I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3391 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-State tuition 

rates for refugees and asylees. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. WELCH, Mr. PETERS, Mr. PALLONE, 

Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Ms. OMAR, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 

MOULTON, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 

VEASEY, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Ms. ESHOO) 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 provide 

for in-State tuition rates for refugees and asylees. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘To Offer Refugees Col5 lege Help (TORCH) Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR REFUGEES, ASYLEES, 

2 AND CERTAIN SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Higher Education Act of 

4 1965 is amended by inserting after section 135 (20 U.S.C. 

5 1015d) the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 135A. IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR REFUGEES, 

7 ASYLEES, AND CERTAIN SPECIAL IMMI8 GRANTS. 

9 ‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—In the case of an alien de10 scribed in subsection (b) whose domicile is in a State that 

11 receives assistance under this Act, such State shall not 

12 charge such alien tuition for attendance at a public insti13 tution of higher education in the State at a rate that is 

14 greater than the rate charged for residents of the State. 

15 ‘‘(b) ALIENS DESCRIBED.—An alien is described in 

16 this subsection if the alien was granted— 

17 ‘‘(1) refugee status and admitted to the United 

18 States under section 207 of the Immigration and 

19 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157); 

20 ‘‘(2) asylum under section 208 of such Act (8 

21 U.S.C. 1158); or 

22 ‘‘(3) special immigrant status under section 

23 101(a)(27) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) pur24 suant to— 


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1 ‘‘(A) section 1244 of the National Defense 

2 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (8 

3 U.S.C. 1157 note); 

4 ‘‘(B) section 1059 of the National Defense 

5 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (8 

6 U.S.C. 1101 note); or 

7 ‘‘(C) section 602 of the Afghan Allies Pro8 tection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note). 

9 ‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS.—The requirement under sub10 section (a) shall apply with respect to an alien only until 

11 the alien has established residency in the State, and only 

12 with respect to the first State in which the alien was first 

13 domiciled after being admitted into the United States as 

14 a refugee or special immigrant or being granted asylum. 

15 ‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take ef16 fect at each public institution of higher education in a 

17 State that receives assistance under this Act for the first 

18 period of enrollment at such institution that begins after 

19 July 1, 2019.’’. 

20 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con21 tents for the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended 

22 by inserting after the item relating to section 135 the fol23 lowing: 

‘‘Sec. 135A. In-State tuition rates for refugees, asylees, and certain special immigrants.’’. 

Æ 


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