I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3827 
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving institutions 
and Hispanic-serving school districts, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2019 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. PA-
NETTA, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. 
PAYNE, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. SOTO, Mr. LUJA´N, Ms. LEE of California, 
Ms. PORTER, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. 
CARBAJAL, Mr. SIRES, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. 
MENG, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. 
GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. HURD 
of Texas, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N 
of Puerto Rico, Ms. HILL of California, and Mr. CA´RDENAS) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serv-
ing institutions and Hispanic-serving school districts, 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 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Hispanics are the largest, youngest, and 
second-fastest growing minority population in the 
United States. 
(2) While Hispanics 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 school districts have 25 percent 
or more Hispanic enrollment and those school dis-
tricts enroll 78 percent of all prekindergarten 
through grade 12 Hispanic students in the United 
States. 
(4) Hispanic students are overrepresented in 
lower educational outcomes, including lower grades, 
lower scores on standardized tests, and higher drop-
out rates. 
(5) Hispanic students tend to face greater bar-
riers once in college than non-Hispanic peers. Sev-
enty percent of Hispanic college students are first- 
generation college students and 48 percent of His-
panic college students have an expected family con-
tribution of $0, as calculated under title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965. 
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(6) Hispanics are at high risk of not enrolling 
or graduating from institutions of higher education. 
(7) More Hispanics are going to college than 
ever before, but only a little more than half of the 
Hispanic students who enroll earn a bachelor’s de-
gree. 
(8) Hispanics lag behind non-Hispanic Whites, 
Blacks, and Asian American and Native American 
Pacific Islanders in attainment of high school diplo-
mas, associate’s degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. 
(9) Gains in Hispanic educational attainment 
will greatly benefit the United States economy be-
cause Hispanics will make up nearly 20 percent of 
the United States labor force by 2024. 
(10) Hispanics are an increasingly vital compo-
nent of the workforce of the United States. Between 
2010 and 2020, 74 percent of the growth in the 
workforce in the United States will be Hispanic 
workers. 
(11) Without eliminating the education gap for 
Hispanics now, the growing Hispanic population will 
not be prepared for the jobs of the future, hindering 
the economy of the United States. 
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SEC. 3. COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISPANIC-SERVING IN-
STITUTIONS AND HISPANIC-SERVING SCHOOL 
DISTRICTS. 
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 
HISPANIC- 
SERVING SCHOOL DISTRICTS 
‘‘SEC. 531. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this part are— 
‘‘(1) to promote and support opportunities for 
academic alliances and collaborative partnerships be-
tween Hispanic-serving institutions and Hispanic- 
serving school districts for the purpose of improving 
postsecondary educational attainment of Hispanic 
students; and 
‘‘(2) to expand and enhance the course offer-
ings, program quality, and overall functionality of 
the colleges, universities, and school districts that 
educate the majority of Hispanic 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 
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Hispanic-serving institutions serving as grant recipient 
and fiscal agent for an eligible entity, for the eligible entity 
to carry out activities described under section 533 to im-
prove and expand the capacity to develop model and inno-
vative collaboration agreements between local educational 
agencies and institutions of higher education to better 
serve Hispanic students. 
‘‘(b) 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 
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. 
‘‘(c) 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 
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‘‘(B) one or more Hispanic-serving school 
districts; and 
‘‘(2) may include— 
‘‘(A) one or more emerging Hispanic-serv-
ing institutions; 
‘‘(B) one or more emerging Hispanic-serv-
ing school districts; and 
‘‘(C) one or more nonprofit or community- 
based organizations, businesses, or public or 
private entities with a demonstrated record of 
success in implementing activities similar to the 
activities authorized under section 533. 
‘‘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 el-
igible students, which may include activities to pro-
mote the early exposure of such students and their 
families to the opportunities and requirements of 
postsecondary education, and other evidence-based 
services, including services determined to have prov-
en positive outcomes by the What Works Clearing-
house maintained by the Institute of Education 
Sciences. 
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‘‘(2) Academic support to prepare eligible stu-
dents for postsecondary education, prevent the need 
for postsecondary remediation, and provide high 
quality postsecondary remediation when necessary, 
which may include— 
‘‘(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 
eligible students at risk of not graduating from 
high school within 4 years, or at risk of requir-
ing remediation upon enrolling in postsecondary 
education; 
‘‘(C) developing and implementing path-
ways to postsecondary education that— 
‘‘(i) provide eligible students with ad-
vanced coursework and result in a recog-
nized postsecondary credential, as defined 
in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); or 
‘‘(ii) integrate rigorous and chal-
lenging career and technical education, 
work-based 
learning, 
and 
advanced 
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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 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311(b)(1)); 
‘‘(D) co-requisite courses; 
‘‘(E) technology-enhanced diagnostics and 
delivery of remedial education; 
‘‘(F) faculty development to ensure effec-
tive instruction; and 
‘‘(G) practices to teach self-regulated 
learning and college success skills. 
‘‘(3) Support for eligible students with high 
school completion and the transition to postsec-
ondary education, which may include— 
‘‘(A) activities to encourage high school re-
tention and completion; 
‘‘(B) assistance with the college application 
process; 
‘‘(C) assistance with applying for financial 
aid; and 
‘‘(D) assistance with selecting institutions 
of higher education to which a student should 
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apply based on the needs and attributes of the 
student and the available degree programs and 
outcomes of the institutions. 
‘‘(4) Addressing non-academic needs that serve 
as barriers to college enrollment, persistence, and 
completion for eligible students, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(A) activities to address the comprehen-
sive needs of eligible students, including child 
care, food insecurity, finances, health issues, 
and transportation; and 
‘‘(B) activities to promote a positive cli-
mate on campuses of institutions of higher edu-
cation and to increase the sense of belonging 
among eligible students, including through first 
year support programs such as mentoring and 
peer networks and advisories. 
‘‘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 
the Secretary may require. Such report shall include infor-
mation on the outcomes of the activities carried out by 
the entity, before and after such activities were funded 
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under this part, on the number and percentage of students 
entering, persisting, and completing postsecondary edu-
cation. Such information shall be disaggregated to meas-
ure the specific impact on economically disadvantaged stu-
dents, students from each major racial and ethnic group, 
students with disabilities, English learners, students 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-
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 
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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 in need of 
remediation that combine credit-bearing postsec-
ondary-level coursework with supplemental instruc-
tion. 
‘‘(3) DUAL
OR
CONCURRENT
ENROLLMENT 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘dual or concurrent enrollment 
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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 Hispanic-serving school district or an emerg-
ing Hispanic-serving school district; 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— 
‘‘(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 
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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) EMERGING
HISPANIC-SERVING
SCHOOL 
DISTRICT.—The term ‘emerging Hispanic-serving 
school district’ means a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A) in which at least 15 percent but less 
than 25 percent of the students served by the 
local educational agency are Hispanic 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 sub-
mission to the National 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 
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)). 
‘‘(8) HISPANIC-SERVING
SCHOOL
DISTRICT.— 
The term ‘Hispanic-serving school district’ (except 
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when used as part of the term ‘emerging Hispanic- 
serving school district’) means a local educational 
agency— 
‘‘(A) in which at least 25 percent of the 
students served by the local educational agency 
are Hispanic students, as determined by the en-
rollment data of the local educational agency no 
later than the date by which student member-
ship data is collected annually by State edu-
cational agencies for submission to the National 
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 
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-
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cal year 2020 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the five succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
Æ 
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