I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5481 
To reform the GEAR UP program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2018 
Mr. HURD (for himself and Mrs. DAVIS of California) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To reform the GEAR UP program. 
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 ‘‘GEAR UP for Success 
Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. GAINING EARLY AWARENESS AND READINESS FOR 
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AMENDMENTS. 
Chapter 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a–21 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(1) in section 404A (20 U.S.C. 1070a–21)— 
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(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A) of subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘for col-
lege readiness’’ after ‘‘academic support’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) by striking paragraph (3) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making awards to eligible 
entities described in subsection (c), the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may give a competitive priority— 
‘‘(i) to eligible entities that— 
‘‘(I) on the day before the date of 
enactment of the GEAR UP for Suc-
cess Act of 2018, carried out success-
ful educational opportunity programs 
under this chapter (as this chapter 
was in effect on such day); and 
‘‘(II) have a prior, demonstrated 
commitment 
to 
early 
intervention 
leading to college access and readiness 
through collaboration and replication 
of successful strategies; 
‘‘(ii) to eligible entities that ensure 
that students served under this chapter on 
the day before the date of enactment of the 
GEAR UP for Success Act of 2018 con-
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tinue to receive assistance through the 
completion of secondary school; or 
‘‘(iii) to eligible entities that meet the 
requirements of clauses (i) and (ii); and 
‘‘(B) shall not give a competitive priority 
on any other basis.’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) MULTIPLE AWARD PROHIBITION.—Any eli-
gible entity described in subsection (c)(1) that re-
ceives a grant under this chapter shall not be eligible 
to receive an additional grant under this chapter 
until after the date on which the initial grant period 
expires.’’; 
(2) in section 404B(d)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1070a– 
22(d)(1))— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a period; and 
(C) by striking subparagraph (C); 
(3) in section 404C (20 U.S.C. 1070a–23)— 
(A) in subsection (b)(1)(A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘matching funds’’ 
after ‘‘will provide’’; 
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘equaling’’ after ‘‘pri-
vate funds,’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘the cost of the pro-
gram, which matching funds’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘total Federal grant award, which’’; 
and 
(B) by striking subsection (d) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(d) PEER REVIEW PANELS AND COMPETITIONS.— 
The Secretary— 
‘‘(1) shall convene peer review panels to assist 
in making determinations regarding the awarding of 
grants under this chapter; and 
‘‘(2) shall host a grant competition to make 
new awards under this chapter in any year in which 
there are funds available to make new awards.’’; 
(4) in section 404D (20 U.S.C. 1070a–24)— 
(A) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or 
former participants of a program under 
this chapter’’ and inserting ‘‘, former par-
ticipants of a program under this chapter, 
or peers and near peers’’ after ‘‘adults’’; 
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(ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting 
‘‘academic, social, and postsecondary plan-
ning’’ after ‘‘supportive’’; 
(iii) in paragraph (10)— 
(I) by redesignating subpara-
graphs (E) through (K) as subpara-
graphs (F) through (L), respectively; 
(II) by inserting after subpara-
graph (D) the following: 
‘‘(E) counseling or referral services to ad-
dress the behavioral, social-emotional, and men-
tal health needs of at-risk students;’’; 
(III) in subparagraph (I), as re-
designated by subclause (I), by insert-
ing ‘‘, cognitive, non-cognitive, and 
credit-by-examination’’ after ‘‘skills’’; 
(IV) in subparagraph (K), as re-
designated by subclause (I), by strik-
ing ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(V) in subparagraph (L), as re-
designated by subclause (I), by strik-
ing the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘; and’’; and 
(VI) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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