[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2123-S2124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Tillis, and Ms. 
        Harris):
  S. 2664. A bill to reform the GEAR UP program; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2664

       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 ``GEAR UP for Success Act of 
     2018''.

     SEC. 2. GAINING EARLY AWARENESS AND READINESS FOR 
                   UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AMENDMENTS.

       Chapter 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-21 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 404A (20 U.S.C. 1070a-21)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of subsection 
     (a)(1), by inserting ``for college readiness'' after 
     ``academic support''; and
       (B) in subsection (b)--
       (i) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) Priority.--In making awards to eligible entities 
     described in subsection (c), the Secretary--
       ``(A) may give a competitive priority--
       ``(i) to eligible entities that--

       ``(I) on the day before the date of enactment of the GEAR 
     UP for Success Act of 2018, carried out successful 
     educational opportunity programs under this chapter (as this 
     chapter was in effect on such day); and
       ``(II) have a prior, demonstrated commitment to early 
     intervention leading to college access and readiness through 
     collaboration and replication of successful strategies;

       ``(ii) to eligible entities that ensure that students 
     served under this chapter on the day before the date of 
     enactment of the GEAR UP for Success Act of 2018 continue to 
     receive assistance through the completion of secondary 
     school; or
       ``(iii) to eligible entities that meet the requirements of 
     clauses (i) and (ii); and
       ``(B) shall not give a competitive priority on any other 
     basis.''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Multiple award prohibition.--Any eligible entity 
     described in subsection (c)(1) that receives a grant under 
     this chapter shall not be eligible to receive an additional 
     grant under this chapter until after the date on which the 
     initial grant period expires.'';
       (2) in section 404B(d)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-22(d)(1))--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a period; and
       (C) by striking subparagraph (C);
       (3) in section 404C (20 U.S.C. 1070a-23)--
       (A) in subsection (b)(1)(A)--
       (i) by inserting ``matching funds'' after ``will provide'';
       (ii) by inserting ``equaling'' after ``private funds,''; 
     and
       (iii) by striking ``the cost of the program, which matching 
     funds'' and inserting ``total Federal grant award, which''; 
     and
       (B) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
       ``(d) Peer Review Panels and Competitions.--The Secretary--
       ``(1) shall convene peer review panels to assist in making 
     determinations regarding the awarding of grants under this 
     chapter; and
       ``(2) shall host a grant competition to make new awards 
     under this chapter in any year in which there are funds 
     available to make new awards.'';
       (4) in section 404D (20 U.S.C. 1070a-24)--
       (A) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or former participants 
     of a program under this chapter'' and inserting ``, former 
     participants of a program under this chapter, or peers and 
     near peers'' after ``adults'';
       (ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``academic, social, and 
     postsecondary planning'' after ``supportive'';
       (iii) in paragraph (10)--

       (I) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (K) as 
     subparagraphs (F) through (L), respectively;
       (II) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:

       ``(E) counseling or referral services to address the 
     behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health needs of at-
     risk students;'';

       (III) in subparagraph (I), as redesignated by subclause 
     (I), by inserting ``, cognitive, non-cognitive, and credit-
     by-examination'' after ``skills'';
       (IV) in subparagraph (K), as redesignated by subclause (I), 
     by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
       (V) in subparagraph (L), as redesignated by subclause (I), 
     by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; 
     and
       (VI) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(M) capacity building activities that create college-
     going cultures in participating schools and local educational 
     agencies.''; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(16) Creating or expanding secondary school drop-out 
     recovery programs that allow students who have dropped out of 
     secondary school to complete a regular secondary school 
     diploma and begin college-level work.
       ``(17) Establishing data collection and data sharing 
     agreements to obtain, analyze, and report postsecondary 
     outcome data for eligible students for a period of not more 
     than 72 months after the end of the grant award period, which 
     may include postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and 
     completion data.
       ``(18) Establishing or maintaining an agreement with a 
     consortium of eligible entities described in section 404A(c) 
     to--
       ``(A) foster collaborative approaches to research and 
     evaluation;
       ``(B) improve the quality of data collection, data sharing, 
     analysis and reporting; and
       ``(C) apply evidence to improve programs and evaluation 
     under this chapter.
       ``(19) Providing services under this chapter to students 
     who have received services under a previous grant award under 
     this chapter but have not yet completed grade 12.'';
       (B) in subsection (c)--
       (i) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``and technical 
     assistance'' after ``support''; and
       (ii) by striking paragraph (9); and
       (C) in subsection (d)--
       (i) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or'';
       (ii) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
       (iii) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
       ``(4) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the 
     Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act; or'';
       (5) in section 404E (20 U.S.C. 1070a-25)--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs 
     (2) and (3), respectively;
       (ii) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated by 
     clause (i), the following:
       ``(1) Application requirements.--
       ``(A) Plan for maintenance of financial assistance.--An 
     eligible entity proposing to establish or maintain a 
     financial assistance program providing scholarships for 
     students assisted by the program of the eligible entity under 
     this chapter shall include a plan regarding the financial 
     application program with the application submitted under 
     section 404C.
       ``(B) Scholarship details.--Under a plan described in 
     subparagraph (A), an eligible entity--
       ``(i) may elect to offer 1 or more types of scholarships; 
     and
       ``(ii) shall describe, for each type of scholarship--

