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401 records in US in 2019
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2019
Student Veteran Empowerment Act of 2019 This bill amends provisions related to Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance benefits, including by updating how entitlement to such assistance is treated when an individual transfers fewer than 12 credits from a course or program of education that is discontinued.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2019
Second Chance for Students Act This bill modifies federal student aid eligibility for a student who is convicted of a drug offense involving marijuana possession. Under current law, a drug offense conviction involving the sale or possession of a controlled substance triggers a suspension of federal student aid eligibility for a specified period of time. This bill allows a student who is convicted of a drug offense involving marijuana possession, without the intent to distribute, to resume or retain federal student aid eligibility while completing a drug rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2019
Fund for Innovation and Success in Higher Education Act or the FINISH Act This bill establishes and revises programs to increase access to higher education for high-need students, increase their graduation rates, improve the efficiency of postsecondary education, and evaluate higher education programs. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and other entities to develop and implement evidence-based innovations, including pay-for-success initiatives, in order to improve postsecondary access and increase graduation rates of high-need students; approve up to five pay-for-success pilot initiatives each fiscal year to allow IHEs and private entities to use grants for improvement of student outcomes; and independently evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of all higher education grant programs. The bill also encourages IHEs to make all forms of postsecondary instructional content, including open educational resources (e.g., textbooks), widely available. Open educational resources either reside in the public domain or have been released under a copyright license that permits their free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Water Justice Act This bill addresses affordable access to clean water by establishing, expanding, or extending various programs or requirements related to drinking water infrastructure, water pollution control, water supply, water recycling, water efficiency, or conservation programs. Specifically, the bill provides $50 billion in FY2020 supplemental appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for programs that reduce contaminants of concern in drinking water, such as grant programs for lead testing or remediation efforts in schools, child care programs, or high-risk communities. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. Each year, the EPA must obligate specified amounts of funding for several water infrastructure programs, including state revolving fund programs and grant programs for managing or controlling water pollution. The EPA must also establish a grant program to help communities that serve environmentally at-risk households and low-income households afford the costs for remediating contaminated drinking water. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services may make grants to states to assist low-income households in meeting their needs for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services. In addition, the EPA must promulgate an interim national primary drinking water regulation for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, which may have adverse human health effects. Finally, the bill establishes or reauthorizes a variety of programs that provide financial support for water supply projects, water recycling or reuse projects, rural water systems, water efficiency improvements, or conservation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Fostering Opportunities for Resources and Education Spending through Timber Sales Act of 2019 or the FORESTS Act of 2019 This bill extends through FY2020 payments under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 and directs the Department of Agriculture to designate an area of each national forest for production of material to provide revenue for such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2019 or the IDEA Act This bill directs the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to collect demographic information about each inventor listed on a patent application. Inventors shall not be required to provide the requested information, which shall include gender, ethnicity, national origin, sexual identity, veterans status, disability, and education and income levels. Such information shall be (1) kept confidential and separate from each patent application, and (2) periodically made public as aggregated data without personally identifying information.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2019 This bill concerns the review by the Department of Education (ED) of certain alleged violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. For alleged violations based on an individual's actual or perceived shared Jewish ancestry or Jewish ethnic characteristics, ED must consider the definition of anti-Semitism as part of its assessment of whether a practice was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. For purposes of this bill, the definition of anti-Semitism includes the definition set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Safeguarding Student Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to share information about certain educational institutions with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and it requires the VA to undertake a risk analysis for such institutions. Specifically, the bill requires ED to provide notice to the VA when it places an institution on heightened cash monitoring status due to a determination that the institution does not meet specific standards for the administration of a program of student financial aid. Further, the bill requires the VA to conduct an analysis of the risk posed by such an institution to students who use educational assistance provided by the VA. The VA must then notify any individual pursuing a course or program of education at the institution and also publish such notice on online.