What This Bill Does
This bill changes the federal work-study program to allow college students to work at after-school activities in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill adds after-school activities as a new type of eligible work-study position and lets colleges use federal funding to pay students who work in these community service jobs.
Who It Affects
College students participating in federal work-study programs, public elementary and secondary schools, community-based learning organizations that partner with schools, colleges that run work-study programs, and the Secretary of Education (the federal official who oversees education programs).
Key Provisions
• Colleges can use federal work-study funds to pay students who work in after-school activities at public schools, including time spent in training and travel related to these activities. (Sec. 3)
• Within 180 days of the bill becoming law, the Secretary of Education must inform eligible schools about this new work-study program and create a process for schools to register to participate. (Sec. 3)
• The Secretary of Education must establish standards needed for participation in the new work-study program and the registration process. (Sec. 3)
• Colleges should give priority to public schools serving low-income communities (communities with less wealth) and must ensure students receive appropriate training to do the educational work required. (Sec. 3)
• The federal government may pay more than 75 percent of the compensation for these work-study students. (Sec. 3)
What Changes
After-school activities become an approved type of work for the federal work-study program. Colleges can now direct federal work-study funding toward employing students in educational activities at public schools and community organizations that partner with schools, in addition to (or instead of) other work-study positions currently allowed.
Important Definitions
"After-school activities" means activities that take place after school, before school, or out of school (in summer or during other vacations) that have an educational purpose, run by public schools or community-based learning organizations that partner with schools.
"Eligible school" means a public elementary school or secondary school.
"Low-income community" is defined by reference to another law (section 428K(g)(6)) and is not explained within this bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 654
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, to add a work-study program
for off-campus community service at selected after-school activities, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. CARSON (for himself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. EVANS,
Mr. GREEN
of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr.
LANDSMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. VARGAS,
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, and Ms. WILD) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, to add a
work-study program for off-campus community service
at selected after-school activities, 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.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Students Helping
4
Young Students Act of 2023’’.
5
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY SERVICES DEFINED.
6
Section 441(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
7
(20 U.S.C. 1087–51(c)) is amended—
8
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2
•HR 654 IH
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
1
(3);
2
(2) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘and’’
3
at the end of paragraph (4)(C); and
4
(3) by adding at the end the following:
5
‘‘(5) after-school activities, as defined in section
6
443(f).’’.
7
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM.
8
Section 443 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
9
U.S.C. 1087–53) is amended—
10
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘or
11
after-school activity (as described in subsection (f))’’
12
after ‘‘subsection (d))’’;
13
(2) in subsection (d)—
14
(A) in paragraph (1)—
15
(i) in the subsection heading, by strik-
16
ing ‘‘USE’’ and inserting ‘‘REQUIRED
17
USE’’; and
18
(ii) by inserting ‘‘that is not carrying
19
out subsection (f) for such year’’ after ‘‘an
20
institution’’; and
21
(B) by adding at the end the following:
22
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZED
USE
OF
FUNDS.—In
23
any
academic
year
to
which
subsection
24
(b)(2)(A) applies, an institution that is carrying
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3
•HR 654 IH
out subsection (f) may also use funds granted
1
to such institution under this section in accord-
2
ance with this subsection.’’; and
3
(3) by adding at the end the following:
4
‘‘(f) AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.—
5
‘‘(1) USE OF FUNDS.—In any academic year to
6
which subsection (b)(2)(A) applies—
7
‘‘(A) an institution that is not carrying out
8
subsection (d) for such year shall ensure funds
9
granted to such institution under this section
10
are used in accordance with this subsection to
11
compensate (including compensation for time
12
spent in training and travel directly related to
13
after school activities) students employed in
14
after-school activities of eligible schools; and
15
‘‘(B) an institution that is carrying out
16
subsection (d) for such year may also use funds
17
granted to such institution under this section in
18
accordance with this subsection to compensate
19
the students described in subparagraph (A).
20
‘‘(2) REGISTRATION PROCESS.—Not later than
21
180 days after the date of enactment of the Stu-
22
dents Helping Young Students Act of 2023, the Sec-
23
retary shall inform eligible schools about the work-
24
study program described in paragraph (1), and es-
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4
•HR 654 IH
tablish and carry out a process for eligible schools
1
to register to participate in such program.
2
‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall
3
establish any standards necessary for participation
4
in—
5
‘‘(A) the work-study program described in
6
paragraph (1); and
7
‘‘(B) the registration process described in
8
paragraph (2).
9
‘‘(4) PRIORITY FOR SCHOOLS.—To the extent
10
practicable, an institution shall—
11
‘‘(A) give priority to eligible schools serving
12
a low-income community; and
13
‘‘(B) ensure that any student compensated
14
with funds described in paragraph (1) receives
15
appropriate training to carry out the edu-
16
cational services required.
17
‘‘(5) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of
18
the compensation for work-study students com-
19
pensated under this subsection may exceed 75 per-
20
cent.
21
‘‘(6) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
22
section:
23
‘‘(A) The term ‘after-school activities’—
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5
•HR 654 IH
‘‘(i) means activities that take place
1
after school, before school, or out of school
2
(in the summer or during other vacations)
3
that have an educational purpose; and
4
‘‘(ii) includes such activities adminis-
5
tered by—
6
‘‘(I) an eligible school, including
7
activities in which only the student
8
population of such school is served; or
9
‘‘(II) a community-based learning
10
center or organization, nonprofit orga-
11
nization, or other center or organiza-
12
tion that facilitates youth development
13
activities, which partners with an eli-
14
gible school.
15
‘‘(B) The terms ‘elementary school’ and
16
‘secondary school’ have the meanings given the
17
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and
18
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
19
7801).
20
‘‘(C) The term ‘eligible school’ means a
21
public elementary school or secondary school.
22
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
6
•HR 654 IH
‘‘(D) The term ‘low-income community’
1
has the meaning given the term in section
2
428K(g)(6).’’.
3
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
23:26 Feb 15, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H654.IH
H654
pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS