IB 
Union Calendar No. 127 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 729 
[Report No. 117–176] 
To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 2, 2021 
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia (for himself, Mr. JONES, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. CLARKE of 
New York, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. HORSFORD, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. 
EVANS, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. MENG, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. COOPER, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. RYAN, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. DELGADO, Ms. 
LEE of California, Ms. BONAMICI, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CARSON, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. KILMER, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. FOSTER, 
Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. LARSON of Con-
necticut, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. WILSON of 
Florida, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. VELA, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. STE-
VENS, Ms. ROSS, Ms. WILD, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. 
LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SABLAN, 
Mrs. LURIA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Ms. OMAR, 
Ms. DEAN, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, 
Ms. NEWMAN, Mr. DEFAZIO, and Ms. CRAIG) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 
Additional sponsors: Mr. MRVAN, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. MANNING, Ms. CHU, 
Ms. BOURDEAUX, Mr. POCAN, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MFUME, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. 
JAYAPAL, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. 
NORCROSS, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. SHERRILL, Ms. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. 
DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mrs. KIRK-
PATRICK, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. BLUNT ROCH-
ESTER, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. 
SCANLON, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. WELCH, Ms. GARCIA 
of Texas, Mr. TRONE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. CAROLYN 
B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. SWALWELL, 
Mr. MOULTON, Ms. MATSUI, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, 
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Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. 
LOFGREN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. 
MCNERNEY, Mr. BROWN
of Maryland, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. 
WATERS, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. LIEU, Mr. KAHELE, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. 
KELLY of Illinois, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. SIRES, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CASE, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. 
ESCOBAR, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mr. ALLRED, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. 
VEASEY, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. SOTO, 
Mr. CORREA, Mr. NADLER, Ms. PLASKETT, and Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ 
of Texas 
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 2, 2021] 
A BILL 
To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for 
other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Strength in Diversity 
Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to support the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategies 
to address the effects of racial isolation or concentrated pov-
erty by increasing diversity, including racial diversity and 
socioeconomic diversity, in covered schools. 
SEC. 3. RESERVATION FOR NATIONAL AND STATE ACTIVI-
TIES. 
(a) NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may re-
serve not more than 5 percent of the amounts made avail-
able under section 9 for a fiscal year to carry out activities 
of national significance relating to this Act, which may in-
clude— 
(1) research, development, data collection, moni-
toring, technical assistance, evaluation, or dissemina-
tion activities; and 
(2) the development and maintenance of best 
practices for recipients of grants under section 4 and 
other experts in the field of school diversity. 
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(b) STATE ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may reserve 
not more than 10 percent of the amounts made available 
under section 9 for a fiscal year for planning grants and 
implementation grants made to State educational agencies 
under section 4. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—From the amounts made 
available under section 9 and not reserved under sec-
tion 3 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award 
grants in accordance with subsection (b) to eligible 
entities to develop or implement plans to improve di-
versity and reduce or eliminate racial or socio-
economic isolation in covered schools. 
(2) TYPES OF GRANTS.—The Secretary may, in 
any fiscal year, award— 
(A) planning grants to carry out the activi-
ties described in section 6(a); 
(B) implementation grants to carry out the 
activities described in section 6(b); or 
(C) both such planning grants and imple-
mentation grants. 
(b) AWARD BASIS.— 
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(1) CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING APPLICATIONS.— 
The Secretary shall award grants under this section 
on a competitive basis, based on— 
(A) the quality of the application submitted 
by an eligible entity under section 5; 
(B) the likelihood, as determined by the Sec-
retary, that the eligible entity will use the grant 
to improve student outcomes or outcomes on 
other performance measures described in section 
7; and 
(C) the likelihood that the grant will lead to 
a meaningful reduction in racial and economic 
isolation for children in covered schools. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to the fol-
lowing eligible entities: 
(A) First, to an eligible entity that sub-
mitted an application for a grant under the 
Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities pro-
gram described in the notice published by the 
Department of Education in the Federal Register 
on December 14, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 90343 et 
seq.). 
(B) Second, to an eligible entity that pro-
poses, in an application submitted under section 
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5, to use the grant to support a program that 
addresses racial isolation. 
