,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajfj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bb1    
#bjae,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,markey1 and ,mr4 ,schumer7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve the   
,federal ,pell ,grant program1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,pell ,grant   
,protection ,act4  #b4 ,purpose ,the    
purpose of this ,act is to restore the  
role of ,federal ,pell ,grants as the   
foundational ,federal investment in     
higher education1 in order to strengthen
 the economy of the ,united ,states by  
improving opportunities for low-income  
students to complete higher education   
and join the middle class4  #c4         
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,federal ,pell ,grants provided   
under section #dja of the ,higher       
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 

#ajgj;a7 7referred to in this ,act as   
,federal ,pell ,grants7 have            
historically been the fundamental       
,federal investment in helping          
low-income students pay for college and 
enter the middle class4  7#b7 ,in the   
#aigi-aihj academic year1 the maximum   
,federal ,pell ,grant paid for #gg      
percent of the average cost of          
attendance at an in-,state1 #d-year     
institution of higher education4        
,however1 in the #bjad-bjae academic    
year1 the maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant 
covered less than one-third of that     
average cost of attendance4  7#c7 ,the  
program providing ,federal ,pell ,grants
 already acts as a quasi-entitlement1 in
 which both mandatory funding and       
discretionary funding combine to        
maintain a maximum ,federal ,pell ,grant
 amount4  7#d7 ,the ,congressional      
,budget ,office reports on any overall  
financial surplus or shortfall in the   
funding provided for the ,federal ,pell 
,grant program4 ,however1 in recent     

years1 in order to meet the maximum     
,federal ,pell ,grant level with the    
provided level of funding1 ,congress has
 made cuts to the program through       
imposing additional eligibility         
requirements for ,federal ,pell ,grants 
and limiting the availability of        
year-round ,federal ,pell ,grants1      
causing significant uncertainty and     
reducing access to higher education for 
millions of hardworking college         
students4  7#e7 ,removing the ,federal  
,pell ,grant program from the           
uncertainty of the congressional        
discretionary appropriations process    
will improve student access to1 and the 
affordability of1 higher education4  #d4
 ,funding the federal pell grant program
 through mandatory appropriations  7a7  
,in general ,section #dja7;b7 of the    
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 
in paragraph 7#b71 by adding at the end 
the following3  7,c7 7i7 ,for fiscal    
year #bjaf and each succeeding fiscal   

year1 there are appropriated1 out of any
 money in the ,treasury not otherwise   
appropriated1 such sums as may be       
necessary to provide1 in combination    
with any amounts separately appropriated
 under subparagraph 7,a77ii71 ,federal  
,pell ,grants under this section in the 
amount specified in subparagraph 7,a7 to
 all eligible students4  7ii7 ,the      
amounts made available by clause 7i7 for
 any fiscal year shall be available     
beginning on ,october #a of that fiscal 
year1 and shall remain available through
 ,september #cj of the succeeding fiscal
 year4  2 and  7#b7 by striking         
paragraph 7#g74  7b7 ,effective date    
,the amendments made by subsection 7a7  
shall apply with respect to ,federal    
,pell ,grants awarded under section #dja
 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife
 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a7 for award year 
#bjaf-bjag and each succeeding award    
year4