[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2161 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2161
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a Job Training
Federal Pell Grants demonstration program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 9, 2019
Mr. Banks (for himself, Mr. Gibbs, and Mr. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a Job Training
Federal Pell Grants demonstration program, 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 ``Pell Flexibility Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. JOB TRAINING FEDERAL PELL GRANTS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
Section 401A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-
1) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 401A. JOB TRAINING FEDERAL PELL GRANTS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Job training federal pell grant.--The term `Job
Training Federal Pell Grant' means a short-term Federal Pell
Grant provided through the demonstration program under
subsection (c).
``(2) Local workforce development board.--The term `local
workforce development board' means a local board as defined in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3102).
``(3) Short-term career and technical education program.--
The term `short-term career and technical education program'
means a career and technical education program, as defined in
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302), that provides more than 320 clock
hours and less than 600 clock hours of instruction.
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
``(1) to allow a demonstration program that is strictly
monitored by the Department to test the viability of expanding
Federal Pell Grant eligibility to short-term career and
technical education programs at institutions of higher
education;
``(2) to help determine the appropriate amount of a Federal
Pell Grant provided to an eligible student for a short-term
career and technical education program; and
``(3) to ensure that short-term career and technical
education programs eligible for a Job Training Federal Pell
Grant provide rigorous and high-quality instruction or training
that prepares students to enter or advance within a specific
occupation or occupational cluster.
``(c) Demonstration Program Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall select, in
accordance with subsections (e) and (f), institutions of higher
education to participate in a Job Training Federal Pell Grant
demonstration program by providing the selected institutions
with authority to award Job Training Federal Pell Grants to
eligible students for approved short-term career and technical
education programs at the selected institutions.
``(2) Duration.--An institution of higher education
selected under paragraph (1) shall have the authority to
provide Job Training Federal Pell Grants for a period of 5
award years.
``(d) Terms and Conditions; Modifications.--
``(1) In general.--A Job Training Federal Pell Grant shall
have the same terms and conditions as a Federal Pell Grant
under section 401, except that the Secretary--
``(A) shall define the terms `award year',
`academic year', and `eligible program' differently
than otherwise defined in section 481, in order to
enable short-term career and technical education
programs to be eligible programs for Job Training
Federal Pell Grants; and
``(B) may modify or remove any other statutory or
regulatory requirement that the Secretary determines
would otherwise inhibit the operation of the
demonstration program.
``(2) Continued eligibility.--
``(A) In general.--Any eligible student awarded a
Job Training Federal Pell Grant shall receive the Job
Training Federal Pell Grant for the period that the
eligible student is enrolled and making satisfactory
academic progress in the short-term career and
technical education program.
``(B) Effect on discontinued participation.--In any
case where the institution of higher education attended
by an eligible student receiving a Job Training Federal
Pell Grant ceases participation in the demonstration
program under this subsection, the Secretary shall
ensure that the eligible student continues to receive
the Job Training Federal Pell Grant for the student's
short-term career and technical education program
during the period described in subparagraph (A).
``(e) Application.--
``(1) In general.--Each institution of higher education
desiring to participate in the demonstration program under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
``(2) Contents.--Each application shall include--
``(A) a description of not more than 8 short-term
career and technical education programs offered by the
institution that would be eligible for the use of Job
Training Federal Pell Grant funds;
``(B) an explanation of how each short-term career
and technical education program provides training
aligned with the requirements and needs of employers
and industries in the State or region involved, based
on--
``(i) the most recent needs assessments
under section 133(c) of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20
U.S.C. 2353(c)) for the region or State
involved;
``(ii) the employment projections of the
Office of Employment and Unemployment
Statistics of the Bureau of Labor and
Statistics for the region or State involved; or
``(iii) the recommendations of local
workforce investment boards and State agencies
involved in career and technical education
representing the region or State involved;
``(C) a description of the students to whom these
programs will be offered;
``(D) a description of the activities that the
institution will carry out to place students of the
institution who complete a short-term career and
technical education program in jobs related to the
training provided in the program;
``(E) a description of the self-evaluation criteria
the institution will use to measure the outcomes of
students using Job Training Federal Pell Grants under
this section at the short-term career and technical
education programs of the institution;
``(F) a certification that the institution of
higher education will fully cooperate with any
evaluations of the demonstration program required under
this section; and
``(G) such other information as the Secretary may
require.