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Earnings Contingent Education Loans Act of 2019 or the ExCEL Act of 2019 This bill replaces existing federal student loan programs with the Income Dependent Education Assistance (IDEA) Loan Program and the IDEA Loan Repayment Program. Loans under these programs are not eligible for the federal public service loan forgiveness program. The repayment program offers a single repayment plan that caps annual debt repayments based on the borrower's income. The Department of Education (ED) must provide an online tool to enable borrowers to make payments and access specified details regarding loans. The bill provides ED with access to information in the National Directory of New Hires to identify when borrowers are hired and remind them of their repayment status and obligation to provide accurate employment information. The bill requires (1) the total amount deducted and withheld under the IDEA Loan Repayment Program to be reported on W-2 forms, and (2) the Department of the Treasury to disclose to ED tax return information necessary to carry out the IDEA Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Expanding Educational Opportunities for Justice-Impacted Communities Act This bill provides incarcerated individuals with access to federal financial aid. Specifically, the bill authorizes participating institutions to award Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals, and it repeals a provision that denies eligibility to individuals convicted of certain drug-related offenses. The bill also requires the Department of Education to streamline the forms and processes for incarcerated individuals to apply for Pell Grants, and it prohibits any questions relating to whether applicants have convictions for drug-related offenses. Additionally, the bill requires that institutions offering Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals (1) make certain information available to prospective students, and (2) demonstrate that academic credits earned by incarcerated students are treated by the institution as equivalent to credits earned by non-incarcerated students.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Blue Collar to Green Collar Jobs Development Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and carry out a comprehensive, nationwide program to improve education and training for jobs in energy-related industries in order to increase the number of skilled workers trained for such jobs. DOE, in collaboration with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, and energy-related industries, shall establish a clearinghouse to, among other things, develop resources training programs for jobs in energy-related industries and act as a resource for educational institutions and covered organizations and programs that would like to develop and implement training programs for such jobs. In carrying out the program, DOE, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, and the National Science Foundation, shall develop voluntary guidelines or best practices for educational institutions to help provide students with the skills necessary for jobs in energy-related industries, DOE shall establish and carry out a program to provide grants to eligible entities ( i.e., certain businesses, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, or qualified youth or conservation corps) to pay the eligible wages or stipends for individuals receiving training to work for an eligible business ( i.e., businesses that provide services related to renewable electric energy generation and energy efficiency).
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Workforce Development Through Post-Graduation Scholarships Act of 2019 This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude post-graduation scholarship grants from gross income in the same manner as scholarships are currently excluded. A "post-graduation scholarship grant" is a grant provided by a program that is established by certain tax-exempt organizations, is designed to encourage individuals to serve in occupations of unmet needs or in areas of unmet need, and that repays any portion of an education loan incurred by an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2019 This bill establishes a program to expand the mental-health services workforce in schools. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to contract with graduate institutions to pay a share of the cost of attendance for graduate students pursuing careers in the school-based mental-health profession (e.g., school counselor).
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of any tobacco product (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes) in an indoor facility that is regularly used for children's services, including health care, day care, early development, education, or library services. Current law prohibits smoking in such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
This resolution expresses support for the establishment of Campus Fire Safety Month. In addition, it encourages schools and municipalities to (1) provide fire safety educational programs to students throughout the school year, and (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing and take steps to ensure fire-safe living environments.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Pregnancy Assistance Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Pregnancy Assistance Fund program, which awards grants to states for a range of support services for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families. Such services include those related to personal health, child health, parenting, education, and employment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2019 or the IDEA Act This bill directs the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to collect demographic information about each inventor listed on a patent application. Inventors shall not be required to provide the requested information, which shall include gender, ethnicity, national origin, sexual identity, veterans status, disability, and education and income levels. Such information shall be (1) kept confidential and separate from each patent application, and (2) periodically made public as aggregated data without personally identifying information.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 24 July 2019
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive the matching requirement for certain grants under the specialty crop research initiative. Specifically, USDA may waive the requirement if (1) the research conducted using grant funds will benefit a specific specialty crop and is likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally, or the grant involves scientifically important research; and (2) the recipient of the grant is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Safe Drinking Water in Playgrounds and Parks Act This bill expands an existing grant program that provides assistance to local education agencies for replacing school drinking water fountains that were manufactured prior to 1988 to include such drinking water fountains located in playgrounds and parks owned or administered by schools. