[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 761 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 761

  To expand and enhance post-baccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-
             Serving Institutions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2005

 Mr. Hinojosa (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. McGovern, Ms. 
 Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Berman, Mrs. Wilson of New Mexico, Mr. Van Hollen, 
Mr. Menendez, Mr. Filner, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Rangel, Mrs. 
  McCarthy, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Owens, Ms. 
  Lee, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Watson, Ms. 
Velazquez, Mr. Etheridge, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 
    Becerra, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. 
 Cardoza, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Al Green of Texas, 
  Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Fortuno, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. 
Sherman, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Waters, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Crowley, 
 Mr. Wexler, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Rush, Mr. Holt, 
   Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Baca, Ms. Zoe 
Lofgren of California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ms. Woolsey, 
   Mr. Pastor, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Payne, Mr. Wu, Mr. George 
  Miller of California, Ms. Solis, Mr. Case, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Lincoln 
  Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Mario Diaz-
 Balart of Florida, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Tiberi, Mr. Towns, Mr. Pearce, Mr. 
  Boswell, Mr. Davis of Florida, Mrs. Capps, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. 
  Conyers, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Meek of Florida, Mr. Farr, Mr. 
  Bonilla, and Mr. Moran of Virginia) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand and enhance post-baccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-
             Serving Institutions, 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 ``Next Generation Hispanic-Serving 
Institutions Act''.

    TITLE I--GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS

SEC. 101. POSTBACCALAUREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--Title V of the Higher Education Act 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part B as part C;
            (2) by redesignating section 511 through 518 as sections 
        521 through 528, respectively; and
            (3) inserting after section 505 (20 U.S.C. 1101d) the 
        following new part:

   ``PART B--PROMOTING POSTBACCALAUREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC 
                               AMERICANS

``SEC. 511. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) According to the United States Census, by the year 
        2050 one in four Americans will be of Hispanic origin.
            ``(2) Despite the dramatic increase in the Hispanic 
        population in the United States, the National Center for 
        Education Statistics reported that in 1999, Hispanics accounted 
        for only 4 percent of the master's degrees, 3 percent of the 
        doctor's degrees, and 5 percent of first-professional degrees 
        awarded in the United States.
            ``(3) Although Hispanics constitute 10 percent of the 
        college enrollment in the United States, they comprise 3 only 
        percent of instructional faculty in college and universities.
            ``(4) The future capacity for research and advanced study 
        in the United States will require increasing the number of 
        Hispanics pursuing postbaccalaureate studies.
            ``(5) Hispanic-serving institutions are leading the nation 
        in increasing the number of Hispanics attaining graduate and 
        professional degrees.
            ``(6) Among Hispanics who received master's degrees in 
        1999-2000, 25 percent earned them at Hispanic-serving 
        institutions.
            ``(7) Between 1991 and 2000-, the number of Hispanic 
        students earning master's degrees at Hispanic-serving 
        institutions grew 136 percent, the number receiving doctor's 
        degrees grew by 85 percent, and the number earning first-
        professional degrees grew by 47 percent.
            ``(8) It is in the National interest to expand the capacity 
        of Hispanic-serving institutions to offer graduate and 
        professional degree programs.
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this part are--
            ``(1) to expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities 
        for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; 
        and
            ``(2) to expand and enhance the postbaccalaureate academic 
        offerings, program quality, that are educating the majority of 
        Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic 
        students and other low-income individuals complete 
        postsecondary degrees.

``SEC. 512. PROGRAM AUTHORITY AND ELIGIBILITY.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--Subject to the availability of funds 
appropriated to carry out this part, the Secretary shall award 
competitive grants to Hispanic-serving institutions that offer 
postbaccalaureate certifications or degrees.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--For the purposes of this part, an `eligible 
institution' means an institution of higher education that--
            ``(1) is an eligible institution under section 502; and
            ``(2) offers a postbaccalaureate certificate or degree 
        granting program.

``SEC. 513. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    ``Grants awarded under this part shall be used for one or more of 
the following activities:
            ``(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or 
        laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including 
        instructional and research purposes.
            ``(2) Construction, maintenance, renovation, and 
        improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other 
        instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of 
        telecommunications technology equipment or services.
            ``(3) Purchase of library books, periodicals, technical and 
        other scientific journals, microfilm, microfiche, and other 
        educational materials, including telecommunications program 
        materials.
            ``(4) Support for needy postbaccalaureate students 
        including outreach, academic support services, mentoring, 
        scholarships, fellowships, and other financial assistance to 
        permit the enrollment of such students in postbaccalaureate 
        certificate and degree granting programs.
            ``(5) Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, 
        faculty research, curriculum development, and academic 
        instruction.
            ``(6) Creating or improving facilities for Internet or 
        other distance learning academic instruction capabilities, 
        including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology 
        equipment or services.
            ``(7) Collaboration with other institutions of higher 
        education to expand postbaccalaureate certificate and degree 
        offerings.
            ``(8) Other activities proposed in the application 
        submitted pursuant to section 514 that--
                    ``(A) contribute to carrying out the purposes of 
                this part; and
                    ``(B) are approved by the Secretary as part of the 
                review and acceptance of such application.

``SEC. 514. APPLICATION AND DURATION.

    ``(a) Application.--Any eligible institution may apply for a grant 
under this part by submitting an application to the Secretary at such 
time and in such manner as determined by the Secretary. Such 
application shall demonstrate how the grant funds will be used to 
improve postbaccalaureate education opportunities for Hispanic and low-
income students and will lead to greater financial independence.
    ``(b) Duration.--Grants under this part shall be awarded for a 
period not to exceed 5 years.
    ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant 
under this part in any fiscal year to any Hispanic-serving 
institution.''.
    (b) Cooperative Arrangements.--Section 524 of such Act (as 
redesignated by subsection (a)(2)) (20 U.S.C. 1103c) is amended by 
inserting ``and section 513'' after ``section 503''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subsection (a) of section 528 
of such Act (as redesignated by subsection (a)(2)) (20 U.S.C. 1103g) is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) Authorizations.--
            ``(1) Part a.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out part A of this title $175,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 
        succeeding fiscal years.
            ``(2) Part b.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out part B of this title $125,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2006 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 
        succeeding fiscal years.''.

      TITLE II--REDUCING REGULATORY BARRIERS FOR HISPANIC-SERVING 
                              INSTITUTIONS

SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the 
                end of subparagraph (A);
                    (B) by striking ``; and'' at the end of 
                subparagraph (B) and inserting a period; and
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (C); and
            (2) by striking paragraph (7).

SEC. 202. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    Section 503(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1101b(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(7) Articulation agreements and student support programs 
        designed to facilitate the transfer from two-year to four-year 
        institutions.''

SEC. 203. ELIMINATION OF WAIT-OUT PERIOD.

    Subsection (a) of section 504 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1101c(a)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) Award Period.--The Secretary may award a grant to a Hispanic-
serving institution under this title for 5 years.''.

SEC. 204. APPLICATION PRIORITY.

    Section 521(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as redesignated 
by section 101(a)(2)) (20 U.S.C. 1103(d)) is amended by striking 
``(from funds other than funds provided under this title)''.
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