I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3939 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide students with disabil-
ities and their families with access to critical information needed to 
select the right college and succeed once enrolled. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2025 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mrs. HOUCHIN, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. LAWLER, and 
Ms. SCHRIER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
students with disabilities and their families with access 
to critical information needed to select the right college 
and succeed once enrolled. 
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 ‘‘Respond, Innovate, 
Succeed, and Empower Act’’ or the ‘‘RISE Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PERFECTING AMENDMENT TO THE DEFINITION OF 
DISABILITY. 
Section 103(6) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1003(6)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
3(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 3’’. 
SEC. 3. SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO 
SUCCEED ONCE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE. 
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(30)(A) The institution will carry out the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) Adopt policies that make any of the 
following documentation submitted by an indi-
vidual sufficient to establish that such indi-
vidual is an individual with a disability: 
‘‘(I) Documentation that the indi-
vidual has had an individualized education 
program (IEP) in accordance with section 
614(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, including an IEP that may 
not be current on the date of the deter-
mination that the individual has a dis-
ability. The institution may ask for addi-
tional documentation from an individual 
who had an IEP but who was subsequently 
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evaluated and determined to be ineligible 
for services under the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Act, including an indi-
vidual determined to be ineligible during 
elementary school. 
‘‘(II) Documentation describing serv-
ices or accommodations provided to the in-
dividual pursuant to section 504 of the Re-
habilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) 
(commonly referred to as a ‘Section 504 
plan’). 
‘‘(III) A plan or record of service for 
the individual from a private school, a local 
educational agency, a State educational 
agency, or an institution of higher edu-
cation provided in accordance with the 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.). 
‘‘(IV) A record or evaluation from a 
relevant licensed professional finding that 
the individual has a disability. 
‘‘(V) A plan or record of disability 
from another institution of higher edu-
cation. 
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