Title: To Offer Refugees College Help (TORCH) Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
To Offer Refugees College Help (TORCH) Act
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require states to charge in-state tuition rates to refugees, asylees, and special immigrant visa holders if they are lawfully in the United States. This requirement only applies to the first state where the individual lives after being admitted into the United States.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2944 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2944

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-State 
                tuition rates for refugees and asylees.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2017

Mr. Huffman (for himself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Blumenauer, Ms. Brownley of California, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Judy 
Chu of California, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. DeSaulnier, 
  Mr. Ellison, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Evans, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Al 
Green of Texas, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Jeffries, 
 Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. 
Lee, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Matsui, Mr. McGovern, 
 Mr. Meeks, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Pascrell, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Rush, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schiff, 
    Mr. Sires, Mr. Smith of Washington, Ms. Speier, Mr. Takano, Mr. 
Thompson of California, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Welch, Mr. Vela, Ms. Wasserman 
   Schultz, Mrs. Dingell, Mrs. Torres, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. 
Panetta, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. McNerney) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-State 
                tuition rates for refugees and asylees.

    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 ``To Offer Refugees College Help 
(TORCH) Act''.

SEC. 2. IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR REFUGEES, ASYLEES, AND CERTAIN 
              SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by 
inserting after section 135 (20 U.S.C. 1015d) the following:

``SEC. 135A. IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR REFUGEES, ASYLEES, AND CERTAIN 
              SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS.

    ``(a) Requirement.--In the case of an alien described in subsection 
(b) whose domicile is in a State that receives assistance under this 
Act, such State shall not charge such alien tuition for attendance at a 
public institution of higher education in the State at a rate that is 
greater than the rate charged for residents of the State.
    ``(b) Aliens Described.--An alien is described in this subsection 
if the alien was granted--
            ``(1) refugee status and admitted to the United States 
        under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
        U.S.C. 1157);
            ``(2) asylum under section 208 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1158); 
        or
            ``(3) special immigrant status under section 101(a)(27) of 
        such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) pursuant to--
                    ``(A) section 1244 of the National Defense 
                Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1157 
                note);
                    ``(B) section 1059 of the National Defense 
                Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1101 
                note); or
                    ``(C) section 602 of the Afghan Allies Protection 
                Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note).
    ``(c) Limitations.--The requirement under subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to an alien only until the alien has established 
residency in the State, and only with respect to the first State in 
which the alien was first domiciled after being admitted into the 
United States as a refugee or special immigrant or being granted 
asylum.
    ``(d) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect at each 
public institution of higher education in a State that receives 
assistance under this Act for the first period of enrollment at such 
institution that begins after July 1, 2017.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents for the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 135 the following:

``Sec. 135A. In-State tuition rates for refugees, asylees, and certain 
                            special immigrants.''.
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