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency must establish a grant program to provide assistance to states and municipalities for the replacement of drinking water fountains that were manufactured prior to 1988 and are located in playgrounds or parks owned by states or municipalities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Remedial Education Improvement Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to improve remedial education programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs). ED must contract with an independent evaluator, who shall (1) consult with ED regarding which eligible entities should receive such grants, and (2) evaluate the impact of remedial education programs funded with such grants. A recipient must use grant funds to develop or improve a remedial education program through specified models, such as (1) aligning coursework between high school coursework and postsecondary education, (2) accelerating course work (e.g., by allowing multiple sequential remedial course enrollments in a semester), or (3) specifically targeting skills that students need to move forward in courses at the postsecondary level. ED must give preference to recipients that primarily serve low-income students, and it must ensure that (1) at least 30 eligible entities are awarded grants in a 5-year period, (2) grants are geographically distributed in an equitable manner, and (3) grants are used to develop or improve remedial education programs under specified models and for a range of types and sizes of IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
America's College Promise Act of 2019 This bill provides funding and establishes grants for states, Native American tribes, historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to eligible states and Native American tribes to pay the federal share (75% of the average resident community college tuition and fees per student) of a program that provides funds to community colleges for waiving resident tuition and fees. The bill also requires each state to ensure that a participating institution offers academic credits that are fully transferable to a four-year institution. In addition, the bill establishes a grant program to encourage certain minority group students to enroll in and complete baccalaureate programs by requiring a university that receives grant funding to waive or significantly reduce tuition and fees for such students.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
America's College Promise Act of 2019 This bill provides funding and establishes grants for states, Native American tribes, historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to eligible states and Native American tribes to pay the federal share (75% of the average resident community college tuition and fees per student) of a program that provides funds to community colleges for waiving resident tuition and fees. The bill also requires each state to ensure that a participating institution offers academic credits that are fully transferable to a four-year institution. In addition, the bill establishes a grant program to encourage certain minority group students to enroll in and complete baccalaureate programs by requiring a university that receives grant funding to waive or significantly reduce tuition and fees for such students.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Heroes Entering Roles Of Education Service Act or the HEROES Act This bill revises and expands the Troops-to-Teachers Program, which supports the transition of current and former military personnel to employment positions in education. The program places personnel in (1) elementary and secondary schools that serve more than a certain percentage of lower-income students or those who qualify for aid under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and (2) Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools. The bill renames the program as the Troops-to-Support-Education Program and expands the positions covered to include a number of teaching support, administrative, and security personnel. Excluded from eligibility are positions performed outside the grounds of a school or for a contractor. For placement in non-teacher positions, the service member must obtain credentials required by the state in which the position is located. The bill increases the total number of stipends and bonuses provided. It also increases the limit on the amount of obligations for the program for each fiscal year. The Department of Defense may enter into partnership agreements with tax-exempt charitable organizations to assist with the placement of participants.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Department of Homeland Security Insider Threat and Mitigation Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Insider Threat Program. Such program shall (1) provide training and education for DHS personnel to identify, prevent, mitigate, and respond to insider threat risks to DHS's critical assets; (2) provide investigative support regarding such threats; and (3) conduct risk mitigation activities for such threats.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This bill increases the amount payable for a monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for an individual pursuing a program of education solely through distance learning on a more than half-time basis.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to cancel certain student loan debt and refinance student loans. First, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge (i.e., repay or cancel) up to $50,000 of outstanding student loan debt for each qualified borrower. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, based on the most recent tax year, may receive the maximum loan cancellation. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income above $100,000 may receive partial loan cancellation. Members of Congress are not eligible to receive loan cancellation. Further, the bill outlines the method of loan discharge, and excludes loan cancellation from taxable income. It also requires ED to automatically place each federal student loan borrower in administrative forbearance for the one-year period in which ED carries out the cancellation of student loans. During this period, payments are not due, interest does not accrue, and ED may not pursue debt collection activities (e.g., wage garnishments). Next, the bill requires ED to carry out student loan refinancing programs for those student loans that exist after the loan cancellation period. Specifically, it directs ED to automatically refinance federal student loans at the lower interest rates offered to new federal borrowers in the 2016-2017 school year. It also allows borrowers to convert their private student loans to federal student loans, thereby allowing such borrowers to qualify for loan cancellation. It also makes student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy proceedings. Finally, the bill specifies notification requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Consider Teachers Act This bill revises the service obligation verification process for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program. For example, the bill provides a process for the Department of Education to reconsider and reverse the conversion of a TEACH grant to a loan.