I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8688 
To establish a grant program for certain institutions of higher education 
to plan and implement projects for economic and community development 
in economically distressed communities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 9, 2022 
Mr. COSTA (for himself and Mr. WESTERMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a grant program for certain institutions of high-
er education to plan and implement projects for economic 
and community development in economically distressed 
communities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a program to award grants to institutions of higher edu-
cation designated under subsection (b) to plan and imple-
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ment eligible projects for economic and community devel-
opment in economically distressed communities. 
(b) DESIGNATION
OF INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.— 
(1) LIST OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION.—The Secretary shall develop a list of every 
institution of higher education that the Secretary de-
termines is located in a distressed community, in ac-
cordance with the criteria described in paragraph 
(2). 
(2) DISTRESSED
COMMUNITY
CRITERIA.—The 
Secretary shall determine that an institution of high-
er education is located in a distressed community if 
one of the following circumstances applies to such 
institution: 
(A) In the case of an institution of higher 
education that is located in a metropolitan or a 
micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the 
Office of Management and Budget, and in a 
State in which the median family income is 
higher than the national median family income, 
the institution of higher education is located in 
a zip code in which the median family income 
is at least 25 percent lower than the median 
family income for such State. 
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(B) In the case of an institution of higher 
education that is located in a metropolitan or a 
micropolitan statistical area, as defined by the 
Office of Management and Budget, and in a 
State in which the median family income is 
lower than the national median family income, 
the institution of higher education is located in 
a zip code in which the median family income 
is at least 25 percent lower than the national 
median family income. 
(C) In the case of an institution of higher 
education that is not located in a metropolitan 
or micropolitan statistical area and is located in 
a State in which the median family income is 
higher than the national median family income, 
the institution of higher education is located in 
a county in which the median family income is 
at least 25 percent lower than the median fam-
ily income for such State. 
(D) In the case of an institution of higher 
education that is not located in a metropolitan 
or micropolitan statistical area and is located in 
a State in which the median family income is 
lower than the national median family income, 
the institution of higher education is located in 
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a county in which the median family income is 
at least 25 percent lower than the national me-
dian family income. 
(3) DESIGNATION.— 
(A) NOTIFICATION
TO
INSTITUTIONS
OF 
HIGHER EDUCATION.—Upon development of the 
list of institutions of higher education located in 
a distressed community under paragraph (1), 
the Secretary shall notify each institution of 
higher education that is included in such list 
that such institution may be designated under 
this paragraph to receive a planning grant and 
an implementation grant under this section. 
(B) NOTIFICATION
TO
SECRETARY.—An 
institution of higher education that receives a 
notification from the Secretary under subpara-
graph (A) that intends to receive a planning 
grant and an implementation grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary a notifica-
tion of such intent in such form and at such 
time as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(C) GRANT
ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary 
shall designate each institution of higher edu-
cation that submits a notification under sub-
paragraph (B) as eligible to receive a planning 
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grant and an implementation grant under this 
section. 
(c) PLANNING GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
a grant to each institution of higher education des-
ignated under subsection (b) for such institution to 
develop an implementation plan describing— 
(A) the eligible projects that such institu-
tion intends to carry out with an implementa-
tion grant under subsection (d); and 
(B) how such projects will support eco-
nomic and community revitalization in the com-
munity in which such institution is located. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a plan-
ning grant under this subsection shall complete 
the implementation plan required under para-
graph (1) not later than 2 years after the date 
on which the Secretary provides a planning 
grant to such recipient. 
(B) APPROVAL.—Upon completion of an 
implementation plan with a planning grant pro-
vided under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
review such plan for approval. 
(3) GRANT AMOUNTS.— 
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(A) GRANT
TERM.—The Secretary may 
distribute funds for a grant provided under this 
subsection for a period of not more than 2 
years. 
(B) TOTAL GRANT AMOUNTS.—Each grant 
awarded under this subsection shall be in an 
amount that does not exceed $100,000 for each 
year of the grant term. 
(C) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.— 
(i) APPLICATION
FOR
ADDITIONAL 
GRANT
FUNDS.—Not later than 1 year 
after a grant funds are first awarded 
under subparagraph (A), a grant recipient 
may submit to the Secretary an application 
to receive additional funds to complete the 
implementation plan required under para-
graph (1). 
(ii) DEADLINE
TO
RECEIVE
ADDI-
TIONAL GRANT FUNDS.—Not later than 90 
days after a grant recipient submits an ap-
plication for additional grant funds under 
clause (i), the Secretary shall determine 
whether to award additional grant funds to 
such recipient and shall distribute such ad-
ditional grant funds to such recipient. 
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(D) FORMULA.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a formula by which the Secretary shall dis-
tribute funds for each grant under this sub-
section in accordance with this paragraph. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon approval of an imple-
mentation plan under subsection (c)(2), the Sec-
retary shall provide a grant to the institution of 
higher education to carry out eligible projects de-
scribed in such plan. 
(2) GRANT TERM.—The term of a grant pro-
vided under this subsection shall be 5 years. 
(3) GRANT AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a formula by which the Secretary shall dis-
tribute funds for each grant under this subsection in 
accordance with the following requirements: 
(A) The Secretary shall provide each re-
cipient of a grant under this subsection with a 
grant in an amount that is not less than 
$25,000,000 and not more than $50,000,000. 
(B) The Secretary shall distribute funds 
for each grant under this subsection at least 
once during each year of the grant term. 
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant 
under this subsection may only use such grant to 
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carry out an eligible project in the distressed com-
munity in which such recipient is located, as deter-
mined by the Secretary under subsection (b)(2). 
(5) REPORT
REQUIRED.—At least once each 
year during the term of a grant provided under this 
subsection, a recipient of such grant shall submit to 
the Secretary a report describing the activities for 
which such grant was used during such year. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
project’’ means a project that will spur economic de-
velopment in the community in which such project is 
carried out, including a project to— 
(A) renovate, construct, or maintain build-
ings that will benefit and be accessible to the 
community, including— 
(i) commercial buildings located on 
the campus of the institution of higher 
education carrying out the project; 
(ii) housing for students, faculty, 
staff, or members of the community; 
(iii) cultural institutions such as mu-
seums, theaters, and arts centers; and 
(iv) facilities such as laboratories or 
libraries; 
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(ii) administrative support to such 
school districts; and 
(iii) access to facilities of such institu-
tion of higher education to local elementary 
and secondary schools; and 
(H) fund research on the campus of the in-
stitution of higher education carrying out the 
project that is relevant to the economic needs of 
the community. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘institution 
of higher education’’ means an institution of 
higher education (as defined in section 101(a) 
of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a))) that has a physical campus and that 
offers not more than 25 percent of courses 
through distance education (as defined in sec-
tion 103(7) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003)), including an institu-
tion of higher education established under the 
Morrill Act of 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.). 
(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘institution of 
higher education’’ does not include an institu-
tion of higher education that— 
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(i) is an institution of higher edu-
cation established under the Morrill Act of 
1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); 
(ii) has very high research activity 
status, as designated by the Carnegie Clas-
sification of Institutions of Higher Edu-
cation; or 
(iii) is a service academy. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the As-
sistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Devel-
opment. 
(4) SERVICE
ACADEMY.—The term ‘‘service 
academy’’ means the following: 
(A) The United States Military Academy. 
(B) The United States Naval Academy. 
(C) The United States Air Force Academy. 
(D) The United States Coast Guard Acad-
emy. 
(E) The United States Merchant Marine 
Academy. 
(F) Any college or university designated by 
the Secretary of Defense as a military college. 
(G) A State or regional maritime academy 
or college sponsored by a State or group of 
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States and assisted under chapter 515 of title 
46, United States Code. 
Æ 
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