Community and Technical College Investment Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3028 To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to facilitate the transition to tuition-free community college in certain States, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 28, 2023 Mr. SMITH of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to facilitate the transition to tuition-free community col- lege in certain States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Community and Technical College Investment Act of 5 2023’’. 6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 7 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. TITLE I—TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Sec. 101. Tuition-free community college grant program. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3028 IH Sec. 102. Applications. Sec. 103. Grant uses. Sec. 104. Reports. Sec. 105. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 106. Definitions. TITLE II—INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY Sec. 201. Institutional capacity and wraparound service support grant program. Sec. 202. Application. Sec. 203. Selection committee. Sec. 204. Grant uses. Sec. 205. Committee on student food and housing. Sec. 206. Reports. Sec. 207. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 208. Definitions. TITLE III—EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR STUDENTS Sec. 301. Emergency grant fund program. Sec. 302. Application. Sec. 303. Grant uses. Sec. 304. Data collection. Sec. 305. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE IV—TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Sec. 401. Technical assistance grant program. Sec. 402 Application. Sec. 403. Grant uses. Sec. 404. Reports. Sec. 405. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE V—DEFINITIONS Sec. 501. Definitions. TITLE I—TUITION-FREE 1 COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2 SEC. 101. TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRANT 3 PROGRAM. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 5 program to provide grants to each State that submits a 6 complete application to facilitate tuition-free community 7 college for all eligible students. 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3028 IH (b) GRANT AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall deter- 1 mine grant amounts under subsection (a) with respect to 2 each State based on the following: 3 (1) Statewide unemployment and underemploy- 4 ment rates that are 1 percentage point above the na- 5 tional average. 6 (2) The number of local educational agencies in 7 a State that elect to receive special assistance pay- 8 ments under section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Richard B. 9 Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 10 1759a(a)(1)(F)). 11 (3) A statewide official poverty rate that is 1 12 percentage point above the national average. 13 (c) FUNDS.— 14 (1) TIMING.—A grant under this title shall be 15 awarded for a period of 5 years, of which— 16 (A) a maximum of 1 year may be used for 17 planning; and 18 (B) a minimum of 4 years shall be used 19 for implementation. 20 (2) FEDERAL COST SHARE.—The Federal cost 21 share of an activity carried out with a grant under 22 subparagraph (a) shall not be less than 100 percent 23 for costs incurred during the 5-year grant period de- 24 scribed in paragraph (1). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:59 May 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3028 IH SEC. 102. APPLICATIONS. 1 To be eligible for a grant under this title, a State 2 shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, 3 at such time, and containing such information as the Sec- 4 retary determines appropriate, including a State plan de- 5 scribing the following: 6 (1) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.— 7 (A) IN GENERAL.—A plan to formalize an 8 interagency committee within such State to— 9 (i) evaluate gaps and opportunities in 10 the State workforce, higher education, 11 childcare, and human services systems; and 12 (ii) maximize Federal and State re- 13 sources to support pathway development 14 that increases economic mobility and rec- 15 ognized postsecondary credential attain- 16 ment. 17 (B) MEMBERSHIP.—An assurance that 18 such committee shall consist of members from 19 the following entities: 20 (i) State board. 21 (ii) State unemployment insurance 22 agency. 23 (iii) Office of the State higher edu- 24 cation executive officer and public college 25 boards. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3028 IH (iv) State community college system. 1 (v) State departments of health and 2 human services. 3 (vi) State departments of economic 4 development. 5 (vii) Workforce development agencies. 6 (viii) State or local housing authori- 7 ties. 8 (ix) Other relevant State agencies as 9 determined by the Governor of such State. 10 (2) EDUCATION ALIGNMENT.—A plan to— 11 (A) with respect to eligible individuals 12 without a secondary school diploma or its recog- 13 nized equivalent, facilitate the completion of 14 such diploma or recognized equivalent at a com- 15 munity college; 16 (B) ensure that credits received for Ad- 17 vanced Placement or International Bacca- 18 laureate classes are applied to an equivalent 19 community college course; and 20 (C) otherwise align the requirements be- 21 tween secondary schools and community col- 22 leges in order to increase the accessibility of 23 community college for eligible individuals. 24 (3) DEVELOPMENT.—A plan to— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 3028 IH (A) improve career pathway development, 1 with special attention to career pathways re- 2 lated to in-demand industry sectors or occupa- 3 tions described in paragraph (9); 4 (B) increase economic mobility of State 5 residents; and 6 (C) provide access to affordable postsec- 7 ondary education for State residents through a 8 network of coordinated State and Federal sup- 9 port systems designed and implemented by 10 State agencies in partnership with public insti- 11 tutions of higher education and public higher 12 education systems. 13 (4) CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT.—A plan to 14 prioritize secondary and recognized postsecondary 15 credential attainment through— 16 (A) integrated education and training mod- 17 els; 18 (B) dual enrollment programs; and 19 (C) an increased number of navigators. 20 (5) PRIORITY.—A plan to prioritize assistance 21 to individuals— 22 (A) with a barrier to employment; or 23 (B) with incomes below 200 percent of the 24 poverty level. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 3028 IH (6) PUBLIC RESOURCES.—A plan to maximize 1 public resources to support the attainment of a rec- 2 ognized postsecondary credential, including with re- 3 spect to— 4 (A) transportation; 5 (B) on-campus or off-campus housing; 6 (C) childcare; and 7 (D) food assistance. 