I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5397 
To amend title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to 
partnership grants for the establishment of rural teaching residency 
programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 11, 2019 
Mr. BOST (for himself, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. RODNEY 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. 
BERGMAN, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. GOLDEN, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. KINZINGER, 
Mr. UPTON, Mr. LOEBSACK, and Mr. SHIMKUS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
with respect to partnership grants for the establishment 
of rural teaching residency programs, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Rural Education In-
vestment Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:48 Dec 16, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5397.IH
H5397
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
SEC. 2. PARTNERSHIP GRANTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT 
OF 
RURAL 
TEACHING 
RESIDENCY 
PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Section 200 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (16) through 
(23) as paragraphs (17) through (24), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (15) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(16) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY LOCATED 
IN
A
RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘local educational 
agency located in a rural area’ means a local edu-
cational agency that meets the eligibility require-
ments for funding under— 
‘‘(A) the Small, Rural School Achievement 
Program under section 5211(b) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; or 
‘‘(B) the Rural and Low-Income School 
Program under section 5221(b) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.’’. 
(b) GRANT AWARDS.—Section 202(e) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a(e)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) SELECTION OF GRANTEES.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:48 Dec 16, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5397.IH
H5397
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(A) PERCENTAGE OF RURAL LOCAL EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCIES.—Before the start of each 
award year, the Secretary shall determine, 
based on the number of students in kinder-
garten through grade 12 who are served by all 
local educational agencies, the percentage of 
students in kindergarten through grade 12 who 
are served by local educational agencies located 
in rural areas. 
‘‘(B) GRANT
RESERVATION
FOR
RURAL 
LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCIES.—Beginning 
with the first award year that begins after the 
date of enactment of the ‘Rural Education In-
vestment Act’, the Secretary shall ensure that, 
of the total amount awarded for grants under 
this subsection for an award year, the percent-
age of such total amount that is awarded to eli-
gible partnerships that are in partnership with 
a local educational agency located in a rural 
area shall not be less than the percentage deter-
mined by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) 
for such award year.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:48 Dec 16, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5397.IH
H5397
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS