I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3692 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide greater access 
to higher education for America’s students, to eliminate educational 
barriers for participation in a public service career, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 10, 2019 
Mrs. TORRES of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
greater access to higher education for America’s stu-
dents, to eliminate educational barriers for participation 
in a public service career, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Amer-
ican Communities Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
It is the purpose of this Act to provide greater access 
to higher education for America’s students, to eliminate 
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educational barriers for participation in a public service 
career by providing an opportunity for potential public 
servants to obtain an undergraduate education, and to es-
tablish an accelerated form of the public service loan for-
giveness program for more immediate loan forgiveness for 
existing public servants holding Federal Direct Stafford 
Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and 
Federal Direct PLUS Loans. 
TITLE I—AMERICA’S COLLEGE 
PROMISE 
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘America’s College 
Promise Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 102. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to help all individuals of 
the United States earn the education and skills the indi-
viduals need— 
(1) by making 2 years of community college 
free, through a new partnership with States and In-
dian Tribes to help the States and Indian Tribes— 
(A) waive resident community college tui-
tion and fees for eligible students; 
(B) maintain State and Indian Tribe sup-
port for higher education; and 
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(C) promote key reforms to improve stu-
dent outcomes; and 
(2) through a new partnership with minority- 
serving institutions to— 
(A) encourage eligible students to enroll 
and successfully complete a baccalaureate de-
gree at participating institutions; and 
(B) promote key reforms to improve stu-
dent outcomes. 
Subtitle A—State and Indian Tribe 
Grants for Community Colleges 
SEC. 111. IN GENERAL. 
From amounts appropriated under section 117(a) for 
any fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
States and Indian Tribes to pay the Federal share of ex-
penditures needed to carry out the activities and services 
described in section 115. 
SEC. 112. FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL SHARE. 
(a) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) FORMULA.—Subject to paragraph (2), the 
Federal share of a grant under this subtitle shall be 
based on a formula, determined by the Secretary, 
that— 
(A) accounts for the State or Indian 
Tribe’s share of eligible students; and 
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(B) provides, for each eligible student in 
the State or Indian Tribe, a per-student 
amount that is— 
(i) not less than 300 percent of the 
per-student amount of the State or Indian 
Tribe share, determined under subsection 
(b), subject to clause (ii); and 
(ii) not greater than 75 percent of— 
(I) for the 2018–2019 award 
year, the average resident community 
college tuition and fees per student in 
all States for the most recent year for 
which data are available; and 
(II) for each subsequent award 
year, the average resident community 
college tuition and fees per student in 
all States calculated under this sub-
clause for the preceding year, in-
creased by the lesser of— 
(aa) the percentage by which 
the average resident community 
college tuition and fees per stu-
dent in all States for the most re-
cent year for which data are 
available increased as compared 
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to such average for the preceding 
year; or 
(bb) 3 percent. 
(2) 
EXCEPTION
FOR
CERTAIN
INDIAN 
TRIBES.—In any case in which not less than 75 per-
cent of the students at the community colleges oper-
ated or controlled by an Indian Tribe are low-income 
students, the amount of the Federal share for such 
Indian Tribe shall be not less than 95 percent of the 
total amount needed to waive tuition and fees for all 
eligible students enrolled in such community col-
leges. 
(b) STATE OR TRIBAL SHARE.— 
(1) FORMULA.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The State or Tribal 
share of a grant under this subtitle for each fis-
cal year shall be the amount needed to pay 25 
percent of the average community college resi-
dent tuition and fees per student in all States 
in the 2018–2019 award year for all eligible 
students in the State or Indian Tribe, respec-
tively, for such fiscal year, except as provided in 
subparagraph (B). 
(B) EXCEPTION
FOR
CERTAIN
INDIAN 
TRIBES.—In a case in which not less than 5 
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