8 (7) OUTREACH.—A plan to reach eligible indi- 9 viduals without a recognized postsecondary creden- 10 tial, including with respect to individuals who— 11 (A) live in high-poverty areas; 12 (B) are first-generation students; 13 (C) are low-income students; and 14 (D) identify as belonging to other under- 15 represented student groups. 16 (8) RECOGNIZED POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL 17 RETENTION AND COMPLETION.—A plan to increase 18 retention and credential completion by— 19 (A) developing new, or expanding existing, 20 degree and credential programs based on the 21 needs of in-demand industry sectors or occupa- 22 tions described in paragraph (9); and 23 (B) increasing the number of career coun- 24 selors and navigators. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 3028 IH (9) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTORS OR OCCU- 1 PATIONS.—A plan to— 2 (A) identify in-demand industry sectors or 3 occupations in such State; and 4 (B) develop and provide access to path- 5 ways to credential and degree programs for jobs 6 in such industries, giving priority to credential 7 and degree programs that correspond to high- 8 quality jobs in consultation with— 9 (i) the State board; 10 (ii) the State health and human serv- 11 ices agency; 12 (iii) the State board of higher edu- 13 cation; and 14 (iv) business industry groups within 15 the State. 16 (10) FEDERAL PROGRAMS.— 17 (A) IN GENERAL.—A description of how 18 the State will use amounts under covered pro- 19 grams, to the extent otherwise permitted by 20 law, to reduce eligibility and participation re- 21 quirement barriers in such programs in order 22 to— 23 (i) treat the pursuit of a recognized 24 postsecondary credential as meeting any 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 3028 IH compliance, work participation, and core 1 activity requirements for each such pro- 2 gram; and 3 (ii) increase access to and completion 4 of recognized postsecondary credential pro- 5 grams. 6 (B) COVERED PROGRAMS DEFINED.—In 7 this paragraph, the term ‘‘covered programs’’ 8 means— 9 (i) the temporary assistance for needy 10 families program under part A of title IV 11 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601); 12 (ii) the supplemental nutrition assist- 13 ance program employment and training 14 program under section 6 of the Food and 15 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015); 16 (iii) the child care development fund 17 under the Child Care and Development 18 Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 19 et seq.); and 20 (iv) housing assistance programs car- 21 ried out by the Secretary of Housing and 22 Urban Development. 23 (11) COST ANALYSES.—Cost analyses for— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 3028 IH (A) providing tuition-free community and 1 technical college pathways to individuals who 2 have not attained— 3 (i) a secondary school diploma or its 4 recognized equivalent; or 5 (ii) a recognized postsecondary cre- 6 dential, up to and including a bachelor’s 7 degree; and 8 (B) expanding institutional capacity to 9 meet an increased demand for recognized post- 10 secondary credentials by expanding supportive 11 services, including with respect to hiring addi- 12 tional— 13 (i) career counselors; 14 (ii) navigators; and 15 (iii) other support staff. 16 (12) DATA COLLECTION.—A plan for data col- 17 lection efforts to measure program outcomes and 18 evaluate program success, including by leveraging 19 existing administrative data to track any change in 20 participation in recognized postsecondary credential 21 programs at community colleges. 22 (13) DATA SHARING.—A State shall— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 3028 IH (A) provide an interagency data-sharing 1 agreement that facilitates statewide data collec- 2 tion efforts between— 3 (i) State agencies that oversee the dis- 4 persal of State and Federal benefits; 5 (ii) the State educational agency; 6 (iii) the State higher education sys- 7 tem; 8 (iv) the State board; and 9 (v) other agencies determined by the 10 Secretary to be necessary; and 11 (B) detail how such agreement will pro- 12 mote cross-agency collaboration and improve 13 recognized postsecondary credential completion. 14 (14) TRANSFER AGREEMENTS.— 15 (A) IN GENERAL.—A description of— 16 (i) transfer agreements between 2- 17 year and 4-year public institutions of high- 18 er education in such State; and 19 (ii) the ways in which the State will 20 expand the number of transfer agreements, 21 including with respect to the facilitation 22 and improvement of credit transfers be- 23 tween institutions. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:59 May 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 3028 IH (B) TRANSFER AGREEMENT.—An assur- 1 ance that the transfer agreement required 2 under subparagraph (A)(i) shall include, at a 3 minimum— 4 (i) a general education curriculum 5 that consists of not fewer than 30 credit 6 hours that are transferrable to any public 7 institution of higher education in such 8 State; 9 (ii) common course numbering for 10 substantively similar courses in such gen- 11 eral education curriculum; and 12 (iii) assurance that an eligible associ- 13 ate’s degree shall be fully transferrable to, 14 and credited as, the first 2 years of a re- 15 lated baccalaureate program at a public in- 16 stitution of higher education in such State. 17 SEC. 103. GRANT USES. 18 A State shall use grant funds awarded under this title 19 for the following: 20 (1) Implementing the State plan submitted 21 under section 102. 22 (2) Ensuring that eligible students enrolled in 23 community colleges— 24 (A) are not charged tuition or fees; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3028.IH H3028 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 13 •HR 3028 IH (B) are not required to apply Federal, 1 State, or private financial assistance (including 2 scholarships) to tuition or fees. 3 SEC. 104. REPORTS. 4 (a) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 5 the date on which a grant is made under this title, and 6 annually thereafter, a State shall submit to the Secretary 7 a report describing— 8 (1) the uses of funds; 9 (2) progress made in fulfilling the requirements 10 under section 103; 11 (3) rates of— 12 (A) graduation and attainment of recog- 13 nized postsecondary credentials at participating 14 community colleges; and 15 (B) transfer to 4-year institutions at par- 16 ticipating community colleges; and 17 (4) other information determined by the Sec- 18 retary to be necessary. 19 (b) CERTIFICATION.— 20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 21 the date on which a State receives a grant under 22 this title, such State shall provide certification of im- 23 plementation of the— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]