[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5091 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5091
To provide for the basic needs of students at institutions of higher
education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18, 2024
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, Ms.
Hirono, Mr. Markey, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
(a) Agreements.--The Secretary of Education, in coordination with
the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary
of the Treasury, and the head of any other applicable Federal or State
agency, shall maintain agreements--
(1) to securely share data among the respective Federal
agencies of such Secretaries in order to identify students who
have applied for Federal financial aid and 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)) who may be
eligible for federally funded programs to support basic needs
through--
(A) the supplemental nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), a nutrition assistance program
carried out under section 19 of such Act (7 U.S.C.
2028), or a nutrition assistance program carried out by
the Secretary of Agriculture in the Northern Mariana
Islands;
(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));
(G) Federal child care assistance programs,
including assistance under the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et
seq.) and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School
Program under section 419N of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070e);
(H) the free and reduced price school lunch program
established under the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
(I) refundable credit for coverage under a
qualified health plan under section 36B of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986;
(J) the Earned Income Tax Credit under section 32
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
(K) the Child Tax Credit under section 24 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
(L) any other federally funded program determined
by the Secretary to be appropriate; and
(2) to coordinate efforts to provide assistance to
institutions of higher education to facilitate the enrollment
of eligible students in the programs described in paragraph
(1).
(b) Information on Federally Funded Programs To Support Basic
Needs.--
(1) In general.--Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(e) Information on Federally Funded Programs To Support Basic
Needs.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Benefit program.--The term `benefit program'
means a program described in any of subparagraphs (A)
through (L) of section 201(a)(1) of the Basic
Assistance for Students In College Act.
``(B) Eligible student.--The term `eligible
student' means any student who, as a result of
information submitted on the application for Federal
student financial aid, has been determined by the
Secretary (in consultation with the heads of applicable
Federal agencies) to be potentially eligible for a
benefit program.
``(2) Provision of information.--For each year for which an
eligible student submits an application for Federal student
financial aid, the Secretary shall send, in written and
electronic form, to the eligible student information regarding
potential eligibility for assistance under, and application
process for, benefit programs.
``(3) Inclusion.--The information provided under paragraph
(2) shall include a description of the appropriate State or
Federal resources to which to apply for each benefit
program.''.
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary of Education shall consult
with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,
the Secretary of the Treasury, and the head of any other
applicable Federal or State agency, in designing the written
and electronic communication regarding potential eligibility
for assistance under, and application process for, the benefit
programs (as defined in subsection (e)(1) of section 483 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090)).
(c) Further Information on Federally Funded Programs To Support
Basic Needs.--Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1090)) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(E)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) an authorization under subparagraph
(D) and disclosing the information as described
in clause (ii), the Secretary shall provide the
applicant with notification of the appropriate
Federal or State resources necessary to apply
for Federal and State programs that support
basic needs.''; and
(2) in subsection (c)(3)--
(A) by striking ``may enter'' and inserting ``shall
enter''; and
(B) by inserting ``, and shall consult with the
heads of applicable Federal agencies in designing the
written and electronic communication regarding
potential eligibility for assistance under such
programs'' after ``may be eligible''.
(d) Report.--The Secretary of Education, in coordination with the
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary
of the Treasury, and the head of any other applicable Federal or State
agency, shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that presents
summary statistics on students who have applied for Federal financial
aid and 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)) and are experiencing student food insecurity and housing
insecurity, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, income quintile,
status as a first generation college student, Federal Pell Grant
eligibility status, disability status, status as a student parent, sex
(including sexual orientation and gender identity), and other
subgroups, as determined by such heads of agencies.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE BASIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161a et
seq.) 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', with respect to
a student, means the physiological and safety necessities that
are central conditions for the student to learn, including--
``(A) nutritious and sufficient food;
``(B) safe, secure, and adequate housing (including
to sleep, to study, to cook, and to shower);
``(C) health care to promote sustained mental and
physical well-being;
``(D) high-quality and affordable childcare;
``(E) affordable technology and internet access;
``(F) accessible transportation;
``(G) personal hygiene and clothing; and
``(H) other costs described in paragraphs (2)
through (14) of section 472(a).
``(2) Community college.--
``(A) In general.--The term `community college'
means--
``(i) a public institution of higher
education at which--
``(I) the highest degree awarded is
an associate degree; or
``(II) an associate degree is the
most frequently awarded degree,
including a 2-year Tribal College or
University (as defined in section 316);
``(ii) a public postsecondary vocational
institution (as defined in section 102(c)); or
``(iii) at the designation of the
Secretary, in the case of a State in which
there is no community college operated or
controlled by the State that meets a definition
under clause (i) or (ii), a college or
similarly defined and structured academic
entity--
``(I) that was in existence on July
1, 2023;
``(II) within a public 4-year
institution of higher education; and
``(III) at which--
``(aa) the highest degree
awarded is an associate degree;
or
``(bb) an associate degree
is the most frequently awarded
degree.
``(3) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means an institution of higher education (as
defined in section 101 or 102(a)(1)(B)).
``(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 in accordance with paragraph (2)--
``(A) to reduce incidences of--
``(i) student food insecurity;
``(ii) student housing insecurity; and
``(iii) students experiencing homelessness;
and
``(B) to meet other basic needs of students.
