I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7454 
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving institutions 
and local educational agencies with high enrollments of Hispanic or 
Latino students, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 7, 2022 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. 
PANETTA, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. TITUS, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. SIRES, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. VICENTE GON-
ZALEZ of Texas, Ms. MENG, Ms. PORTER, Mr. BOWMAN, and Mr. GARCI´A 
of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serv-
ing institutions and local educational agencies with high 
enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hispanic Educational 
Resources and Empowerment Act of 2022’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Hispanics and Latinos are the largest, 
youngest, and second-fastest growing minority popu-
lation in the United States, accounting for half of 
the Nation’s population growth between 2010 and 
2020. 
(2) While Hispanics and Latinos compose 18 
percent of the population of the United States, they 
compose 26 percent of the prekindergarten through 
grade 12 public school student enrollment in the 
United States. 
(3) Over 3,300 local educational agencies have 
25 percent or more Hispanic and Latino enrollment 
and those local educational agencies enroll 78 per-
cent of all prekindergarten through grade 12 His-
panic and Latino students in the United States. 
(4) Hispanic and Latino students face dispari-
ties in educational outcomes, including lower grades, 
lower scores on standardized tests, and higher drop-
out rates. 
(5) Hispanic and Latino students tend to face 
greater barriers once in college than their non-His-
panic and Latino peers. Seventy percent of Hispanic 
and Latino college students are first-generation col-
lege students and nearly half of Hispanic and Latino 
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college students are eligible to receive a Federal Pell 
Grant. 
(6) Hispanics and Latinos have less access to 
enrolling in, or graduating from, institutions of high-
er education. 
(7) More Hispanics and Latinos are going to 
college than ever before, but only slightly more than 
half of the Hispanic and Latino students who enroll 
earn a bachelor’s degree. 
(8) Hispanics and Latinos lag behind non-His-
panic Whites, Blacks, and Asian American and Na-
tive American Pacific Islanders in educational at-
tainment of high school diplomas, associate’s de-
grees, and bachelor’s degrees. 
(9) In 2019, the median weekly earnings among 
high school graduates with no postsecondary degree 
were lower than such earnings for individuals hold-
ing associate’s degrees by $123, and for individuals 
holding bachelor’s degrees by $635. Given this infor-
mation, and the growth in the Hispanic and Latino 
population relative to the nearly stagnant population 
growth of the Nation as a whole, gains in Hispanic 
and Latino educational attainment are crucial to 
economic gains for the United States. 
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(10) Hispanics and Latinos are an increasingly 
vital component of the workforce of the United 
States. The number of Hispanics and Latinos in the 
labor force is expected to grow by approximately 
6,900,000 between 2020 and 2030. 
(11) To help ensure that the United States is 
prepared to meet the needs of its changing work-
force, Hispanics and Latinos and the institutions 
that enroll them most, Hispanic-serving institutions, 
must be afforded the resources and support nec-
essary to close the achievement and opportunity 
gaps. 
SEC. 3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISPANIC-SERVING IN-
STITUTIONS 
AND 
LOCAL 
EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCIES. 
Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new part: 
‘‘PART D—COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISPANIC- 
SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCIES WITH HIGH ENROLL-
MENTS OF HISPANIC OR LATINO STUDENTS 
‘‘SEC. 531. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this part are— 
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‘‘(1) to promote and support opportunities for 
academic alliances and collaborative partnerships be-
tween Hispanic-serving institutions and local edu-
cational agencies with high enrollments of Hispanic 
or Latino students for the purpose of improving 
postsecondary educational attainment of Hispanic 
and Latino students; and 
‘‘(2) to expand and enhance the course offer-
ings, program quality, and overall functionality of 
the colleges, universities, and local educational agen-
cies that educate the majority of Hispanic and 
Latino students. 
‘‘SEC. 532. PROGRAM AUTHORITY, APPLICATION, AND ELI-
GIBILITY. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—Subject to the avail-
ability of funds appropriated to carry out this part, the 
Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
Hispanic-serving institutions serving as grant recipient 
and fiscal agent for an eligible entity, to enable the eligible 
entity to carry out activities described under section 533 
to improve and expand the capacity to develop innovative 
collaboration agreements between local educational agen-
cies and institutions of higher education to better serve 
Hispanic and Latino students. 
