110 HR 1088 IH: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-02-15
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and
Parenting Student Services Act of 2007
.
2.It is the sense of
Congress that—
(1)pregnant college students should not have
to make a choice between keeping their baby and staying in school;
(2)the pilot program under this Act will help
interested, eligible institutions of higher education establish pregnancy and
parenting student services offices that will operate independent of Federal
funding no later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(3)amounts appropriated to carry out other
Federal programs should be reduced to offset the costs of this Act.
3.In this Act:
(1)Eligible
institution of higher educationThe term eligible
institution of higher education means an institution of higher education
(as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001)) that has established and operates, or agrees to establish and
operate upon the receipt of a grant under this Act, a pregnant and parenting
student services office described in
section 7.
(2)The terms parent and
parenting refer to a parent or legal guardian of a minor.
(3)The
term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
4.Pregnant and
parenting student services pilot programFrom amounts appropriated under
section 9 for a fiscal year, the Secretary
shall establish a pilot program to award grants to eligible institutions of
higher education to enable the eligible institutions to establish (or maintain)
and operate pregnant and parenting student services offices in accordance with
section 7.
5.Application;
number of grants
(a)An eligible institution of higher education
that desires to receive a grant under this Act shall submit an application to
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require
(b)Requests for
additional informationThe
Secretary may require an eligible institution submitting an application under
subsection (a) to provide additional
information if the Secretary determines such information is necessary to
process the application.
(c)Subject to the
availability of appropriations under
section 9, the Secretary shall award grants
under this Act to no more than 200 eligible institutions.
6.An eligible
institution of higher education that receives a grant under this Act shall
contribute to the conduct of the pregnant and parenting student services office
supported by the grant an amount from non-Federal funds equal to the amount of
the grant. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated,
including services, facilities, supplies, or equipment.
7.
(a)An eligible
institution of higher education that receives a grant under this Act shall use
grant funds to establish (or maintain) and operate a pregnant and parenting
student services office, located on the campus of the eligible institution,
that carries out the following programs and activities:
(1)Hosts an initial
pregnancy and parenting resource forum—
(A)to assess
pregnancy and parenting resources, located on the campus or within the local
community, that are available to meet the needs described in
paragraph (2); and
(B)to set goals
for—
(i)improving such
resources for pregnant, parenting, and prospective parenting students;
and
(ii)improving access
to such resources.
(2)Annually assesses
the performance of the eligible institution and the office in meeting the
following needs of students enrolled in the eligible institution who are
pregnant or are parents:
(A)The inclusion of
maternity coverage and the availability of riders for additional family members
in student health care.
(B)Family
housing.
(C)Child care.
(D)Flexible or
alternative academic scheduling, such as telecommuting programs.
(E)Education to
improve parenting skills for mothers and fathers and to strengthen
marriages.
(F)Resources to assist
parents and prospective parents in meeting the material needs of their
children.
(G)Post-partum
counseling and support groups.
(3)Identifies public
and private service providers, located on the campus of the eligible
institution or within the local community, that are qualified to meet the needs
described in paragraph (2), and establishes programs with qualified providers
to meet such needs.
(4)Assists pregnant
and parenting students and their spouses in locating and obtaining services
that meet the needs described in paragraph (2).
(5)If appropriate,
provides referrals for prenatal care and delivery, infant or foster care, or
adoption, to a student who requests such information. An office shall make such
referrals only to service providers that primarily serve the following types of
individuals:
(A)Parents.
(B)Prospective
parents awaiting adoption.
(C)Women who are
pregnant and plan on parenting or placing the child for adoption.
(D)Parenting or
prospective parenting couples who are married or who plan on marrying in order
to provide a supportive environment for each other and their child.
(b)In carrying out the programs and activities described in
subsection (a), an eligible institution of
higher education receiving a grant under this Act may choose to provide access
to such programs and activities to a pregnant or parenting employee of the
eligible institution, and the employee’s spouse.
8.
(a)Annual report by
institutions
(1)For each fiscal year that an eligible institution of
higher education receives a grant under this Act, the eligible institution
shall prepare and submit to the Secretary, by the date determined by the
Secretary, a report that—
(A)itemizes the
pregnant and parenting student services office's expenditures for the fiscal
year;
(B)contains a review
and evaluation of the performance of the office in fulfilling the requirements
of this Act, using the specific performance criteria or standards established
under
paragraph (2)(A); and
(C)describes the
achievement of the office in meeting the needs listed in
section 7(a)(2) of the students served by
the eligible institution, and the frequency of use of the office by such
students.
(2)Not later than 180
days before the date the annual report described in
paragraph (1) is submitted, the
Secretary—
(A)shall identify the specific performance
criteria or standards that shall be used to prepare the report; and
(B)may establish the form or format of the
report.
(3)After reviewing
an annual report of an eligible institution of higher education, the Secretary
may require that the eligible institution provide additional information if the
Secretary determines that such additional information is necessary to evaluate
the pilot program.
(b)The Secretary shall annually prepare and submit a
report on the findings of the pilot program under this Act, including the
number of eligible institutions of higher education that were awarded grants
and the number of students served by each pregnant and parenting student
services office receiving funds under this Act, to the appropriate committees
of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
9.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act no more than $10,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.