``(2) Activities.--An eligible institution receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out
the following activities:
``(A) Establish a basic needs steering committee
that will be--
``(i) responsible for developing and
approving the basic needs strategy described in
subparagraph (C); and
``(ii) comprised of relevant campus
stakeholders, such as--
``(I) students who have experienced
challenges in meeting basic needs;
``(II) student government
representatives;
``(III) staff of the eligible
institution representing the areas of
student financial aid, housing, dining,
student affairs, academic advising,
equity support services, accessibility
services, campus security, legal
services, and health and well-being
services (including counseling or
psychological services);
``(IV) faculty;
``(V) relevant administrators,
including local human services
administrators;
``(VI) community-based and other
nonprofit organizations; and
``(VII) representatives from local
governmental agencies.
``(B) Conduct research regarding--
``(i) the level of unmet basic needs at the
eligible 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 eligible
institution;
``(ii) the presence of institutional
barriers (such as award displacement) and
current institutional interventions to address
basic needs insecurity;
``(iii) the presence of administrative
barriers for students in applying, certifying
eligibility, and renewing applications for
means-tested benefits, and interventions to
address such barriers;
``(iv)(I) the resources and activities
available to address basic needs of students,
both on campus and off campus, as of the date
of the research; and
``(II) the impact of such resources and
activities; and
``(v) opportunities for coordination and
collaboration between the eligible institution
and government or community-based
organizations, such as--
``(I) the local office that
administers benefits under the
supplemental nutrition assistance
program established under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq.) and carries out employment and
training programs under that Act, or
the temporary assistance for needy
families program 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; or
``(III) low-income housing
assistance organizations, including
such organizations 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) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b))).
``(C) Develop a basic needs strategy that describes
the means by which the eligible 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
that subparagraph, into the basic needs
strategy.
``(D) Implement the strategy described in
subparagraph (C), including by--
``(i) conducting outreach to encourage
students to participate in programs that
provide basic needs or reduce basic needs
insecurity;
``(ii) educating students about Federal,
State, local, and Tribal assistance programs,
supporting student applications for those
programs, and providing case management and
training for students to maximize the
assistance that students and their families
receive to reduce basic needs insecurity;
``(iii) coordinating and collaborating with
Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies or
community-based organizations;
``(iv) hiring and training personnel to
build infrastructure and implement programming
to reduce basic needs insecurity at the
eligible institution; and
``(v) carrying out other matters determined
to be appropriate by the Secretary.
``(3) Grant amounts; duration.--
``(A) Amount.--The amount of a grant under this
subsection shall be not more than $75,000.
``(B) Duration.--A grant under this subsection
shall be for a period of not more than 2 years.
``(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 to the
Secretary a report that describes the outcomes of the planning
grant, regardless of whether the eligible institution intends
to apply for an implementation grant.
``(c) Implementation Grants.--
``(1) Award.--
``(A) In general.--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--
``(i) implementing--
``(I) a basic needs strategy
developed under subsection (b)(2)(C);
or
``(II) another existing basic needs
plan approved by the Secretary; and
``(ii) carrying out the activities
described in paragraph (2).
``(B) Ongoing external funding.--To be eligible to
receive an implementation grant under this paragraph,
an eligible institution shall identify, in the
application for the grant, an ongoing non-Federal
funding mechanism to support the activities carried out
using grant funds after the expiration of the grant
period.
``(2) Activities.--An eligible institution receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to carry
out at least 2 of the following activities:
``(A) Providing to eligible students free or
subsidized food, secure sleeping arrangements,
temporary housing, priority access to existing on-
campus child care, and other basic needs.
``(B) Conducting outreach to students to reduce
stigma associated with, and educate and encourage
students to participate in, programs and 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, 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 student applications for those programs, and
providing case management and training for students to
maximize the public assistance that students and their
families 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 and training personnel to build and
improve basic needs infrastructure and implement
programming to provide assistance in applying for, and
accessing, direct support services, financial
assistance, or means-tested benefits programs to meet
the basic needs of students.
``(G) Other activities or services determined to be
appropriate by the Secretary.
``(3) Grant amounts; duration.--
``(A) Amount.--The amount of a grant under this
subsection shall be not more than $1,000,000 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 on eligible students of grants
provided under this subsection;
``(B) the obstacles faced by recipients of grants
under this subsection;
``(C) successful outcomes of grants under this
subsection;
``(D) best practices for the provision of basic
services to eligible students; and
``(E) Federal and State 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)(D).
``(6) Evaluation.--For the purpose of evaluating the
effectiveness of funds awarded under this subsection, the
Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of each grant under this
subsection to determine the impact on students, including
improvements in retention, progression, transfer, attainment,
and basic needs security, as applicable.
``(d) Reservation; Priority; Equitable Distribution.--
``(1) Reservation.--In awarding grants under subsections
(b) and (c), the Secretary shall reserve--
``(A) 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; and
``(B) an amount equal to not less than 25 percent
of the total amount available for grants under those
subsections for grant awards to historically Black
colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges and
Universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
``(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 fewer 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 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) Personnel Expenses Limitations.--
``(1) Planning grants.--An eligible institution that
receives a planning grant under subsection (b) may use not more
than 50 percent of grant funds for personnel expenses.
``(2) Implementation grants.--An eligible institution that
receives an implementation grant under subsection (c) may use
not more than 75 percent of grant funds for personnel expenses.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2025 through 2031, of which--
``(1) $40,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to
provide planning grants under subsection (b); and
``(2) $960,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to
provide implementation grants under subsection (c).''.
<all>