Kids Before Cons Act

Bill: 114-hr-3327
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Collins, Chris [R-NY-27]
Introduced: 2015-07-29
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Correctional facilities and imprisonment

Criminal justice information and records

Department of Education

Education programs funding

Elementary and secondary education

Government studies and investigations

Higher education

Juvenile crime and gang violence

Student aid and college costs
Latest action: action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-07-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Kids Before Cons Act</strong></p> <p>This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to limit waiver authority of the Department of Education (ED) under the Experimental Sites Initiative.</p> <p>Specifically, it prohibits ED from waiving statutory provisions that ban Pell Grant eligibility and federal financial aid for incarcerated students (e.g., as part of an experimental initiative to allow incarcerated students to receive Pell Grants for postsecondary education opportunities). The legislation also prohibits ED from awarding funds to an institution of higher education for providing such postsecondary education to incarcerated individuals. </p> <p>ED must conduct and make publicly available a study that compares incarceration rates of: (1) private or charter school students who receive vouchers, and (2) traditional public school students. </p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3327 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 29, 2015 Mr. Collins of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To prohibit the awarding of Federal Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Kids Before Cons Act . 2. Limitations on waivers for experimental sites Section 487A(b)(3) ( 20 U.S.C. 1094a(b)(3) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (C) Limitations Nothing in subparagraph (B) or any other provision of this Act shall be construed to— (i) authorize the Secretary to waive the prohibition under section 401(b)(6) on awarding a Federal Pell Grant to an incarcerated individual or any other individual described in such section 401(b)(6); (ii) authorize the Secretary to waive the prohibition under 484(b)(5) on awarding a loan under this title to an incarcerated individual; or (iii) authorize the Secretary to award funds to institutions of higher education for providing postsecondary education to incarcerated individuals. . 3. Study on incarceration rates (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall— (1) carry out a study to determine whether the incarceration rates of students enrolled in a charter school or private school as a result of participation in a voucher program is lower than the incarceration rates of students enrolled in a traditional public school in the same geographic area with similar parent income levels; and (2) publish the results of such study on its publically available website. (b) Incarceration rates In comparing incarceration rates for purposes of subsection (a), the Secretary of Education— (1) may use incarceration rate data available from prior years; and (2) shall include a comparison of post-graduation incarceration rates of students described in subsection (a). (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Charter school The term charter school has the meaning given the term in section 5210 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7221i ). (2) Other ESEA terms The terms elementary school , parent , secondary school , and State have the meanings given the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ). (3) Private school The term private school means a private elementary school or secondary school. (4) Voucher program The term voucher program means a program that allows participating parents to use State funds to enroll their children in a private school.