       ``(I) the minimum and maximum awards for the scholarships, 
     consistent with section 404E(d), based on criteria and 
     disbursement priorities established by the eligible entity;
       ``(II) the duration of the scholarships, which may be 
     single-year or multi-year awards;
       ``(III) the enrollment requirements for participating 
     students, which may include providing scholarships for 
     participating students who are enrolled in an institution of 
     higher education on less than a full-time basis during any 
     award year; and
       ``(IV) notwithstanding subsection (g), any additional 
     student eligibility criteria established by the eligible 
     entity for earning and maintaining scholarships under this 
     section, including--

       ``(aa) financial need;
       ``(bb) meeting participation milestones in the activities 
     offered by the eligible entity under section 404D;
       ``(cc) meeting and maintaining satisfactory academic 
     milestones; and
       ``(dd) other criteria aligned with State and local goals to 
     incentivize postsecondary readiness, access, and success.''; 
     and
       (iii) in paragraph (3), as redesignated by clause (i), by 
     striking ``may award'' and inserting ``may use not less than 
     10 percent and not more than 50 percent of funds made 
     available under this chapter to award'';
       (B) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``State'' 
     before ``Limitation''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``eligible entity 
     demonstrates'' and all that follows through the period at the 
     end and inserting the following: ``eligible entity--

       ``(I) demonstrates that the eligible entity has another 
     means of providing the students with the financial assistance 
     described in this section or eligible students have 
     reasonable access to State and local financial assistance 
     programs; and

[[Page S2124]]

       ``(II) describes such means or access in the application 
     submitted under section 404C.'';

       (C) in subsection (e)--
       (i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) In general.--
       ``(A) Scholarship plan.--Each eligible entity described in 
     section 404A(c)(1) that receives a grant under this chapter 
     shall hold in reserve, for the students served by such grant 
     as described in section 404B(d)(1)(A) or 404D(d), an 
     estimated amount that is based on the eligible entity's 
     scholarship plan described in subsection (a)(1).
       ``(B) Interest use.--Interest earned on funds held in 
     reserve under subparagraph (A) may be used by the eligible 
     entity to administer the scholarship program during the award 
     period and through the post-award period described in 
     paragraph (4).'';
       (ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ``, or been accepted 
     for enrollment,'' after ``enrolled''; and
       (iii) in paragraph (3)--

       (I) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (II) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); 
     and
       (III) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

       ``(B) the costs associated with enrolling in an institution 
     of higher education; and''; and
       (D) in subsection (g)--
       (i) in paragraph (3)--

       (I) by inserting `` or, if the eligible entity chooses, in 
     another program of study or credential program for which an 
     individual could use funds received under a Federal Pell 
     Grant to attend,'' before ``that is located''; and
       (II) by striking ``except that, at the State's option'' and 
     inserting ``except that, at the eligible entity's option''; 
     and

       (ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``and qualifies for an 
     award, consistent with the eligible entity's scholarship plan 
     as described in subsection (a)(1)'' after ``404D(a)'';
       (6) in section 404G (20 U.S.C. 1070a-27)--
       (A) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (iii) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) include the following metrics:
       ``(A) The number of students completing the Free 
     Application for Federal Student Aid under section 483.
       ``(B) If applicable, the number of students receiving a 
     scholarship under section 404E.
       ``(C) The graduation rate of participating students from 
     high school.
       ``(D) The enrollment of participating students into 
     postsecondary education.
       ``(E) Such other metrics as the Secretary may require.''; 
     and
       (B) in subsection (c)--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and Technical 
     Assistance'' after ``Federal Evaluation'';
       (ii) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--

       (I) by inserting ``after consultation with the community of 
     eligible entities receiving grants under this chapter and'' 
     after ``Secretary shall,'';
       (II) by striking ``0.75'' and inserting ``1''; and
       (III) by striking ``evaluate the effectiveness of the 
     program and, as appropriate, disseminate the results of the 
     evaluation. Such evaluation shall include a separate analysis 
     of'';

       (iii) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting the 
     margins appropriately; and
       (iv) before subparagraph (A) (as redesignated by clause 
     (iii)), by inserting the following:
       ``(1) provide pre-application technical assistance 
     workshops for eligible entities and potential applicants in 
     any year in which new awards are expected to be made;
       ``(2) support initiatives designed to improve the research, 
     data collection and infrastructure, and evaluation capacity 
     of eligible entities; and
       ``(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the program and, as 
     appropriate, disseminate the results of the evaluation. Such 
     evaluation may include a separate analysis of--''; and
       (7) in section 408H (20 U.S.C. 1070a-28), by striking 
     ``2009'' and inserting ``2019''.
                                 ______