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‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ 
means a partnership that— 
‘‘(1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) one or more Hispanic-serving institu-
tions, one of which shall serve as the grant re-
cipient and fiscal agent for the eligible entity; 
and 
‘‘(B) one or more local educational agen-
cies with high enrollments of Hispanic or 
Latino students; and 
‘‘(2) may include— 
‘‘(A) one or more emerging Hispanic-serv-
ing institutions; 
‘‘(B) one or more local educational agen-
cies with high enrollments of Hispanic or 
Latino students; and 
‘‘(C) one or more nonprofit or community- 
based organizations, or public or private non-
profit entities with a demonstrated record of 
success in implementing activities similar to the 
activities authorized under section 533. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under this part shall— 
‘‘(1) designate a Hispanic-serving institution 
that is a member of the eligible entity to serve as 
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the grant applicant, grant recipient, and fiscal agent 
for the eligible entity; and 
‘‘(2) through such designated Hispanic-serving 
institution, submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
such information as the Secretary may require under 
part C and this part. 
‘‘SEC. 533. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘An eligible entity that receives a grant under this 
part shall use the grant funds for 1 or more of the fol-
lowing activities to support eligible students: 
‘‘(1) Creating a college-bound culture among 
students, which may include activities to promote 
the early exposure of such students and their fami-
lies to the opportunities and requirements of post-
secondary education, and other evidence-based serv-
ices, including services determined to have proven 
positive outcomes by the What Works Clearinghouse 
maintained by the Institute of Education Sciences. 
‘‘(2) Improvements to school-based and institu-
tional practices to prepare students for postsec-
ondary education, and provide high quality postsec-
ondary supports when necessary, which may in-
clude— 
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‘‘(A) aligning high school coursework and 
high school graduation requirements with the 
requirements for entrance into credit-bearing 
coursework at 4-year institutions of higher edu-
cation, including Hispanic-serving institutions; 
‘‘(B) early identification and support for 
students at risk of not graduating from high 
school within 4 years, or at risk of requiring re-
mediation upon enrolling in postsecondary edu-
cation; 
‘‘(C) developing and implementing path-
ways to postsecondary education that— 
‘‘(i) provide students with advanced 
coursework and result in a recognized post-
secondary credential, as defined in section 
3 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); or 
‘‘(ii) integrate rigorous and chal-
lenging career and technical education, 
work-based 
learning, 
and 
advanced 
coursework or other academic instruction 
aligned with the challenging State aca-
demic standards adopted by the State in 
which the eligible entity is located under 
section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and 
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student, available degree programs, and out-
comes of the institutions. 
‘‘(4) Addressing non-academic needs that are 
barriers to college enrollment, persistence, and com-
pletion for students, which may include— 
‘‘(A) activities to address the comprehen-
sive needs of students, including child care, 
housing and food insecurity, finances, health 
issues, and transportation; and 
‘‘(B) activities to promote a positive cam-
pus climate at institutions of higher education 
and to increase the sense of belonging among 
students, including through first year support 
programs such as mentoring and peer networks 
and advisories. 
‘‘(5) Developing and offering ‘grow your own’ 
programs that encourage students to pursue careers 
in education and that provide pathways to meet ap-
plicable certification and licensure requirements in 
the State such program is operating in, including 
any requirements for certification obtained through 
alternative routes to certification, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(A) opportunities for students to take 
dual credit courses in education, where such 
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courses align with the regular high school di-
ploma (as defined in section 8101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) 
and count for credit at the institution of higher 
education; 
‘‘(B) opportunities for students to engage 
in work-based learning opportunities in the field 
of education; 
‘‘(C) experiential learning that supports 
the success of students and increases students’ 
interest in pursuing a teaching career; 
‘‘(D) providing direct supports, including 
wrap-around services, for students to enroll and 
be successful in postsecondary enrollment op-
tions for courses that would meet degree re-
quirements for teacher licensure; and 
‘‘(E) scholarships to students who have 
completed a secondary school diploma or its 
recognized equivalent to enroll in teacher prepa-
ration programs. 
