[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4265 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4265
To establish a pilot program to provide grants to encourage eligible
institutions of higher education to establish and operate pregnant and
parenting student services offices for pregnant students, parenting
students, prospective parenting students who are anticipating a birth
or adoption, and students who are placing or have placed a child for
adoption.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 9, 2005
Ms. Hart introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a pilot program to provide grants to encourage eligible
institutions of higher education to establish and operate pregnant and
parenting student services offices for pregnant students, parenting
students, prospective parenting students who are anticipating a birth
or adoption, and students who are placing or have placed a child for
adoption.
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 ``Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and
Parenting Student Services Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) pregnant college students should not have to make a
choice between keeping their baby and staying in school;
(2) the pilot program under this Act will help interested,
eligible institutions of higher education establish pregnancy
and parenting student services offices that will operate
independent of Federal funding no later than 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act; and
(3) amounts appropriated to carry out other Federal
programs should be reduced to offset the costs of this Act.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Eligible institution of higher education.--The term
``eligible institution of higher education'' means an
institution of higher education (as such term is defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001)) that has established and operates, or agrees to
establish and operate upon the receipt of a grant under this
Act, a pregnant and parenting student services office described
in section 7.
(2) Parent; parenting.--The terms ``parent'' and
``parenting'' refer to a parent or legal guardian of a minor.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 4. PREGNANT AND PARENTING STUDENT SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM.
From amounts appropriated under section 9 for a fiscal year, the
Secretary shall establish a pilot program to award grants to eligible
institutions of higher education to enable the eligible institutions to
establish (or maintain) and operate pregnant and parenting student
services offices in accordance with section 7.
SEC. 5. APPLICATION; NUMBER OF GRANTS.
(a) Application.--An eligible institution of higher education that
desires to receive a grant under this Act shall submit an application
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require
(b) Requests for Additional Information.--The Secretary may require
an eligible institution submitting an application under subsection (a)
to provide additional information if the Secretary determines such
information is necessary to process the application.
(c) Number of Grants.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations under section 9, the Secretary shall award grants under
this Act to no more than 200 eligible institutions.
SEC. 6. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.
An eligible institution of higher education that receives a grant
under this Act shall contribute to the conduct of the pregnant and
parenting student services office supported by the grant an amount from
non-Federal funds equal to the amount of the grant. The non-Federal
share may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including services,
facilities, supplies, or equipment.
SEC. 7. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--An eligible institution of higher education that
receives a grant under this Act shall use grant funds to establish (or
maintain) and operate a pregnant and parenting student services office,
located on the campus of the eligible institution, that carries out the
following programs and activities:
(1) Hosts an initial pregnancy and parenting resource
forum--
(A) to assess pregnancy and parenting resources,
located on the campus or within the local community,
that are available to meet the needs described in
paragraph (2); and
(B) to set goals for--
(i) improving such resources for pregnant,
parenting, and prospective parenting students;
and
(ii) improving access to such resources.
(2) Annually assesses the performance of the eligible
institution and the office in meeting the following needs of
students enrolled in the eligible institution who are pregnant
or are parents:
(A) The inclusion of maternity coverage and the
availability of riders for additional family members in
student health care.
(B) Family housing.
(C) Child care.
(D) Flexible or alternative academic scheduling,
such as telecommuting programs.
(E) Education to improve parenting skills for
mothers and fathers and to strengthen marriages.
(F) Resources to assist parents and prospective
parents in meeting the material needs of their
children.
(G) Post-partum counseling and support groups.
(3) Identifies public and private service providers,
located on the campus of the eligible institution or within the
local community, that are qualified to meet the needs described
in paragraph (2), and establishes programs with qualified
providers to meet such needs.
(4) Assists pregnant and parenting students and their
spouses in locating and obtaining services that meet the needs
described in paragraph (2).
(5) If appropriate, provides referrals for prenatal care
and delivery, infant or foster care, or adoption, to a student
who requests such information. An office shall make such
referrals only to service providers that primarily serve the
following types of individuals:
(A) Parents.
(B) Prospective parents awaiting adoption.
(C) Women who are pregnant and plan on parenting or
placing the child for adoption.
(D) Parenting or prospective parenting couples who
are married or who plan on marrying in order to provide
a supportive environment for each other and their
child.
(b) Expanded Services.--In carrying out the programs and activities
described in subsection (a), an eligible institution of higher
education receiving a grant under this Act may choose to provide access
to such programs and activities to a pregnant or parenting employee of
the eligible institution, and the employee's spouse.
SEC. 8. REPORTING.
(a) Annual Report by Institutions.--
(1) In general.--For each fiscal year that an eligible
institution of higher education receives a grant under this
Act, the eligible institution shall prepare and submit to the
Secretary, by the date determined by the Secretary, a report
that--
(A) itemizes the pregnant and parenting student
services office's expenditures for the fiscal year;
(B) contains a review and evaluation of the
performance of the office in fulfilling the
requirements of this Act, using the specific
performance criteria or standards established under
paragraph (2)(A); and
(C) describes the achievement of the office in
meeting the needs listed in section 7(a)(2) of the
students served by the eligible institution, and the
frequency of use of the office by such students.
(2) Performance criteria.--Not later than 180 days before
the date the annual report described in paragraph (1) is
submitted, the Secretary--
(A) shall identify the specific performance
criteria or standards that shall be used to prepare the
report; and
(B) may establish the form or format of the report.
(3) Additional information.--After reviewing an annual
report of an eligible institution of higher education, the
Secretary may require that the eligible institution provide
additional information if the Secretary determines that such
additional information is necessary to evaluate the pilot
program.
(b) Report by Secretary.--The Secretary shall annually prepare and
submit a report on the findings of the pilot program under this Act,
including the number of eligible institutions of higher education that
were awarded grants and the number of students served by each pregnant
and parenting student services office receiving funds under this Act,
to the appropriate committees of the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act no
more than $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.
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