,i #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ggji ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #aj1 #bjbb,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,swalwell1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,mrs4 ,demings1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,doggett1 ,mr4 ,o',halleran1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,bowman1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,brown of ,ohio1 ,ms4 ,newman1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,ms4 ,slotkin1 ,mr4 ,gomez1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,ms4 ,ross1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,ms4 ,eshoo1 ,ms4 ,sherrill1 ,ms4 ,jacobs of ,california1 ,mr4 ,lieu1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,higgins of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,auchincloss1 and ,ms4 ,pressley7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to authorize programs to provide college scholarships and educational support to women and girls who have escaped ,afghanistan and come to the ,united ,states1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,displaced ,afghan ,women and ,girls ,education ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress2 definition 7a7 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,after #bj years1 ,august #bjba marked the end of the ,united ,states military involvement in ,afghanistan--the longest war in ,american history4 7#b7 ,as of ,january #bg1 #bjbb1 the ,united ,states has evacuated more than #gf1jjj ,afghans through ,operation ,allies ,welcome4 7#c7 ,between ,may and ,august of #bjba1 #hj percent of nearly #bej1jjjj ,afghans forced to flee since the end of ,may were women and children4 7#d7 ,according to a group of ,united ,nations human rights experts1 the ,taliban is currently institutionalizing large-scaled systematic gender-based discrimination against ,afghan women and girls4 ,this includes denying women and girls the access to secondary and tertiary education based on their gender4 7#e7 ,on ,january #ag1 #bjbb1 a group of #cf ,united ,nations human rights experts expressed concerns regarding restrictive measures that have been introduced since the ,taliban's takeover of ,afghanistan1 particularly those concerning women and girls4 7#f7 ,the ,united ,states and the international community have expressed concern about ,afghan women and girls1 their rights to education1 work1 and freedom of movement1 and called on those in positions of power and authority across ,afghanistan to guarantee their protection4 7#g7 ,the ,united ,states and the international community have affirmed that ,afghan women and girls1 as all ,afghan people1 deserve to live in safety1 security and dignity4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 every individual should have the opportunity to pursue a full cycle of primary1 secondary1 and higher education2 and 7#b7 every individual1 regardless of gender1 socioeconomic status1 ethnicity1 or religion should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear of discrimination4 7c7 ,definition of displaced ,afghan women and girls ,the term displaced ,afghan women and girls means women and girls who escaped or fled ,afghanistan and entered the ,united ,states on or after ,july #a1 #bjba1 and before the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and who are domiciled in the ,united ,states4 #c4 ,special ,official for ,displaced ,afghan ,women and ,girls ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,education1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,state1 shall designate a qualified individual to serve as the ,special ,official for ,displaced ,afghan ,women and ,girls4 ,such ,special ,official shall-- 7#a7 have not less than #aj years of experience in the fields of education and immigration1 including expertise related to ,afghanistan2 7#b7 coordinate and oversee1 under the direction of the ,secretary and in consultation with the ,office of ,federal ,student ,aid1 the ,office of ,elementary and ,secondary ,education1 and the ,office of ,postsecondary ,education of the ,department of ,education 7as appropriate71 the programs authorized under this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act2 and 7#c7 report to the ,secretary of ,education and ,congress on the effectiveness and outcomes of such programs4 #d4 ,in-state tuition rates for displaced ,afghan women and girls 7a7 ,in general ,the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife is amended by inserting after section #ace 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajae;d7 the following3 #ace;,a4 ,in-state tuition rates for displaced ,afghan women and girls 7a7 ,requirement ,in the case of a displaced ,afghan woman or girl whose domicile is in a ,state that receives assistance under this ,act1 such ,state shall not charge such woman or girl tuition for attendance at a public institution of higher education in the ,state at a rate that is greater than the rate charged for residents of the ,state4 7b7 ,definition of displaced ,afghan woman or girl ,the term displaced ,afghan woman or girl means a woman or girl who escaped or fled ,afghanistan and entered the ,united ,states on or after ,july #a1 #bjba1 and before the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and who is domiciled in the ,united ,states4 7c7 ,limitations ,the requirement under subsection 7a7 shall apply with respect to a displaced ,afghan woman or girl only until the woman or girl has established residency in the ,state1 and only with respect to the first ,state in which the woman or girl was first domiciled after arriving in the ,united ,states4 7d7 ,effective