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Protecting Academic Integrity Act of 2019 This bill revises certain disclosure requirements for institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to disclose to the Department of Education any gift from or contract with a foreign entity or individual valued at $50,000 or more. Currently, an IHE must make such a disclosure if the gift or contract is valued at $250,000 or more. An IHE must report, if available, the purpose of the gift or contract. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report on IHEs' compliance with these disclosure requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This bill authorizes the Department of Education to provide grants for public awareness education programs on the history of the treatment of Italian Americans during World War II. In awarding such grants, priority shall be given to Italian American historical and cultural organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Student Data Counts Act of 2019 This bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics to collect, analyze, cross-tabulate, and report on information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) or a successor system that is disaggregated by race. Such IPEDS data must include those racial groups specified in the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
School to Career Pathways Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Education to (1) award grants to states to establish statewide career pathways coalitions, (2) establish a career pathways innovation grant program to support career pathways in high school and career exploration in the middle grades, and (3) provide technical assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Short-Term Accelerated Reskilling Tracks Career Pathways Act or the START Career Pathways Act This bill directs the Department of Labor, in coordination with the Department of Education, to award competitive grants to eligible institutions of higher education and vocational institutions to develop, offer, improve and provide educational or career pathway programs for workers. Grants funds must be used for specified purposes, including for career pathway programs that provide relevant job training to meet the needs of employers in high-skill, high-wage, or in demand sectors or occupations and that may include registered apprenticeship programs. . Beginning on October 1, 2019, Labor shall carry out a program to award START federal Pell Grants to students in short-term programs that prepare participants for employment opportunities in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand sectors or occupations in a geographic area in which the programs are offered.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2020 and revises the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program. The bill also authorizes new grants under the FIPSE program. Specifically, the Department of Education may award grants to institutions of higher education for dual or concurrent enrollment programs or early-college high-school programs that allow high-school students to earn postsecondary credits.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state and local educational agencies to promote media literacy and digital citizenship. Media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions about products and services, education, health, and wellness based on information obtained from media and digital sources. Digital citizenship includes the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world. A state educational agency must use grant funds to carry out one or more specified activities, specifically (1) creating and supporting a media literacy advisory council, (2) assisting local educational agencies in the development of instruction in media literacy, (3) assisting local agencies in developing means of evaluating student learning in media literacy, and (4) assisting local agencies in developing or providing professional development for teachers that relates to media literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to cancel certain student loan debt and refinance student loans. First, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge (i.e., repay or cancel) up to $50,000 of outstanding student loan debt for each qualified borrower. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, based on the most recent tax year, may receive the maximum loan cancellation. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income above $100,000 may receive partial loan cancellation. Members of Congress are not eligible to receive loan cancellation. Further, the bill outlines the method of loan discharge, and excludes loan cancellation from taxable income. It also requires ED to automatically place each federal student loan borrower in administrative forbearance for the one-year period in which ED carries out the cancellation of student loans. During this period, payments are not due, interest does not accrue, and ED may not pursue debt collection activities (e.g., wage garnishments). Next, the bill requires ED to carry out student loan refinancing programs for those student loans that exist after the loan cancellation period. Specifically, it directs ED to automatically refinance federal student loans at the lower interest rates offered to new federal borrowers in the 2016-2017 school year. It also allows borrowers to convert their private student loans to federal student loans, thereby allowing such borrowers to qualify for loan cancellation. It also makes student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy proceedings. Finally, the bill specifies notification requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
National Defense Cybersecurity Consortia Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish one or more consortia, comprising certain universities, to advise and assist on matters relating to cybersecurity. DOD must establish procedures for organizations within DOD to access such expertise.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Basic Assistance for Students In College Act or the BASIC Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award planning and implementation grants to institutions of higher education in order to identify and meet the basic needs of students, including food, housing, transportation, and health care. ED must also implement an agreement to (1) share data with other federal agencies in order to identify students who may be eligible for certain federal benefits; and (2) coordinate efforts to enroll those students in federal benefits programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2019 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants supporting midwifery programs at higher education institutions and nursing schools. Funds may be used to establish or expand programs and increase the number of training staff. The HRSA may prioritize funding institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and that promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
