[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 113 (Monday, June 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4097-S4098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2697. Mr. KAINE (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Blunt Rochester,
Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Hickenlooper) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2360 proposed by Mr.
Thune (for Mr. Graham) to the bill H.R. 1, to provide for
reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike section 83002 and insert the following:
SEC. 83002. EXTENDING FEDERAL PELL GRANT ELIGIBILITY OF
CERTAIN SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS.
(a) Job Training Federal Pell Grant Program.--Section 401
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(k) Job Training Federal Pell Grant Program.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible career pathway program.--The term `eligible
career pathway program' means a program that--
``(i) meets the requirements of section 484(d)(2);
``(ii) is listed on the provider list under section 122(d)
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;
``(iii) is part of a career pathway, as defined in section
3 of that Act; and
``(iv) is aligned to a program of study as defined in
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006.
``(B) Eligible job training program.--
``(i) In general.--The term `eligible job training program'
means a career and technical education program at an
institution of higher education that--
``(I) provides not less than 150, and not more than 600,
clock hours of instructional time over a period of not less
than 8 weeks and not more than 15 weeks;
``(II) provides training aligned with the requirements of
high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or
occupations in the State or local area, as determined by an
industry or sector partnership;
``(III) is a program of training services, and provided
through an eligible training provider, as described under
section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act;
``(IV) provides a student, upon completion of the program,
with a recognized postsecondary credential that is recognized
by employers in the relevant industry, including
[[Page S4098]]
credentials recognized by industry or sector partnerships in
the relevant industry in the State or local area where the
industry is located and the job training program is provided;
``(V) has been determined by the institution of higher
education (after validation of that determination by an
industry or sector partnership) to provide academic content,
an amount of instructional time, and a recognized
postsecondary credential that are sufficient to--
``(aa) meet the hiring requirements of potential employers;
and
``(bb) satisfy any applicable educational prerequisite
requirement for professional licensure or certification, so
that the student who completes the program and seeks
employment qualifies to take any licensure or certification
examination needed to practice or find employment in an
occupation that the program prepares students to enter;
``(VI) may include integrated education and training;
``(VII) may be offered as part of an eligible career
pathway program;
``(VIII) does not exceed by more than 50 percent the
minimum number of clock hours required for training if the
State has established such a requirement; and
``(IX) shall include institutional credit articulation for
a student enrolled in a noncredit job training program.
``(ii) Approval by the secretary.--In the case of a program
that is seeking to establish eligibility as an eligible job
training program under this subparagraph, the Secretary shall
make a determination about whether the program meets the
requirements of this subparagraph not more than 60 days after
the date on which such program is submitted for consideration
as an eligible job training program.
``(iii) Additional assurance.--The Secretary shall not
determine that a program is an eligible job training program
in accordance with clause (ii) unless the Secretary receives
a certification from the appropriate State board containing
an assurance that the program meets the requirements of
clause (i).
``(C) Institution of higher education.--The term
`institution of higher education' means--
``(i) an institution of higher education, as defined in
section 101; or
``(ii) a postsecondary vocational institution, as defined
in section 102(c).
``(D) Institutional credit articulation.--The term
`institutional credit articulation' means an institution of
higher education provides a student who has completed a
noncredit program with the equivalent academic credit that
may be applied to a subsequent credit-bearing certificate or
degree program upon enrollment in such program at such
institution.
``(E) WIOA definitions.--The terms `industry or sector
partnership', `in-demand industry sector or occupation',
`recognized postsecondary credential', and `State board' have
the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
``(2) In general.--For the award year beginning on July 1,
2026, and each subsequent award year, the Secretary shall
carry out a program through which the Secretary shall award
Federal Pell Grants to students in eligible job training
programs (referred to as a `job training Federal Pell
Grant'). Each eligible job training Federal Pell Grant
awarded under this subsection shall have the same terms and
conditions, and be awarded in the same manner, as other
Federal Pell Grants awarded under subsection (b), except as
follows:
``(A) A student who is eligible to receive a job training
Federal Pell Grant under this subsection is a student who--
``(i) has not yet attained a postbaccalaureate degree;
``(ii) attends an institution of higher education;
``(iii) is enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, in an
eligible job training program at such institution of higher
education; and
``(iv) meets all other eligibility requirements for a
Federal Pell Grant (except with respect to the type of
program of study, as provided in clause (iii)).
``(B) The amount of a job training Federal Pell Grant for
an eligible student shall be determined under subsection (b),
except that notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)(B) a student
who is eligible for less than the minimum Federal Pell Grant
for an academic year in which the student is enrolled in an
eligible program full time may still be eligible for a
Federal Pell Grant.
``(3) Inclusion in total eligibility period.--Any period
during which a student receives a job training Federal Pell
Grant under this subsection shall be included in calculating
the student's period of eligibility for Federal Pell Grants
under subsection (d), and the eligibility requirements
regarding students who are enrolled in an undergraduate
program on less than a full-time basis shall similarly apply
to students who are enrolled in an eligible job training
program at an eligible institution on less than a full-time
basis.''.
(b) Accrediting Agency Recognition of Eligible Job Training
Programs.--Section 496(a)(4) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b(a)(4)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting ``and'' after the
semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) if such agency or association has or seeks to include
within its scope of recognition the evaluation of the quality
of institutions of higher education participating in the job
training Federal Pell Grant program under section 401(k),
such agency or association shall, in addition to meeting the
other requirements of this subpart, demonstrate to the
Secretary that, with respect to such eligible job training
programs (as defined in that subsection)--
``(i) the agency or association's standards include a
process for determining if the institution has the capability
to effectively offer an eligible job training program; and
``(ii) the agency or association requires a demonstration
that the program--
``(I) has identified each recognized postsecondary
credential offered and the corresponding industry or sector
partnership that actively recognizes each credential in the
relevant industry in the State or local area where the
industry is located; and
``(II) provides the academic content and amount of
instructional time that is sufficient to--
``(aa) meet the hiring requirements of potential employers;
and
``(bb) satisfy any applicable educational prerequisites for
professional licensure or certification requirements so that
the student who completes the program and seeks employment
qualifies to take any licensure or certification examination
that is needed to practice or find employment in an
occupation that the program prepares students to enter.''.
(c) Interagency Data Sharing.--The Secretary of Education
shall coordinate and enter into a data sharing agreement with
the Secretary of Labor to ensure access to data related to
indicators of performance collected under section 116 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141).
Under such data sharing agreement, the Commissioner of the
National Center for Education Statistics shall collect and
review the contents of performance reports for eligible
providers of training services described in section 116(d)(4)
of that Act not less frequently than once each year.
(d) Minimum Federal Pell Grant.--Section 401(a)(2)(F) of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(a)(2)(F))
is amended by striking ``10 percent'' and inserting ``5
percent''.
(e) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments made
by this section, shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
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