I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3503 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2019 
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a pilot 
program to make grants to institutions of higher edu-
cation to pay the costs of obtaining a United States 
passport necessary for certain students to participate 
in a study abroad program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Passport Assistance 
for Disadvantaged Students Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 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 re-
cipient enrolled at the institution for the costs of ob-
taining 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 in-
cludes— 
(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 
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study abroad program annually for each of the 4 
years after the date on which the application is sub-
mitted; 
(3) a description of how the institution will en-
gage 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 Sec-
retary 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 institu-
tions of higher education; and 
(B) shall give priority under subparagraph 
(A) to institutions of higher education with 
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study abroad programs that offer science, tech-
nology, 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 Sec-
retary 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 sec-
tion, and annually for the 3 years thereafter, the 
Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of 
State, shall submit a report to Congress that in-
cludes— 
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(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 col-
leges, 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 pro-
gram 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. 
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(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The 
term ‘‘Hispanic-serving institution’’ has the meaning 
given the term under section 502 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 
(2) HISTORICALLY
BLACK
COLLEGE
OR
UNI-
VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 
university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 
institution’’ under section 322(2) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)). 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(4) PELL GRANT RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘Pell 
Grant recipient’’ means a recipient of financial aid 
under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.). 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
Æ 
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