‘‘SEC. 534. REPORTING. 
‘‘Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this part 
shall, through the Hispanic-serving institution designated 
under section 532(b), submit to the Secretary, at the end 
of each grant period, a report that includes information 
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the Secretary may require. Such report shall include infor-
mation on the outcomes of the activities carried out by 
the eligible entity, before and after such activities were 
funded under this part, on the number and percentage of 
students entering, persisting, and completing postsec-
ondary education. Such information shall be disaggregated 
to measure the specific impact on economically disadvan-
taged students, students from each major racial and eth-
nic group, students with disabilities, English learners, stu-
dents of different genders, and migrant students. 
‘‘SEC. 535. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EVALUATION. 
‘‘(a) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount appro-
priated for this part under section 528(a) for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall reserve not more than the lesser of 5 
percent or $5,000,000 for— 
‘‘(1) providing technical assistance to eligible 
entities, directly or through grants, contracts, or co-
operative agreements, by qualified experts on using 
practices grounded in evidence to improve the out-
comes of programs funded under this part; and 
‘‘(2) conducting the evaluation described in sub-
section (b). 
‘‘(b) EVALUATION.—The Secretary, in partnership 
with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, 
shall contract with a third party to conduct an inde-
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pendent evaluation of the activities funded under this part. 
Such evaluation shall include the impact of the policies 
and services resulting from such activities on the number 
and percentage of students entering, persisting, and com-
pleting postsecondary education. The data collected by 
such evaluation shall be disaggregated to measure the spe-
cific impact on economically disadvantaged students, stu-
dents from each major racial and ethnic group, students 
with disabilities, English learners, students of different 
genders, and migrant students. 
‘‘SEC. 536. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this part: 
‘‘(1) ADVANCED COURSEWORK.—The term ‘ad-
vanced coursework’ means coursework designed for 
students to earn postsecondary credit upon success-
ful completion of the coursework while still in sec-
ondary school, such as Advanced Placement, Inter-
national Baccalaureate, dual or concurrent enroll-
ment programs, and early college high school pro-
grams. 
‘‘(2) CO-REQUISITE COURSES.—The term ‘co- 
requisite courses’ means courses designed for stu-
dents at institutions of higher education that com-
bine credit-bearing postsecondary-level coursework 
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with supplemental instruction or additional academic 
support. 
‘‘(3) DUAL
OR
CONCURRENT
ENROLLMENT 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘dual or concurrent enrollment 
program’ has the meaning given the term in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(4) EARLY
COLLEGE
HIGH
SCHOOL.—The 
term ‘early college high school’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801). 
‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE STUDENT.—The term ‘eligible 
student’ means— 
‘‘(A) any student who is enrolled or eligible 
to enroll in a secondary school that is served by 
a local educational agency with high enroll-
ments of Hispanic or Latino students; and 
‘‘(B) any student who is enrolled or has 
been accepted for enrollment at a Hispanic- 
serving institution or an emerging Hispanic- 
serving institution. 
‘‘(6) EMERGING
HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘emerging Hispanic-serving institu-
tion’ means an institution of higher education that— 
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‘‘(A) is an eligible institution, as defined in 
section 502; and 
‘‘(B) has an enrollment of undergraduate 
full-time equivalent students that is at least 15 
percent but less than 25 percent Hispanic stu-
dents at the end of the award year immediately 
preceding the date of the application for a 
grant under this part. 
‘‘(7) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY WITH HIGH 
ENROLLMENTS
OF
HISPANIC
OR
LATINO
STU-
DENTS.—The term ‘local educational agency with 
high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students’ 
means a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A) in which at least 25 percent of the 
students served by the local educational agency 
are Hispanic or Latino students, as determined 
by the enrollment data of the local educational 
agency no later than the date by which student 
membership data is collected annually by State 
educational agencies for submission to the Na-
tional Center for Education Statistics under 
section 153 of the Education Sciences Reform 
Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9543); and 
‘‘(B) in which at least 50 percent of the 
students served by the local educational agency 
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meet a measure of poverty described in section 
1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
6313(a)(5)).’’. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 528(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1103g(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) PART D.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out part D $150,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2023 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
Æ 
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