Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a pilot program to make grants to institutions of higher education to pay the costs of obtaining a United States passport necessary for certain students to participate in a study abroad program. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019 2. Demonstration program (a) Authorization The Secretary shall carry out a pilot program to make grants to institutions of higher education to— (1) reimburse a student who is a Pell Grant recipient enrolled at the institution for the costs of obtaining a United States passport necessary for such student to participate in a study abroad program; and (2) in coordination with the Secretary of State, directly pay the costs described in paragraph (1) in the case of a United States passport event carried out by the Secretary of State on the campus of such institution. (b) Application To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an institution of higher education shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit an application to the Secretary that includes— (1) the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled at the institution that participated in a study abroad program during each of the 5 years before the date of such application; (2) an assurance that the institution will report to the Secretary the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled at the institution that participated in a study abroad program annually for each of the 4 years after the date on which the application is submitted; (3) a description of how the institution will engage in student outreach in carrying a grant under this section; (4) such other information as the Secretary may require. (c) Awards (1) Requirements Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make grants under subsection (a) to each of the following: (A) A four-year public institution of higher education. (B) A public historically Black college or university. (C) A public Hispanic-serving institution. (2) Other awards After making the awards required under paragraph (1), the Secretary— (A) may make grants to additional institutions of higher education; and (B) shall give priority under subparagraph (A) to institutions of higher education with study abroad programs that offer science, technology, engineering, and math courses. (d) Reporting requirements (1) Institution reporting An institution of higher education that receives a grant under this section shall not later than 1 year after receiving such grant submit to the Secretary and the Secretary of State a report that includes— (A) a description of the student outreach carried out through a grant under this section; and (B) the number of Pell Grant recipients who— (i) obtained a United States passport pursuant to such grant; and (ii) participated in a study abroad program in the year after the institution received such grant. (2) Department reporting Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually for the 3 years thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall submit a report to Congress that includes— (A) a description of the awards made under this section; and (B) an assessment of the pilot program under this section. (e) Final assessment Not later than 1 year after the date on which the pilot program authority terminates under subsection (f), the Secretary and the Secretary of State shall each— (1) prepare an assessment of the pilot program, including a recommendation as to whether— (A) the pilot program should be continued and expanded; or (B) a similar program related to other higher education programs, such as graduate and postgraduate programs, community colleges, vocational programs, and apprenticeship programs, should be carried out; and (2) submit such assessment to Congress. (f) Term The authority to carry out the pilot program under this section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each of the succeeding 3 fiscal years. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) Hispanic-serving institution The term Hispanic-serving institution 20 U.S.C. 1101a (2) Historically Black college or university The term historically Black college or university part B institution 20 U.S.C. 1061(2) (3) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1002 (4) Pell Grant recipient The term Pell Grant recipient 20 U.S.C. 1070a (5) Secretary The term Secretary

Summary: Passport Assistance for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a pilot program to award grants to institutions of higher education for the purpose of providing certain students with U.S. passports. Specifically, such grants must (1) reimburse Pell Grant recipients enrolled in study abroad programs for the cost of obtaining passports, or (2) directly pay the cost of passports for such students.