date ,this section shall take effect at each public institution of higher education in a ,state that receives assistance under this ,act beginning with the first period of enrollment at such institution that begins on or after ,july #a1 #bjbb4 4 7b7 ,conforming amendment ,the table of contents for the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #ace the following3 ,sec4 #ace;,a4 ,in-,state tuition rates for displaced ,afghan women and girls4 4 #e4 ,higher education grants for displaced ,afghan women and girls 7a7 ,scholarships for displaced ,afghan women and girls ,part ,a of title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj et seq47 is amended by adding that the end of subpart #g the following new subpart3 #h ,scholarships for displaced ,afghan women and girls #dbj4 ,scholarships for displaced ,afghan women and girls 7a7 ,definition of eligible displaced ,afghan woman or girl ,the term eligible displaced ,afghan woman or girl means a dependent or an independent student who-- 7#a7 is a displaced ,afghan woman or girl1 as defined in section #ace;,a2 7#b7 is enrolled in an institution of higher education 7as defined in section #ajb7;a77#a71 except that such term shall not include an institution described in section #ajb7;a77#a77;,c772 and 7#c7 has not completed a first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study4 7b7 ,grants 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award a grant to each eligible displaced ,afghan woman or girl in the amount necessary to pay the full cost of attendance at an institution of higher education at which such woman or girl is enrolled1 except that such amount shall be adjusted to reflect the attendance by the eligible displaced ,afghan woman or girl on a less than full-time basis1 as determined by the ,secretary in accordance with regulations under paragraph 7#c77;,c74 7#b7 ,designation ,grants made under this section shall be known as ,displaced ,afghan ,women and ,girls ,scholarship ,grants4 7#c7 ,period of eligibility 7,a7 ,in general ,the period during which a student may receive a grant under this section shall be the period required for the completion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study being pursued by that student at the institution at which the student is in attendance1 except that any period during which the student is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study1 as described in subparagraph 7,b71 shall not be counted for the purpose of this paragraph4 7,b7 ,noncredit or remedial courses ,nothing in this section shall exclude from eligibility courses of study which are noncredit or remedial in nature 7including courses in ,english language instruction7 which are determined by the institution to be necessary to help the student be prepared for the pursuit of a first undergraduate baccalaureate degree or1 in the case of courses in ,english language instruction1 to be necessary to enable the student to use already existing knowledge1 training1 or skills4 7,c7 ,maximum period ,the period during which a student may receive a grant under this section shall not exceed #ab semesters1 or the equivalent of #ab semesters1 as determined by the ,secretary by regulation4 ,such regulations shall provide1 with respect to a student who received a grant under this section for a term but was enrolled at a fraction of full time1 that only that same fraction of such semester or equivalent shall count towards such maximum limit4 7c7 ,,fafsa not required ,not withstanding section #dhc or any other provision of this ,act1 an eligible displaced ,afghan woman or girl shall not be required to file a ,free ,application for ,federal ,student ,aid1 or provide any other evidence related to financial need1 to be awarded a grant under this section4 7d7 ,authorization and appropriations of ,funds ,there are authorized to be appropriated1 and there are appropriated1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 for the ,secretary to carry out this section1 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjbc and each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year #bjde4 4 7b7 ,annual report on education programs ,to support displaced ,afghan women and girls 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter for the #c succeeding fiscal years1 the ,special ,official for ,displaced ,afghan ,women and ,girls shall provide a report to ,congress on the implementation of the scholarship program for eligible displaced ,afghan women and girls under this section4 7#b7 ,contents ,the report described in paragraph 7#a7 shall include1 for the most recently concluded fiscal year-- 7,a7 the total number of scholarships awarded through the program1 including-- 7i7 the number and percentage of individuals who are awarded scholarships under this section compared to the number of individuals who applied for such a scholarship2 and 7ii7 the total number of individuals awarded scholarships under this section compared to the total number of eligible displaced ,afghan women and girls in the ,united ,states2 7,b7 the disciplines of study chosen by the scholarship recipients2 7,c7 the percentage of the scholarships that were awarded to individuals enrolled in a program of study leading to an associate's degree1 a bachelor's degree1 or a trade program credential2 and 7,d7 the percentage of scholarship recipients who voluntarily withdrew from an institution of higher education1 or were involuntarily terminated from such an institution for failure to meet program requirements4 #f4 ,state educational support grants for displaced ,afghan women and girls 7a7 ,program 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,education shall carry