[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 333 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 333

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize grants for 
 institutions of higher education serving Asian Americans and Pacific 
                               Islanders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

   Mr. Wu (for himself, Mr. Honda, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. 
  Abercrombie, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Watson, Mr. 
Serrano, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson of Texas, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Wynn, and Ms. Millender-McDonald) 
 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 authorize grants for 
 institutions of higher education serving Asian Americans and Pacific 
                               Islanders.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ASSISTANCE TO ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER SERVING 
              INSTITUTIONS.

    (a) Amendment.--Part A of title III of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 is amended by inserting after section 317 (20 U.S.C. 1059d) the 
following new section:

``SEC. 318. ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall provide grants and 
related assistance to Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving 
institutions to enable such institutions to improve and expand their 
capacity to serve Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
    ``(b) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section--
            ``(1) the term `Asian American` has the meaning given the 
        term Asian in the Office of Management and Budget's Standards 
        for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on 
        Race and Ethnicity as published on October 30, 1997 (62 Fed. 
        Reg. 58789);
            ``(2) the term `Pacific Islander' has the meaning given the 
        term `Native Hawaiian' or `Other Pacific Islander' in such 
        Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal 
        Data on Race and Ethnicity;
            ``(3) the term `Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving 
        institution' means an institution of higher education that--
                    ``(A) is an eligible institution under section 
                312(b); and
                    ``(B) at the time of application, has an enrollment 
                of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent 
                Asian American and Pacific Islander students; and
            ``(4) the term `low-income individual' means an individual 
        from a family whose taxable income for the preceding year did 
        not exceed 150 percent of an amount equal to the poverty level 
        determined by using criteria of poverty established by the 
        Bureau of the Census.
    ``(c) Authorized Activities.--
            ``(1) Types of activities authorized.--Grants awarded under 
        this section shall be used by Asian American and Pacific 
        Islander-serving institutions to assist such institutions to 
        plan, develop, undertake, and carry out activities to improve 
        and expand such institutions' capacity to serve Asian Americans 
        and Pacific Islanders.
            ``(2) Examples of authorized activities.--Such programs may 
        include--
                    ``(A) purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or 
                laboratory equipment for educational purposes, 
                including instructional and research purposes;
                    ``(B) renovation and improvement in classroom, 
                library, laboratory, and other instructional 
                facilities;
                    ``(C) support of faculty exchanges, and faculty 
                development and faculty fellowships to assist in 
                attaining advanced degrees in the faculty's field of 
                instruction;
                    ``(D) curriculum development and academic 
                instruction;
                    ``(E) purchase of library books, periodicals, 
                microfilm, and other educational materials;
                    ``(F) funds and administrative management, and 
                acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds 
                management;
                    ``(G) joint use of facilities such as laboratories 
                and libraries;
                    ``(H) academic tutoring and counseling programs and 
                student support services;
                    ``(I) establishing community outreach programs that 
                will encourage elementary school and secondary school 
                students to develop the academic skills and the 
                interest to pursue post-secondary education;
                    ``(J) establishing or improving an endowment fund;
                    ``(K) academic instruction in disciplines in which 
                Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are under-
                represented;
                    ``(L) conducting research and data collection for 
                Asian American and Pacific Islander populations and 
                sub-populations; and
                    ``(M) establishing partnerships with community 
                based organizations serving Asian Americans and Pacific 
                Islanders.
    ``(d) Application Process.--
            ``(1) Institutional eligibility.--Each Asian American and 
        Pacific Islander-serving institution desiring to receive 
        assistance under this section shall submit to the Secretary 
        such enrollment data as may be necessary to demonstrate that 
        the institution is an Asian American and Pacific Islander-
        serving institution as defined in subsection (b), along with 
        such other information and data as the Secretary may by 
        regulation require.
            ``(2) Applications.--Any institution which is determined by 
        the Secretary to be an Asian American and Pacific Islander-
        serving institution may submit an application for assistance 
        under this section to the Secretary. Such application shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) a 5-year plan for improving the assistance 
                provided by the Asian American and Pacific Islander-
                serving institution to Asian American and Pacific 
                Islander students; and
                    ``(B) such other information and assurance as the 
                Secretary may require.
            ``(3) Special rules.--
                    ``(A) Eligibility.--No Asian American and Pacific 
                Islander-serving institution that receives funds under 
                this section shall concurrently receive funds under 
                other provisions of this part or part B.
                    ``(B) Exemption.--Section 313(d) shall not apply to 
                institutions that are eligible to receive funds under 
                this section.
                    ``(C) Distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
                section, the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) to the extent possible and consistent 
                        with the competitive process under which such 
                        grants are awarded, ensure maximum and 
                        equitable distribution among all eligible 
                        institutions; and
                            ``(ii) give priority consideration to 
                        institutions that serve a significant 
                        percentage of Asian American and Pacific 
                        Islander students who are low-income 
                        individuals.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 399(a)(1) of such Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1068h(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) There are authorized to be appropriated to 
                carry out section 318, $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 
                and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 
                succeeding fiscal years.''.
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