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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5185 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5185

 To establish a grant program to support qualified community colleges, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2024

   Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish a grant program to support qualified community colleges, 
                        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 ``Funding Community College 
Infrastructure Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Governing body.--The term ``governing body'' means--
                    (A) the board of trustees or other governing 
                organization of a qualified community college; or
                    (B) a State, local, or Indian Tribal government (or 
                any political subdivision thereof), or any combination 
                of local educational agencies or municipalities, that 
                participates or proposes to participate in the 
                establishment and operation of a qualified community 
                college.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801), except such term shall include any elementary school or 
        secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education, 
        notwithstanding section 8101(30)(C) of such Act.
            (4) Qualified area.--The term ``qualified area'' means any 
        of the following:
                    (A) A city, metropolitan statistical area, or 
                county that does not contain any institution described 
                in paragraph (5)(A).
                    (B) A low-income community (as defined in section 
                45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986).
            (5) Qualified community college.--The term ``qualified 
        community college'' means a public institution of higher 
        education--
                    (A) at which the highest degree that is 
                predominantly awarded to students is an associate 
                degree (including 2-year tribally controlled colleges 
                under section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1059c) and public 2-year institutions of 
                higher education);
                    (B) that is established by and operated under the 
                supervision of a governing body in conjunction with the 
                State, local, and Indian tribal governments whose 
                residents will be served by such institution; and
                    (C) that is located within a qualified area.
            (6) Qualified purpose.--The term ``qualified purpose'' 
        means--
                    (A) establishing and operating a qualified 
                community college;
                    (B) expanding an existing qualified community 
                college to a qualified area;
                    (C) constructing, rehabilitating, repairing, 
                upgrading, enhancing, or expanding any facility owned 
                or to be used by a qualified community college to carry 
                out the educational purposes (including instructional 
                and research purposes) of such college;
                    (D) providing equipment for use by students at a 
                qualified community college;
                    (E) investing in online resources or broadband 
                access projects to deliver community college services 
                to qualified areas, or developing course materials for 
                education to be provided by a qualified community 
                college, provided that such uses do not collectively 
                account for more than 10 percent of the grant amount 
                awarded under this Act for such college;
                    (F) training professors and other school personnel 
                at a qualified community college, provided that such 
                use does not account for more than 5 percent of the 
                grant amount awarded under this Act for such college;
                    (G) constructing, rehabilitating, repairing, 
                upgrading, enhancing, or expanding any on-campus 
                facility to be used by a qualified community college 
                to--
                            (i) provide childcare to students and 
                        staff, provided that such use does not account 
                        for more than 10 percent of the grant amount 
                        awarded under this Act for such college; or
                            (ii) provide affordable housing, with a 
                        priority given to students and staff; and
                    (H) connecting students with transportation to a 
                qualified community college, including partnering with 
                public transit providers to--
                            (i) add bus, rail, or paratransit stops at 
                        or within walking distances of the campus;
                            (ii) add bus, rail, or paratransit routes 
                        to allow for transportation between the campus 
                        and surrounding areas and other cities;
                            (iii) increase the frequency of service or 
                        adjust the schedules for bus, rail, or 
                        paratransit routes to allow students to get to 
                        and from their classes; and
                            (iv) subsidize bus, rail, or paratransit 
                        costs for students.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (8) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
        of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, or the United States Virgin 
        Islands.
            (9) State higher education agency.--The term ``State higher 
        education agency'' means the officer or agency primarily 
        responsible for the State supervision of higher education.

