H.R. 3233House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Diversify Act

To remove college cost as a barrier to every student having access to a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce, and for other purposes.

Also known as Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth Act

Introduced May 11, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 7:26 AM UTC

The Diversify Act seeks to lower the financial barrier to becoming a teacher by expanding and increasing the TEACH grant program. It raises the maximum grant amounts, allows the funds to cover a student’s full cost of attendance, and broadens eligible teaching locations to include high‑need early‑childhood programs. The bill also adds protections so recipients cannot be penalized for not completing service and shields the program from budget sequestration. It affects prospective teacher‑candidates and the schools that employ them.

Key Provisions

  • Increases TEACH grant award limits: $4,000 becomes $8,000; $16,000 becomes $32,000; $8,000 becomes $16,000.
  • Requires grant disbursements to be used for the full cost of attendance for teacher candidates.
  • Expands eligible service locations to include high‑need early‑childhood education programs in addition to designated schools.
  • Adds an electronic certificate of service completion for grant recipients.
  • Prohibits the Secretary from imposing monetary penalties on recipients who fail or refuse to complete the service requirement.
  • Exempts TEACH grants from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

May 11, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 11, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

May 11, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 11, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3233

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 11, 2023

Mr. García of Illinois (for himself, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Brown, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Chu, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Trone, Ms. Bush, Mr. Torres of New York, Ms. Strickland, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr. Soto) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To remove college cost as a barrier to every student having access to a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth Act or the Diversify Act.

2.

Amendments to the TEACH Grants program under the Higher Education Act of 1965

Subpart 9 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g et seq.) is amended—

(1)

in section 420L(1), by inserting (except that such term does not include an institution described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 102) after 102;

(2)

in section 420M—

(A)

in subsection (a)(1), by striking $4,000 and inserting $8,000;

(B)

in subsection (b)(3), by striking the second and third sentences and inserting the following: Any disbursement allowed to be made by crediting the teacher candidate's account shall be used for the full cost of attendance (as defined in section 472).; and

(C)

in subsection (d)—

(i)

in paragraph (1)(B), by striking $16,000 and inserting $32,000; and

(ii)

in paragraph (2), by striking $8,000 and inserting $16,000; and

(3)

in section 420N—

(A)

in subsection (b)—

(i)

by striking paragraphs (2) and (3);

(ii)

by striking an agreement and all that follows through the applicant will and inserting an agreement by the applicant that the applicant will;

(iii)

by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as paragraphs (1) through (5), respectively, and moving the margins of such paragraphs (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the left;

(iv)

in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by redesignating clauses (i) through (vii) as subparagraphs (A) through (G), respectively, and moving the margins of such subparagraphs (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the left;

(v)

in paragraph (2), as redesignated by clause (iii), by striking teach in a school described in section 465(a)(2)(A) and inserting teach in a school described in section 465(a)(2)(A) or teach in a high-need early childhood education program (defined in section 200(9)); and

(vi)

in paragraph (3), as redesignated by clause (iii)—

(I)

in subparagraph (F), as redesignated by clause (iv), by striking or after the semicolon;

(II)

in subparagraph (G), as redesignated by clause (iv), by inserting or after the semicolon; and

(III)

by adding at the end the following:

(H)

early childhood education;

; and

(B)

by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:

(c)

Certificate

Upon the completion of the service requirement in subsection (b), the Secretary shall send to the recipient of a grant under this subpart an electronic certificate documenting the completion of such service.

;

(C)

by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);

(D)

by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

(d)

Prohibition

The Secretary may not institute or create a monetary penalty for failure or refusal to complete the service requirement under subsection (b).

; and

(E)

in subsection (e), as redesignated by subparagraph (C)—

(i)

by striking subsection (b)(1)(C)(vii) and inserting subsection (b)(3)(G); and

(ii)

by striking subsection (b)(1) and inserting subsection (b).

3.

Amendment to the balanced budget and deficit control act

(a)

Exemption of program from sequestration

Section 255(h) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 905(h)) is amended by inserting after the item relating to Supplemental Security Income Program (28–0406–0–1–609). the following new item:

TEACH Grants under subpart 9 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

.

(b)

Applicability

The amendment made by this section shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this Act.