National Defense Cybersecurity Consortia Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish one or more consortia, comprising certain universities, to advise and assist on matters relating to cybersecurity. DOD must establish procedures for organizations within DOD to access such expertise.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education Act or the SIMPLE Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to automatically request from the Internal Revenue Service a borrower's tax return information for purposes of determining (1) the borrower's continued eligibility for discharge of Federal Family Education Loans based on permanent and total disability, or (2) recertification of the borrower's income-contingent or income-based loan repayment plan. The bill also establishes a process for ED to enroll a delinquent borrower who is in federal student loan repayment in an income-driven repayment plan.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Education to (1) award grants to Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education (IHEs) to improve and expand innovative collaboration agreements between local educational agencies and IHEs to better serve Hispanic students, (2) provide technical assistance to such IHEs, and (3) contract with a third party to conduct an independent evaluation of grant activities. Such grants must be used for specific activities, such as providing academic support to prepare students for postsecondary education and addressing nonacademic needs of students that are barriers to college enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park Act This bill provides for the establishment of the Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park in Collinsville, Illinois; Monroe, Madison, and St. Clair Counties, Illinois; and St. Louis City County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System. The Department of the Interior may acquire lands and interests within the boundary of the park by donation, purchase, or exchange, except that land owned by such states or their political subdivisions may only be acquired by donation. Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with such states and their political subdivisions, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, and individuals to (1) mark, interpret, and restore nationally significant historic or cultural and natural resources related to the life of the Mississippi culture within the park, if the agreement provides for reasonable public access; and (2) conduct research related to Mississippi culture.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that limits the permissible sources of funding for elections to public office and state ballot measures. Specifically, funding to support or oppose a campaign for election to public office may only be provided through (1) contributions by individual citizens to the principal campaign committee controlled by the candidate, or (2) a public election financing or voter education system. Funding to support or oppose a state ballot measure may only be provided through (1) contributions by individuals eligible to vote on the measure, or (2) through a public election financing or voter education system. Congress, the states, and local jurisdictions must establish contribution limits.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Promoting Health Careers in Community and Technical Colleges Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education) that are awarded Health Profession Opportunity Grants to train project participants to earn recognized postsecondary credentials, including industry-recognized credentials.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act of 2019 This bill expands requirements for lenders and institutions of higher education (IHEs) with respect to the certification of private education loans. Specifically, the bill revises requirements for disclosures in private education loan applications. Before issuing a private education loan for a student attending an IHE, lenders must obtain the IHE's certification of the student's enrollment status, the student's cost of attendance, and the difference between that cost and the student's estimated financial assistance. Lenders must (1) send loan statements to borrowers at least once every three months a student is enrolled at an IHE, (2) notify the relevant IHE of the loan amount and the student to whom it applies no later than the date funds are issued, and (3) submit an annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) containing information the CFPB requires concerning private student loans. The bill requires IHEs, before providing lenders with certifications, to determine whether students have exhausted their options for federal financial aid assistance and notify borrowers of (1) the availability of assistance, (2) their ability to choose their own private educational lender, (3) the impact of the proposed private education loan on their eligibility for other financial assistance, and (4) their right to accept or reject a private education loan within 30 days of the lender's approval of their application and to cancel the loan within 3 business days of its consummation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 2019 This bill requires specified federal agencies to address recommendations made to Congress by the Government Accountability Office and detailed in the annual duplication report. Specifically the Defense Security Cooperation Agency shall review options for expanding the use of administrative surcharges under the foreign military sales program; the Department of Energy shall review options for a long-range target for the optimal size and configuration of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; the U.S. Mint may modify the composition of circulating coins in accordance with a study and analysis conducted by the Mint if such modification will reduce costs incurred by taxpayers, be seamless, and have no impact on the public and stakeholders; and the Department of the Treasury shall require that any tax return which is prepared electronically, but is printed and filed on paper, bear a code which can, when scanned, convert such return to electronic format. Regarding student loan debt, among other things, an institution of higher education may not include placing students in forbearance as a means of reducing the cohort default rate of the institution.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Flood Insurance Continuing Education and Training Act This bill requires insurance agents selling flood insurance policies to complete a continuing education course every two years.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act This bill establishes a student loan forgiveness program for certain farmers or ranchers. Specifically, it requires the Department of Education to cancel the balance of interest and principal due on a borrower's Federal Direct Loans after such borrower makes 120 monthly loan payments under a specified repayment plan while employed full-time at a qualified farm or ranch.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
College Student Hunger Act of 2019 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.