[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1190 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1190
To expand and enhance postbaccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-
serving institutions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 5, 2003
Mr. Bingaman (for himself and Mrs. Hutchison) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand and enhance postbaccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-
serving institutions, 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 ``Next Generation Hispanic Serving
Institutions Act''.
TITLE I--GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS
SEC. 101. POSTBACCALAUREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS.
(a) Establishment of Program.--Title V of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating part B as part C;
(2) by redesignating sections 511 through 518 as sections
521 through 528, respectively; and
(3) by inserting after section 505 the following:
``PART B--PROMOTING POSTBACCALAUREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC
AMERICANS
``SEC. 511. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
``(1) According to the United States Census, by the year
2050, 1 in 4 Americans will be of Hispanic origin.
``(2) Despite the dramatic increase in the Hispanic
population in the United States, the National Center for
Education Statistics reported that in 1999, Hispanics accounted
for only 4 percent of the master's degrees, 3 percent of the
doctor's degrees, and 5 percent of first-professional degrees
awarded in the United States.
``(3) Although Hispanics constitute 10 percent of the
college enrollment in the United States, they comprise only 3
percent of instructional faculty in college and universities.
``(4) The future capacity for research and advanced study
in the United States will require increasing the number of
Hispanics pursuing postbaccalaureate studies.
``(5) Hispanic-serving institutions are leading the Nation
in increasing the number of Hispanics attaining graduate and
professional degrees.
``(6) Among Hispanics who received master's degrees in
1999-2000, 25 percent earned them at Hispanic-serving
institutions.
``(7) Between 1991 and 2000, the number of Hispanic
students earning master's degrees at Hispanic-serving
institutions grew 136 percent, the number receiving doctor's
degrees grew by 85 percent, and the number earning first-
professional degrees grew by 47 percent.
``(8) It is in the National interest to expand the capacity
of Hispanic-serving institutions to offer graduate and
professional degree programs.
``(9) Research is a key element in graduate education and
undergraduate preparation, particularly in science and
technology, and Congress desires to strengthen the role of
research at Hispanic serving-institutions. University research,
whether performed directly or through a university's nonprofit
research institute or foundation, is considered an integral
part of the institution and mission of the university.
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this part are--
``(1) to expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities
for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students;
and
``(2) to expand and enhance the postbaccalaureate academic
offerings of high quality that are educating the majority of
Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic
students and low-income individuals complete postsecondary
degrees.
``SEC. 512. PROGRAM AUTHORITY AND ELIGIBILITY.
``(a) Program Authorized.--Subject to the availability of funds
appropriated to carry out this part, the Secretary shall award
competitive grants to eligible institutions.
``(b) Eligibility.--For the purposes of this part, an `eligible
institution' means an institution of higher education that--
``(1) is a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined under
section 502); and
``(2) offers a postbaccalaureate certificate or degree
granting program.
``SEC. 513. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
``Grants awarded under this part shall be used for 1 or more of the
following activities:
``(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or
laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including
instructional and research purposes.
``(2) Construction, maintenance, renovation, and
improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other
instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of
telecommunications technology equipment or services.
``(3) Purchase of library books, periodicals, technical and
other scientific journals, microfilm, microfiche, and other
educational materials, including telecommunications program
materials.
``(4) Support for needy postbaccalaureate students
including outreach, academic support services, mentoring,
scholarships, fellowships, and other financial assistance to
permit the enrollment of such students in postbaccalaureate
certificate and degree granting programs.
``(5) Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development,
faculty research, curriculum development, and academic
instruction.
``(6) Creating or improving facilities for Internet or
other distance learning academic instruction capabilities,
including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology
equipment or services.
``(7) Collaboration with other institutions of higher
education to expand postbaccalaureate certificate and degree
offerings.
``(8) Other activities proposed in the application
submitted pursuant to section 514 that--
``(A) contribute to carrying out the purposes of
this part; and
``(B) are approved by the Secretary as part of the
review and acceptance of such application.
``SEC. 514. APPLICATION AND DURATION.
``(a) Application.--Any eligible institution may apply for a grant
under this part by submitting an application to the Secretary at such
time and in such manner as determined by the Secretary. Such
application shall demonstrate how the grant funds will be used to
improve postbaccalaureate education opportunities for Hispanic and low-
income students and will lead to such students' greater financial
independence.
``(b) Duration.--Grants under this part shall be awarded for a
period not to exceed 5 years.
``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant
under this part in any fiscal year to any Hispanic-serving
institution.''.
(b) Cooperative Arrangements.--Section 524 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(2)) is amended by
inserting ``and section 513'' after ``section 503''.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 528(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(2)) is amended
to read as follows:
``(a) Authorizations.--
``(1) Part a.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out part A of this title $175,000,000 for fiscal year
2005 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4
succeeding fiscal years.
``(2) Part b.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out part B of this title $125,000,000 for fiscal year
2005 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4
succeeding fiscal years.''.
(d) Conforming Amendments.--Title V of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 502--
(A) in subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii), by striking
``section 512(b)'' and inserting ``section 522(b)'';
and
(B) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``section
512(a)'' and inserting ``section 522(a)'';
(2) in section 521(c)(6) (as redesignated by subsection
(a)(2)), by striking ``section 516'' and inserting ``section
526''; and
(3) in section 526 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(2)),
by striking ``section 518'' and inserting ``section 528''.
TITLE II--REDUCING REGULATORY BARRIERS FOR HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITUTIONS
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.
Section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5)--
(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); and
(2) by striking paragraph (7).
SEC. 202. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
Section 503(b)(7) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101b(b)(7)) is amended to read as follows:
``(7) Articulation agreements and student support programs
designed to facilitate the transfer from 2-year to 4-year
institutions.''.
SEC. 203. ELIMINATION OF WAIT-OUT PERIOD.
Section 504(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101c(a)) is amended to read as follows:
``(a) Award Period.--The Secretary may award a grant to a Hispanic-
serving institution under this title for 5 years.''.
SEC. 204. APPLICATION PRIORITY.
Section 521(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as redesignated
by section 101(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``(from funds other than
funds provided under this title)''.
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