I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4608 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to create the Pell Plus program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 4, 2019 

Mr. KILMER (for himself, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, and Mr. PETERS) 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 create 

the Pell Plus program. 

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 ‘‘Pell Plus Act of 2019’’. 

5 SEC. 2. PELL PLUS PROGRAM. 

6 Section 401(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

7 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following: 

9 ‘‘(9) PELL PLUS PROGRAM.—(A) For each 

10 award year for which a student receives a Federal 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4608 IH

1 Pell Grant and meets the requirements of subpara2 graph (B), the Secretary shall award such student 

3 an additional Federal Pell Grant in an amount equal 

4 to the amount of the student’s Federal Pell Grant 

5 award determined under paragraph (2)(A) for such 

6 award year. 

7 ‘‘(B) A student meets the requirements of this 

8 subparagraph, if the student— 

9 ‘‘(i) during the award year during which 

10 the student receives the additional Federal Pell 

11 Grant under subparagraph (A)— 

12 ‘‘(I) is enrolled in the student’s first 

13 undergraduate baccalaureate course of 

14 study at a Pell Plus institution; and 

15 ‘‘(II) is maintaining progress toward 

16 completion of such course of study in not 

17 more than a total of 4 academic years; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) has completed 4 semesters, or the 

19 equivalent, of such course of study. 

20 ‘‘(C) The period during which a student re21 ceives an additional Federal Pell Grant under sub22 paragraph (A) shall be included in calculating the 

23 duration limits with respect to such student under 

24 subsection (c)(5), and to the extent that such period 

25 was a fraction of a semester or the equivalent, only 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4608 IH

1 that same fraction of such semester or equivalent 

2 shall count towards such duration limits. 

3 ‘‘(D) For purposes of this paragraph, a Pell 

4 Plus institution is an eligible institution for purposes 

5 of this subpart that— 

6 ‘‘(i) notifies the Secretary that the institu7 tion desires to participate in the program under 

8 this paragraph; 

9 ‘‘(ii) agrees to provide, to each student re10 ceiving an additional Federal Pell Grant under 

11 subparagraph (A), for each award year for 

12 which the student receives such additional Fed13 eral Pell Grant— 

14 ‘‘(I) a notification about whether the 

15 student is maintaining the progress toward 

16 completion required under subparagraph 

17 (B)(i)(II); and 

18 ‘‘(II) an amount of funds— 

19 ‘‘(aa) equal to such additional 

20 Federal Pell Grant; and 

21 ‘‘(bb) using the resources of the 

22 institution, such as— 

23 ‘‘(AA) an institutional grant 

24 or scholarship; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4608 IH

1 ‘‘(BB) through a tuition or 

2 fee waiver; or 

3 ‘‘(CC) foundation or other 

4 charitable organization funds; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(iii) the Secretary determines meets the 

7 requirements of this subparagraph.’’. 

8 SEC. 3. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES. 

9 Section 485(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 

10 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)(1)) is amended— 

11 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara12 graph (U); and 

13 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub14 paragraph (V) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

15 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(W) in the case of an institution that is 

17 a Pell Plus institution under section 401(b)(9), 

18 any applicable information with respect to the 

19 institution’s participation in the program under 

20 such section.’’. 

21 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

22 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

23 with respect to award year 2020–2021 and each suc24 ceeding award year. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS