASIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS
``SEC. 899. GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE BASIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Basic needs.--The term `basic needs' means the needs
of students that support their success while enrolled at an
eligible institution, including needs such as--
``(A) food;
``(B) housing;
``(C) transportation;
``(D) child care;
``(E) health care; and
``(F) technology.
``(2) Community college.--The term `community college'
means a public institution of higher education at which the
highest degree that is predominantly awarded to students is an
associate degree, including 2-year Tribal Colleges or
Universities, as defined in section 316, and public 2-year
State institutions of higher education.
``(3) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means an institution of higher education (as
defined in section 102) that participates in programs under
title IV.
``(b) Planning Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award planning
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to
enable the eligible institutions to conduct research and
planning to reduce incidences of student food and housing
insecurity and to meet other basic needs of students, by
carrying out the activities described in paragraph (2).
``(2) Activities.--An eligible institution receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out
the following:
``(A) Establish a basic needs steering committee
that will be responsible for creating and approving the
basic needs strategy described in subparagraph (C), and
that will be comprised of relevant campus stakeholders,
such as--
``(i) students who have experienced
challenges in meeting basic needs;
``(ii) student government representatives;
``(iii) institutional staff representing
the areas of student financial aid, housing,
dining, student affairs, accessibility
services, and health services (including
counseling or psychological services);
``(iv) faculty;
``(v) relevant administrators, including
local human services administrators; and
``(vi) community-based organizations.
``(B) Conduct research regarding--
``(i) the level of unmet basic needs at the
institution, disaggregated by race and
ethnicity, income quintile, status as a first-
generation college student (as defined in
section 402A(h)), Federal Pell Grant
eligibility status, disability status, status
as a student parent, sex (including sexual
orientation and gender identity), or other
subgroup as determined by the institution;
``(ii) the presence of institutional
barriers (such as award displacement) and
current institutional interventions to address
such barriers;
``(iii) the resources available to address
basic needs of students, both on campus and off
campus; and
``(iv) opportunities for coordination and
collaboration between the institution and
government or community-based organizations,
such as--
``(I) the local office that
administers benefits through the
supplemental nutrition assistance
program (SNAP) and SNAP employment and
training programs under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq.) or the temporary assistance for
needy families program (TANF) and
subsidized programs that meet the work
requirements under part A of title IV
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
601 et seq.);
``(II) organizations that
participate in the Federal work-study
program under part C of title IV of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1087-51 et seq.); or
``(III) low-income housing
assistance organizations, including
those assisting with tenant-based
assistance under section 8(o) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o)), and public housing,
as defined in section 3(b)(1) of such
Act (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(1)).
``(C) Create a basic needs strategy that describes
how the institution will--
``(i) seek to address or meet the basic
needs of students through on-campus and off-
campus providers; and
``(ii) incorporate the research conducted
under subparagraph (B), including with respect
to the subgroups identified under clause (i) of
subparagraph (B), into the basic needs
strategy.
``(3) Grant amounts; duration.--
``(A) Amount.--A grant under this subsection shall
be in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
``(B) Duration.--A grant under this subsection
shall be for a period of 1 year.
``(4) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the end of the
planning grant period under this subsection, each eligible
institution that receives such a grant shall submit a report to
the Secretary describing the outcomes of the planning grant,
regardless of whether the eligible institution intends to apply
for an implementation grant.
``(c) Implementation Grants.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Authorization of award.--The Secretary shall
award implementation grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible institutions to enable the eligible
institutions to develop infrastructure to meet the
basic needs of students, by implementing a basic needs
strategy developed through a grant award under
subsection (b) or another existing basic needs plan
approved by the Secretary, and carrying out the
activities described in paragraph (2).
``(B) Ongoing external funding.--In order to be
eligible to receive an implementation grant under this
subsection, an eligible institution shall identify, in
the application for such grant, an ongoing non-Federal
funding mechanism to support the activities carried out
with grant funds after the grant period has expired.
``(2) Activities.--An eligible institution receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to carry
out at least two of the following:
``(A) Providing free or subsidized food, secure
sleeping arrangements, temporary housing, priority
access to existing on-campus child care, and other
basic needs to eligible students.
``(B) Conducting outreach to students to encourage
students to participate in programs and receive
services (including programs and services provided
through grant funding) to meet basic needs.
``(C) Educating students about public assistance
programs (including State and local public assistance
programs, and the supplemental nutrition assistance
program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), Federal housing assistance
programs, and other income-based Federal assistance
programs), supporting students' applications for those
programs, and providing case management and training
for students to maximize the public assistance that
students receive to meet basic needs.
``(D) Coordination and collaboration between the
eligible institution and government or community-based
organizations, such as the local office that
administers benefits through the supplemental nutrition
assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or a low-income housing
assistance organization.
``(E) Purchasing materials, equipment,
transportation, or facilities to reduce incidences of
food and housing insecurity and address the basic needs
of students at the eligible institution.
``(F) Hiring personnel to build basic needs
infrastructure and implement programming to meet the
basic needs of students at the eligible institution.
``(G) Other matters determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
``(3) Grant amounts; duration.--
``(A) Amount.--A grant under this subsection shall
be in an amount not to exceed $500,000 total for each
5-year period.
``(B) Duration.--A grant under this subsection
shall be for a period of 5 years.
``(4) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit to
Congress a report that describes--
``(A) the impact of the grant under this subsection
on eligible students;
``(B) best practices for the provision of basic
services to eligible students;
``(C) the obstacles faced by grant recipients; and
``(D) State or Federal policy barriers to meeting
the basic needs of students at institutions of higher
education.
``(5) Best practices.--The Secretary shall disseminate to
eligible institutions information about best practices, as
described in paragraph (4)(B).
``(d) Reservation; Priority; Equitable Distribution.--
``(1) Reservation.--In awarding grants under subsections
(b) and (c), the Secretary shall reserve an amount equal to not
less than 25 percent of the total amount available for grants
under those subsections for grant awards to community colleges.
``(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under subsections (b)
and (c), the Secretary shall give priority to the following:
``(A) Eligible institutions with respect to which
not less than 25 percent of enrolled students are
students that are eligible to receive a Federal Pell
Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV.
``(B) Eligible institutions that are historically
Black colleges and universities.
``(C) Eligible institutions that are described in
section 371(a).
``(3) Equitable distribution.--In awarding grants under
subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary shall ensure an
equitable distribution of grant awards to eligible institutions
in States based on State population.
``(e) Limitation.--An eligible institution receiving a grant
under--
``(1) subsection (b) shall not use more than 50 percent of
grant funds for personnel expenses; and
``(2) subsection (c) shall not use more than 75 percent of
grant funds for personnel expenses.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for fiscal years
2021 through 2027, of which--
``(1) $40,000,000 are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out planning grants under subsection (b); and
``(2) $460,000,000 are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out implementation grants under subsection (c).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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