Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Program Authorization Act
Bill: H.R.2993 | Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark (D-WI)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Program Authorization Act
This bill requires the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to award a competitive grant to a nonprofit organization to train and support institutions of higher education (IHEs) in assisting local governments by leveraging existing graduate and undergraduate classes for projects of need. Project of need refers to a project that (1) is identified by a local government that would benefit from the expertise of an IHE's faculty and students, and (2) advances a sustainable development goal (e.g., a goal related to climate change and housing affordability).

To authorize the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities 
                    Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Educational Partnerships for 
Innovation in Communities Program Authorization Act''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION IN COMMUNITIES PROGRAM 
              AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Grant Program.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall 
competitively award a grant to a nonprofit organization to train and 
support institutions of higher education to better assist local 
governments, by leveraging existing graduate and undergraduate classes 
at a large scale in order to magnify impact, with projects of need.
    (b) Award Amount and Duration.--The amount of an award made 
pursuant to this Act shall be not more than $10,000,000 and shall be 
made available for a period not to exceed 3 years.
    (c) Permissible Use of Award Funds.--Awards made pursuant to this 
Act may be used to enter into agreements with any additional entity 
needed in order to complete a project of need.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act--
            (1) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given in section 101 or section 102 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002(c));
            (2) the term ``local government'' means a county, 
        municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or 
        other unit of general government below the state level;
            (3) the term ``nonprofit organization'' means an entity 
        that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 
        Code of 1986;
            (4) the term ``project of need'' means a project identified 
        by a local government that would benefit from the expertise of 
        an institution of higher education's faculty and students, and 
        that advances a sustainable development goal; and
            (5) the term ``sustainable development goal'' means a goal 
        pertaining to climate change, homelessness, housing 
        affordability, disaster resiliency, equity, economic 
        opportunity, workforce development, and other similar high-road 
        development principles.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 
for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act.
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