``(f) Selection.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 24 months after the date
of enactment of the Pell Flexibility Act of 2019, the Secretary
shall--
``(A) select not more than 100 institutions of
higher education to carry out the demonstration
program; and
``(B) approve, from the programs proposed under
subsection (e)(2)(A), the short-term career and
technical education programs at each institution for
which Job Training Federal Pell Grants may be used.
``(2) Considerations for initial applications.--In
selecting institutions of higher education and short-term
career and technical education programs under this section to
participate in the demonstration program, the Secretary shall
take into account--
``(A) the number of quality applications received;
``(B) the Department's capacity to oversee,
monitor, and implement non-standard aid disbursement
through the program; and
``(C) with respect to each applying institution of
higher education, and each short-term career and
technical education program for which a Job Training
Federal Pell Grant may be used--
``(i) the financial responsibility and
administrative capacity for the institution and
program;
``(ii) the job placement rates in the
region and State in the fields of study
relevant to each short-term career and
technical education program;
``(iii) the needs of the region and State;
and
``(iv) the support of faculty and
institutional leadership.
``(3) Variety of short-term programs.--In selecting
institutions of higher education for the demonstration program
under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent
practicable based on the quality of the applications, select
institutions of higher education that, in the aggregate, offer
a wide array of short-term career and technical education
programs, including programs that--
``(A) are career pathways, as defined by section
3(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(29 U.S.C. 3102(7)); and
``(B) lead to other recognized postsecondary
credentials that are of sufficient quality, as
determined by the Secretary.
``(g) Notification.--The Secretary shall make available to the
public and to the authorizing committees a list of the short-term
career and technical education programs selected to participate in the
demonstration program under this section.
``(h) Evaluation, Reports, and Convenings.--
``(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary and the Director of the
Institute of Education Sciences shall evaluate the
demonstration programs authorized under this section on an
annual basis. Each such evaluation shall--
``(A) review the extent to which the participating
eligible institution has successfully met its targets
set forth in the application to the Secretary; and
``(B) include, if possible, both qualitative and
quantitative evidence of--
``(i) the program's alignment with
workforce needs, including placement and
retention in jobs related to the training
provided by the program;
``(ii) job placement and retention rates of
participating students within 6, 12, and 24
months after the completion of the program;
``(iii) the effect, if any, this program
has on students attending 4-year institutions,
such as student diversion for four-year
institutions to short-term career and technical
education programs;
``(iv) the extent to which students have
sought a higher credential or degree or
military service; and
``(v) program completion.
``(2) Policy analysis; reports.--By not later than 3 years
after the date that the first Job Training Federal Pell Grants
are awarded under this section, the Secretary shall review the
demonstration program under this section and its outcomes and
report those findings to the authorizing committees.
``(3) Convenings.--The Secretary shall convene the
institutions of higher education participating in the
demonstration program at least once every 2 years, in person or
by webinar or other electronic means.
``(i) Oversight.--
``(1) In general.--In conducting the demonstration program
authorized under this section, the Secretary shall, on a
continuing basis--
``(A) ensure compliance of the institutions of
higher education participating in the demonstration
program with all applicable requirements of this title;
``(B) provide technical assistance;
``(C) monitor fluctuations in the student
population enrolled in the short-term career and
technical education programs participating in the
demonstration program;
``(D) direct the office of Federal Student Aid and
the operations support division of such office to
develop a risk analysis model to monitor the integrity
of the demonstration program; and
``(E) consult with appropriate State regulatory
authorities, as appropriate.
``(2) Removal ability.--The Secretary has the authority to
remove an institution of higher education or a short-term
career and technical education program from the demonstration
program based on performance, after notice and an opportunity
for a hearing.
``(j) Sunset.--This section shall cease to have effect on the date
that is 7 years after the date of enactment of the Pell Flexibility Act
of 2019.''.
<all>