I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7746 
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a formula grant program 
to provide funds to assist educational agencies with expenses related 
to resuming educational activities during the 2020–2021 school year 
arising from the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2020 
Mr. HILL of Arkansas (for himself and Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a formula 
grant program to provide funds to assist educational 
agencies with expenses related to resuming educational 
activities during the 2020–2021 school year arising from 
the COVID–19 pandemic, 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 ‘‘Helping Educators 
with Learning Preparation Act’’ or the ‘‘HELP Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROVIDING FUNDS TO AID SCHOOLS IN REOPENING 
AND RESUMING INSTRUCTION IN RESPONSE 
TO THE COVID–19 PANDEMIC. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Edu-
cation shall establish a grant program (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to provide funds to States 
to assist local educational agencies with expenses related 
to reopening and resuming instruction during school year 
2020–2021 arising from the COVID–19 pandemic. 
(b) STATE ALLOCATIONS.—From the funds made 
available under subsection (h) for a fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) reserve three-quarters of 1 percent for allot-
ments for the outlying areas, to be distributed 
among such outlying areas on the basis of their rel-
ative need, as determined by the Secretary, in ac-
cordance with the purpose of the Program; 
(2) reserve one-half of 1 percent for the Sec-
retary of the Interior for schools operated or funded 
by the Bureau of Indian Education, to be distributed 
among such schools on the basis of their relative 
need, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, 
in accordance with the purpose of the Program; and 
(3) from the remaining funds, allocate to each 
eligible State an amount equal to the sum of— 
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educational agencies in the State, as so de-
termined. 
(C) STATE EXPENSES.—From funds not 
otherwise allocated under this paragraph, a 
State may reserve not more than 30 percent for 
administrative costs associated with the Pro-
gram and the remainder for providing technical 
assistance and other emergency services to local 
educational 
agencies 
in 
response 
to 
the 
COVID–19 pandemic, as the State determines 
appropriate, including making grants or enter-
ing into contracts. 
(2) LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCY
USE
OF 
FUNDS.—A local educational agency shall use funds 
received under the Program to cover expenses re-
lated to reopening and resuming instruction during 
school year 2020–2021, including the following: 
(A) 
Educational 
technology 
(including 
hardware, software, and connectivity) for stu-
dents that aids in regular and substantive edu-
cational interaction between students and their 
classroom instructors, including low-income stu-
dents and students with disabilities, which may 
include assistive technology or adaptive equip-
ment. 
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(B) Facility sanitization. 
(C) Personal protective equipment. 
(D) School supplies. 
(E) Staffing. 
(F) Student transportation. 
(G) Other expenses necessary to maintain 
operations and continue services. 
(d) ELIGIBILITY.—A State is eligible for funds under 
the Program if such State submits an application not later 
than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section 
in such form and containing such information and assur-
ances (including that such State shall submit a report on 
how subgrants made in accordance with the Program were 
used) as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 14 
months after the date on which each State receiving 
funds under the Program has obligated such funds, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report de-
tailing— 
(A) the amount of funds awarded to each 
State, and how such funds were used; 
(B) the amount of each subgrant made by 
a State to a local educational agency, and how 
such subgrant was used; 
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(C) the amount of funds reserved for each 
of the outlying areas, and how such funds were 
used; and 
(D) the amount of funds reserved for the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and how such funds 
were used, on the basis of information reported 
by the Secretary of the Interior. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.—The 
Secretary shall make the report required under this 
subsection publicly available. 
(f) TIMING REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT ADMINIS-
TRATION.— 
(1) APPLICATION REVIEW.—Not later than 30 
days after the receipt of an application required 
under subsection (d), the Secretary shall make a 
final determination regarding the acceptance or re-
jection of such application. 
(2) AWARD OF FUNDS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall allocate, in accordance with subsection 
(b), all funds made available under subsection (h). 
(g) LIMITATIONS ON FUNDS.— 
(1) TERMINATION OF FUNDS AVAILABILITY.—A 
State receiving funds under the Program may obli-
gate and spend such funds until 1 year after the 
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date of receipt or until September 30, 2021, which-
ever comes last. 
(2) SUPPLEMENT, 
NOT
SUPPLANT.—Funds 
made available under the Program shall be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, 
and local funds that would otherwise be expended to 
carry out activities under the Program. 
(h) PROGRAM FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out the Program, there is authorized to be ap-
propriated $25,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021. 
(2) USE
OF
AVAILABLE
FUNDS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, and in addition 
to amounts made available pursuant to paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall use all funds made available 
to the Secretary for any program or activity that re-
main unobligated as of September 30, 2020, to carry 
out the Program, except that the Secretary may not 
use funds appropriated pursuant to the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
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Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), 
including the limitation in such section on receipt of 
funds under special programs for elementary or sec-
ondary schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Edu-
cation. 
(2) OUTLYING
AREA.—The term ‘‘outlying 
area’’ means— 
(A) American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and 
the United States Virgin Islands; and 
(B) 
notwithstanding 
section 
105(f)(1)(B)(v) of the Compact of Free Asso-
ciation Amendments Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C. 
1921d(f)(1)(B)(v)) and any other law, the Fed-
erated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. 
(3) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 
has the meaning given such term in such section 
8101. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, and the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
Æ 
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