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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5185 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5185
To establish a grant program to support qualified community colleges,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 25, 2024
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant program to support qualified community colleges,
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 ``Funding Community College
Infrastructure Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Governing body.--The term ``governing body'' means--
(A) the board of trustees or other governing
organization of a qualified community college; or
(B) a State, local, or Indian Tribal government (or
any political subdivision thereof), or any combination
of local educational agencies or municipalities, that
participates or proposes to participate in the
establishment and operation of a qualified community
college.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801), except such term shall include any elementary school or
secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education,
notwithstanding section 8101(30)(C) of such Act.
(4) Qualified area.--The term ``qualified area'' means any
of the following:
(A) A city, metropolitan statistical area, or
county that does not contain any institution described
in paragraph (5)(A).
(B) A low-income community (as defined in section
45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986).
(5) Qualified community college.--The term ``qualified
community college'' means a public institution of higher
education--
(A) at which the highest degree that is
predominantly awarded to students is an associate
degree (including 2-year tribally controlled colleges
under section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059c) and public 2-year institutions of
higher education);
(B) that is established by and operated under the
supervision of a governing body in conjunction with the
State, local, and Indian tribal governments whose
residents will be served by such institution; and
(C) that is located within a qualified area.
(6) Qualified purpose.--The term ``qualified purpose''
means--
(A) establishing and operating a qualified
community college;
(B) expanding an existing qualified community
college to a qualified area;
(C) constructing, rehabilitating, repairing,
upgrading, enhancing, or expanding any facility owned
or to be used by a qualified community college to carry
out the educational purposes (including instructional
and research purposes) of such college;
(D) providing equipment for use by students at a
qualified community college;
(E) investing in online resources or broadband
access projects to deliver community college services
to qualified areas, or developing course materials for
education to be provided by a qualified community
college, provided that such uses do not collectively
account for more than 10 percent of the grant amount
awarded under this Act for such college;
(F) training professors and other school personnel
at a qualified community college, provided that such
use does not account for more than 5 percent of the
grant amount awarded under this Act for such college;
(G) constructing, rehabilitating, repairing,
upgrading, enhancing, or expanding any on-campus
facility to be used by a qualified community college
to--
(i) provide childcare to students and
staff, provided that such use does not account
for more than 10 percent of the grant amount
awarded under this Act for such college; or
(ii) provide affordable housing, with a
priority given to students and staff; and
(H) connecting students with transportation to a
qualified community college, including partnering with
public transit providers to--
(i) add bus, rail, or paratransit stops at
or within walking distances of the campus;
(ii) add bus, rail, or paratransit routes
to allow for transportation between the campus
and surrounding areas and other cities;
(iii) increase the frequency of service or
adjust the schedules for bus, rail, or
paratransit routes to allow students to get to
and from their classes; and
(iv) subsidize bus, rail, or paratransit
costs for students.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(8) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth
of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, or the United States Virgin
Islands.
(9) State higher education agency.--The term ``State higher
education agency'' means the officer or agency primarily
responsible for the State supervision of higher education.
SEC. 3. COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRANTS.
(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry out
this Act, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
governing bodies for qualified purposes relating to a qualified
community college.
(b) Application Requirements.--
(1) In general.--A governing body desiring a grant under
this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(2) Contents.--An application described in paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A) A description of--
(i) the financial sustainability of the
proposal, including how the governing body will
leverage other sources of funding; and
(ii) how the qualified purposes proposed
with respect to the qualified community college
will fill an unmet need within a qualified
area.
(B) Any relevant approvals with respect to the
proposal that have been granted by any applicable
State, local, or Indian Tribal government or
appropriate accrediting body.
(C) A certification that the governing body--
(i) has consulted with the jurisdictions in
which the qualified community college is, or
will be, located; and
(ii) has the written approval of the State
higher education agency for the proposal.
(D) In the case of an application proposing to
establish a new qualified community college and in
addition to the requirements under subparagraphs (A),
(B), and (C)--
(i) whether such proposal has received
approval from the State higher education
agency; and
(ii) a description of the sustainability of
such qualified community college, including any
commitment from any State, local, or Indian
Tribal government to provide additional funding
for such college.
(c) Priorities.--
(1) In general.--In awarding grants under this Act for a
fiscal year and subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall--
(A) give highest priority to--
(i) applications that propose to establish
a qualified community college that will serve
the residents of the State's largest
metropolitan statistical area that does not
contain an institution described in section
2(5)(A); or
(ii) in the case of a State for which no
applications described in clause (i) are
submitted, applications that propose to
establish a qualified community college that
will serve the residents of the State's largest
micropolitan statistical area that does not
contain an institution described in section
2(5)(A);
(B) after applying subparagraph (A), give high
priority to any governing body that--
(i) has a partnership, or agrees to enter
into a partnership upon receipt of the grant,
with--
(I) 1 or more local high schools,
as defined in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), including a
dual or concurrent enrollment program
(as defined in such section);
(II) a 4-year institution of higher
education that includes a credit-
transfer agreement or articulation
agreement (as defined in section
486A(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1093a(a))) for students
at the qualified community college; or
(III) a State workforce development
board established under section 101 of
the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111); or
(ii) is the governing body of, has a
partnership with, or agrees to enter into a
partnership upon receipt of the grant with, an
institution that is--
(I) a part B institution (as
defined in section 322 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1061));
(II) a Historically Black Graduate
Professional School (as identified in
section 326(e) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1063b(e)));
(III) a Hispanic-serving
institution (as defined in section
502(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)));
(IV) a Tribal College or University
(as defined in section 316(b) of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)));
(V) an Alaska Native-serving
institution or a Native Hawaiian-
serving institution (as such terms are
defined in section 317(b) of such Act
(20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)));
(VI) a Predominantly Black
institution (as defined in section
371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1067q(c)));
(VII) an Asian American and Native
American Pacific Islander-serving
institution (as defined in section
371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1067q(c))); or
(VIII) a Native American-serving
nontribal institution (as defined in
section 371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1067q(c))); and
(C) after applying subparagraphs (A) and (B), give
priority to any governing body that agrees to use not
less than 80 percent of the grant funds provided under
this section for qualified community college
construction or renovation that is certified, verified,
or consistent with the applicable provisions of--
(i) the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design green building rating
standard of the United States Green Building
Council;
(ii) the Living Building Challenge green
building certification program developed by the
International Living Future Institute;
(iii) a green building rating program
developed by the Collaborative for High-
Performance Schools that is designated as CHPS
Verified; or
(iv) a green building program that--
(I) has standards that are
equivalent to or more stringent than
the standards of a program described in
clause (i), (ii), or (iii);
(II) is adopted by the State or
another jurisdiction with authority
over the qualified community college;
and
(III) includes a verifiable method
to demonstrate compliance with the
program.
(2) Cumulative limitation per state.--The Secretary shall
ensure that the total amount of grant funds awarded under this
Act to all governing bodies located in a State for any fiscal
year shall not exceed the greater of--
(A) the amount equal to 10 percent of all grant
funds awarded under this Act for such fiscal year; or
(B) $50,000,000.
(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this
Act shall use--
(1) not less than 95 percent of the grant funds for a
qualified purpose with respect to a qualified community
college; and
(2) not more than 5 percent of the grant funds for
administrative expenses associated with the grant.
(e) Reports.--By not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for the duration of the grant
program under this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to
Congress a report on the grant program that--
(1) describes the uses of grant funds; and
(2) includes information on the regions and students served
through the program.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act a
total of $10,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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