out a program1 jointly through the ,office of ,elementary and ,secondary ,education and the ,office of ,postsecondary ,education1 as the ,secretary determines to be appropriate1 to award grants to eligible entities to provide education and educational support to displaced ,afghan women and girls in accordance with this section4 7#b7 ,eligible entities ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state2 7,b7 a local educational agency 7as such term defined in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja771 including a charter school that is a local educational agency1 or a consortium of local educational agencies2 7,c7 a private elementary or secondary school2 7,d7 an institution of higher education 7as such term is defined in section #ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb772 7,e7 a community-based organization with demonstrated expertise in carrying out activities that are similar to activities funded under this section2 or 7,f7 a consortium of two or more of the entities described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e74 7b7 ,grant terms 7#a7 ,application ,an eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary of ,education may require4 ,such application shall include-- 7,a7 the activities to be carried out by the eligible entity with the grant2 7,b7 in the case of an eligible entity that is a ,state1 the number of displaced ,afghan women and girls in the ,state1 and the percentage of such women and girls out of the total population of the ,state2 and 7,c7 in the case of an eligible entity that is not a ,state1 the number of displaced ,afghan women and girls to be served by the eligible entity4 7#b7 ,selection ,the ,secretary of ,education shall select eligible entities to be awarded grants under this section based on the demonstrated need of the eligible entity to assist displaced ,afghan women and girls1 and the ability of the eligible entity to meet such need4 ,the ,secretary shall develop a procedure to measure such need1 which shall include-- 7,a7 in the case of an eligible entity that is a ,state1 the number of displaced ,afghan women and girls in the ,state1 compared to the total number of displaced ,afghan women and girls in the ,united ,states1 and the percentage of the total population of the ,state that is displaced ,afghan women and girls1 compared to the percentage of the populations of other ,states that are displaced ,afghan women and girls2 and 7,b7 in the case of an eligible entity that is not a ,state1 the number of displaced ,afghan women and girls to be served by the entity1 compared to the number of displaced ,afghan women and girls served by entities that are similar to the eligible entity4 7#c7 ,amount ,the ,secretary of ,education shall determine the amount of a grant to be awarded to an eligible entity under this section based on the demonstrated need of the entity to assist displaced ,afghan women and girls1 as determined in accordance with paragraph 7#b71 the proposed activities of the entity to provide such assistance1 and the demonstrated ability of the entity to provide such assistance4 7#d7 ,period ,a grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of one year1 and may be renewed by the ,secretary of ,education for additional one-year periods4 7c7 ,activities ,a grant provided under this section to an eligible entity shall be used by the entity to carry out one or more of the following activities3 7#a7 ,provide school counselors and school-based mental health service providers to support displaced ,afghan women and girls in one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,elementary schools4 7,b7 ,secondary schools4 7,c7 ,institutions of higher education4 7#b7 ,provide elementary and secondary education and related educational services to displaced ,afghan women and girls who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in a ,state to permit such women and girls to obtain a secondary education credential in such ,state4 7#c7 ,assist displaced ,afghan women and girls with registration in elementary and secondary schools1 institutions of higher education1 and other educational programs or services1 including1 in the case of an eligible entity that is a ,state or a local educational agency 7as appropriate71 providing waivers to ,state and local requirements related to documentation1 such as documentation to prove individual educational history1 parentage1 citizenry1 test scores1 and health and immunization records4 7#d7 ,provide displaced ,afghan women and girls with access to campus-based childcare services1 including through the ,child ,care ,access ,means ,parents in ,school ,program under section #dai,n of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;d-#da74 7d7 ,waiver authority ,to permit eligible entities receiving a grant under this section to carry out the activities described in subsection 7c77#d71 the ,secretary of ,education may waive requirements for institutions of higher education related to low-income students under the ,child ,care ,access ,means ,parents in ,school ,program under section #dai,n of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;d-#da71 to permit participation in such program by displaced ,afghan women and girls4 7e7 ,annual report by eligible entities ,not later than #a year after the date an eligible entity is awarded a grant under this section1 and annually thereafter for the duration of the grant1 the eligible entity shall provide an annual report to the ,secretary of ,education on the activities carried out with such grant during the preceding fiscal year4 7f7 ,sunset ,the authority to award grants under this program shall expire at the end of fiscal year #bjde4