(C) Third, to an eligible entity that pro-
poses, in an application submitted under section 
5, to use the grant to support a program that ex-
tends beyond one local educational agency, such 
as an inter-district or regional program. 
(D) Fourth, to an eligible entity that dem-
onstrates meaningful coordination with local 
housing agencies to increase access to schools that 
have a disproportionately low number of low-in-
come students. 
(c) DURATION OF GRANTS.— 
(1) 
PLANNING
GRANT.—A 
planning 
grant 
awarded under this section shall be for a period of not 
more than 1 year. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANT.—An implementa-
tion grant awarded under this section shall be for a 
period of not more than 3 years, except that the Sec-
retary may extend an implementation grant for an 
additional 2-year period if the eligible entity receiv-
ing the grant demonstrates to the Secretary that the 
eligible entity is making significant progress, as de-
termined by the Secretary, on the program perform-
ance measures described in section 7. 
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SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS. 
In order to receive a grant under section 4, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. 
Such application shall include— 
(1) a description of the program for which the el-
igible entity is seeking a grant, including— 
(A) how the eligible entity proposes to use 
the grant to improve the academic and life out-
comes of students in racial or socioeconomic iso-
lation in covered schools by supporting interven-
tions that increase diversity for students in such 
covered schools; 
(B) in the case of an implementation grant, 
the implementation grant plan described in sec-
tion 6(b)(1); and 
(C) evidence, or if such evidence is not 
available, a rationale based on current research, 
regarding how the program will increase diver-
sity; 
(2) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to 
use any of the grant to benefit covered schools that are 
racially isolated, a description of how the eligible en-
tity will identify and define racial isolation; 
(3) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to 
use any portion of the grant to benefit high-poverty 
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covered schools, a description of how the eligible entity 
will identify and define income level and socio-
economic status; 
(4) a description of the plan of the eligible entity 
for continuing the program after the grant period 
ends; 
(5) a description of how the eligible entity will 
assess, monitor, and evaluate the impact of the activi-
ties funded under the grant on student achievement 
and student enrollment diversity, and teacher diver-
sity; 
(6) an assurance that the eligible entity has con-
ducted, or will conduct, robust parent and community 
engagement, while planning for and implementing the 
program, such as through— 
(A) consultation with appropriate officials 
from Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations ap-
proved by the Tribes located in the area served 
by the eligible entity; 
(B) consultation with other community en-
tities, including local housing or transportation 
authorities; 
(C) public hearings or other open forums to 
inform the development of any formal strategy to 
increase diversity; and 
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(D) outreach to parents and students, in a 
language that parents and students can under-
stand, and consultation with students and fami-
lies in the targeted district or region that is de-
signed to ensure participation in the planning 
and development of any formal strategy to in-
crease diversity; 
(7) an estimate of the number of students that 
the eligible entity plans to serve under the program 
and the number of students to be served through addi-
tional expansion of the program after the grant pe-
riod ends; 
(8) an assurance that the eligible entity will— 
(A) cooperate with the Secretary in evalu-
ating the program, including any evaluation 
that might require data and information from 
multiple recipients of grants under section 4; 
and 
(B) engage in the best practices developed 
under section 3(a)(2); 
(9) an assurance that, to the extent possible, the 
eligible entity has considered the potential implica-
tions of the grant activities on the demographics and 
student enrollment of nearby covered schools not in-
cluded in the activities of the grant; 
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(10) in the case of an eligible entity applying for 
an implementation grant, a description of how the el-
igible entity will— 
(A) implement, replicate, or expand a strat-
egy based on a strong or moderate level of evi-
dence (as described in subclause (I) or (II) of sec-
tion 8101(21)(A)(i) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801(21)(A)(i))); or 
(B) test a promising strategy to increase di-
versity in covered schools; 
(11) in the case of an application by a consor-
tium of local educational agencies, a specification of 
which agency is the lead applicant, and how the 
grant funds will be divided among the school districts 
served by such consortium; and 
(12) in the case of an application by a State 
educational agency, a demonstration that the agency 
has procedures in place— 
(A) to assess and prevent the redrawing of 
school district lines in a manner that increases 
racial or socioeconomic isolation; 
(B) to assess the segregation impacts of new 
school construction proposals and to prioritize 
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school construction funding that will foreseeably 
increase racial and economic integration; and 
(C) to include progress toward reduction of 
racial and economic isolation as a factor in its 
State plan under section 1111 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311). 
SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS. 
(a) PLANNING GRANTS.—Each eligible entity that re-
ceives a planning grant under section 4 shall use the grant 
to support students in covered schools through the following 
activities: 
(1) Completing a comprehensive assessment of, 
with respect to the geographic area served by such eli-
gible entity— 
(A) the educational outcomes and racial 
and socioeconomic stratification of children at-
tending covered schools; 
(B) an analysis of the location and capac-
ity of program and school facilities and the ade-
quacy of local or regional transportation infra-
structure; and 
(C) teacher diversity in covered schools, and 
plans for expanding teacher diversity. 
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(2) Developing and implementing a robust fam-
ily, student, and community engagement plan, in-
cluding, where feasible, public hearings or other open 
forums that would precede and inform the develop-
ment of a formal strategy to improve diversity in cov-
ered schools. 
(3) Developing options, including timelines and 
cost estimates, for improving diversity in covered 
schools, such as weighted lotteries, revised feeder pat-
terns, school boundary redesign, or regional coordina-
tion. 
(4) Developing an implementation plan based on 
community preferences among the options developed 
under paragraph (3). 
(5) Building the capacity to collect and analyze 
data that provide information for transparency, con-
tinuous improvement, and evaluation. 
(6) Developing an implementation plan to com-
ply with a court-ordered school desegregation plan. 
(7) Engaging in best practices developed under 
section 3(a)(2). 
(8) If applicable, developing an implementation 
plan to replace entrance exams or other competitive 
application procedures with methods of student as-
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signment to promote racial and socioeconomic diver-
sity. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PLAN.—Each eligi-
ble entity that receives an implementation grant 
under section 4 shall implement a high-quality plan 
to support students in covered schools that includes— 
(A) a comprehensive set of strategies de-
signed to improve academic outcomes for all stu-
dents, particularly students of color and low-in-
come students, by increasing diversity in covered 
schools; 
(B) evidence of strong family and commu-
nity support for such strategies, including evi-
dence that the eligible entity has engaged in 
meaningful family and community outreach ac-
tivities; 
(C) goals to increase diversity, including 
teacher diversity, in covered schools over the 
course of the grant period; 
(D) collection and analysis of data to pro-
vide transparency and support continuous im-
provement throughout the grant period; and 
(E) a rigorous method of evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the program. 
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(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANT ACTIVITIES.—Each 
eligible entity that receives an implementation grant 
under section 4 may use the grant to carry out one 
or more of the following activities: 
(A) Recruiting, hiring, or training addi-
tional teachers, administrators, school counselors, 
and other instructional and support staff in 
new, expanded, or restructured covered schools, 
or other professional development activities for 
staff and administrators. 
(B) Investing in specialized academic pro-
grams or facilities designed to encourage inter- 
district school attendance patterns. 
(C) Developing or initiating a transpor-
tation plan for bringing students to and from 
covered schools, if such transportation is sustain-
able beyond the grant period and does not rep-
resent a significant portion of the grant received 
by an eligible entity under section 4. 
(D) Developing innovative and equitable 
school assignment plans. 
(E) Carrying out innovative activities de-
signed to increase racial and socioeconomic 
school diversity and engagement between children 
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from different racial, economic, and cultural 
backgrounds. 
(F) Creating or improving systems and 
partnerships to create a one-stop enrollment 
process for students with multiple public school 
options, including making school information 
and data more accessible and easy to under-
stand, in order to ensure access to low poverty 
or high-performing schools for low-income chil-
dren and to promote racial and socioeconomic 
diversity. 
(G) Increasing teacher diversity in covered 
schools. 
SEC. 7. PERFORMANCE MEASURES. 
The Secretary shall establish performance measures for 
the programs and activities carried out through a grant 
under section 4. These measures, at a minimum, shall track 
the progress of each eligible entity in— 
(1) improving academic and other developmental 
or noncognitive outcomes for each subgroup described 
in section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)) that is served by the eligible entity 
on measures, including, as applicable, by— 
(A) increasing school readiness; 
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