SEC. 3. COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRANTS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry out 
this Act, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
governing bodies for qualified purposes relating to a qualified 
community college.
    (b) Application Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--A governing body desiring 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.
            (2) Contents.--An application described in paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) A description of--
                            (i) the financial sustainability of the 
                        proposal, including how the governing body will 
                        leverage other sources of funding; and
                            (ii) how the qualified purposes proposed 
                        with respect to the qualified community college 
                        will fill an unmet need within a qualified 
                        area.
                    (B) Any relevant approvals with respect to the 
                proposal that have been granted by any applicable 
                State, local, or Indian Tribal government or 
                appropriate accrediting body.
                    (C) A certification that the governing body--
                            (i) has consulted with the jurisdictions in 
                        which the qualified community college is, or 
                        will be, located; and
                            (ii) has the written approval of the State 
                        higher education agency for the proposal.
                    (D) In the case of an application proposing to 
                establish a new qualified community college and in 
                addition to the requirements under subparagraphs (A), 
                (B), and (C)--
                            (i) whether such proposal has received 
                        approval from the State higher education 
                        agency; and
                            (ii) a description of the sustainability of 
                        such qualified community college, including any 
                        commitment from any State, local, or Indian 
                        Tribal government to provide additional funding 
                        for such college.
    (c) Priorities.--
            (1) In general.--In awarding grants under this Act for a 
        fiscal year and subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) give highest priority to--
                            (i) applications that propose to establish 
                        a qualified community college that will serve 
                        the residents of the State's largest 
                        metropolitan statistical area that does not 
                        contain an institution described in section 
                        2(5)(A); or
                            (ii) in the case of a State for which no 
                        applications described in clause (i) are 
                        submitted, applications that propose to 
                        establish a qualified community college that 
                        will serve the residents of the State's largest 
                        micropolitan statistical area that does not 
                        contain an institution described in section 
                        2(5)(A);
                    (B) after applying subparagraph (A), give high 
                priority to any governing body that--
                            (i) has a partnership, or agrees to enter 
                        into a partnership upon receipt of the grant, 
                        with--
                                    (I) 1 or more local high schools, 
                                as defined in section 8101 of the 
                                Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
                                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), including a 
                                dual or concurrent enrollment program 
                                (as defined in such section);
                                    (II) a 4-year institution of higher 
                                education that includes a credit-
                                transfer agreement or articulation 
                                agreement (as defined in section 
                                486A(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
                                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1093a(a))) for students 
                                at the qualified community college; or
                                    (III) a State workforce development 
                                board established under section 101 of 
                                the Workforce Innovation and 
                                Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111); or
                            (ii) is the governing body of, has a 
                        partnership with, or agrees to enter into a 
                        partnership upon receipt of the grant with, an 
                        institution that is--
                                    (I) a part B institution (as 
                                defined in section 322 of the Higher 
                                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                                1061));
                                    (II) a Historically Black Graduate 
                                Professional School (as identified in 
                                section 326(e) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                1063b(e)));
                                    (III) a Hispanic-serving 
                                institution (as defined in section 
                                502(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                1101a(a)));
                                    (IV) a Tribal College or University 
                                (as defined in section 316(b) of such 
                                Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)));
                                    (V) an Alaska Native-serving 
                                institution or a Native Hawaiian-
                                serving institution (as such terms are 
                                defined in section 317(b) of such Act 
                                (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)));
                                    (VI) a Predominantly Black 
                                institution (as defined in section 
                                371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                1067q(c)));
                                    (VII) an Asian American and Native 
                                American Pacific Islander-serving 
                                institution (as defined in section 
                                371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                1067q(c))); or
                                    (VIII) a Native American-serving 
                                nontribal institution (as defined in 
                                section 371(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                                1067q(c))); and
                    (C) after applying subparagraphs (A) and (B), give 
                priority to any governing body that agrees to use not 
                less than 80 percent of the grant funds provided under 
                this section for qualified community college 
                construction or renovation that is certified, verified, 
                or consistent with the applicable provisions of--
                            (i) the Leadership in Energy and 
                        Environmental Design green building rating 
                        standard of the United States Green Building 
                        Council;
                            (ii) the Living Building Challenge green 
                        building certification program developed by the 
                        International Living Future Institute;
                            (iii) a green building rating program 
                        developed by the Collaborative for High-
                        Performance Schools that is designated as CHPS 
                        Verified; or
                            (iv) a green building program that--
                                    (I) has standards that are 
                                equivalent to or more stringent than 
                                the standards of a program described in 
                                clause (i), (ii), or (iii);
                                    (II) is adopted by the State or 
                                another jurisdiction with authority 
                                over the qualified community college; 
                                and
                                    (III) includes a verifiable method 
                                to demonstrate compliance with the 
                                program.
            (2) Cumulative limitation per state.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure that the total amount of grant funds awarded under this 
        Act to all governing bodies located in a State for any fiscal 
        year shall not exceed the greater of--
                    (A) the amount equal to 10 percent of all grant 
                funds awarded under this Act for such fiscal year; or
                    (B) $50,000,000.
    (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
Act shall use--
            (1) not less than 95 percent of the grant funds for a 
        qualified purpose with respect to a qualified community 
        college; and
            (2) not more than 5 percent of the grant funds for 
        administrative expenses associated with the grant.
    (e) Reports.--By not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for the duration of the grant 
program under this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to 
Congress a report on the grant program that--
            (1) describes the uses of grant funds; and
            (2) includes information on the regions and students served 
        through the program.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act a 
total of $10,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
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