H.R. 7689

119 HR 7689 IH: Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-02-25
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 7689  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   February 25, 2026   Mr. Davis of Illinois  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Education and Workforce    A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide basic and emergency supplemental living assistance grants under the student support services program.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act  .
2.
Supplemental living assistance in the student support services program
Section 402D of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–14 ) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in paragraph (5), by striking  and  at the end;
(B)
in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting  ; and ; and
(C)
by adding at the end the following:
(7)
basic and emergency supplemental living assistance grants in accordance with subsection (f).
 ; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:
(f)
Basic and emergency supplemental living assistance grants
(1)
In general
In carrying out the activities required under subsection (b)(7) with a grant received under this section, the recipient of such grant shall provide basic and emergency supplemental living assistance grants to assist students who are current participants in the student support services program offered by the institution (in this subsection referred to as  eligible students )—
(A)
in the case of a basic supplemental living assistance grant, in covering reasonable, anticipated expenses necessary for the completion of an academic year of the students’ first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study; and
(B)
in the case of an emergency supplemental living assistance grant, in covering reasonable, unanticipated expenses necessary for the students to persist in college during such academic year.
(2)
Amount of grants
The recipient may determine—
(A)
the appropriate division of the funds between basic and emergency supplemental assistance grants, except that funds shall be provided for both basic and emergency grants;
(B)
the amount of each such grant and the total grant funds that an eligible student may receive, except that the maximum amount that a student may receive in emergency supplemental assistance grants may not exceed—
(i)
for academic year 2027–2028, $500; and
(ii)
for academic year 2028–2029 and each succeeding academic year, the maximum amount in emergency supplemental assistance grants that a student may receive for the preceding academic year, as determined under this subparagraph, increased by a percentage equal to the estimated percentage change increase in the Consumer Price Index (as determined by the Secretary, using the definition in section 478(f)); and
(C)
the anticipated and unanticipated expenses referred to in paragraph (1) that such grants will cover based on the needs of eligible students, which—
(i)
may vary by factors including academic year, housing, parental status, location in urban or rural area, or other circumstances; and
(ii)
for an individual student, may cover—
(I)
any component of the cost of attendance for the student;
(II)
an allowance for actual or expected expenses incurred for dependent care that exceeds such expenses determined for the student under section 472(a)(9);
(III)
an allowance for actual or expected expenses for transportation that exceeds such expenses determined for the student under section 472; and
(IV)
personal items or expenses not otherwise covered by the cost of attendance for the student.
(3)
Percentage of total funds
The recipient may use not more than 2 percent of the funds awarded under this section for grants under this subsection.
(4)
Determination of need
A grant provided to a student under this subsection shall not be considered in determining that student’s need for grant or work assistance under this title, except that in no case shall the total amount of student financial assistance awarded to a student under this title for an academic year exceed that student’s cost of attendance by more than the maximum amount that such student may receive in emergency supplemental assistance under paragraph (2)(B) for such academic year.
(5)
Consultation
In making grants to students under this subsection, an institution shall ensure that adequate consultation takes place between the student support service program office and the institution’s financial aid office.
(6)
Supplement, not supplant
Funds received by a grant recipient that are used under this subsection shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds expended for student support services programs.
(7)
Funds
For a fiscal year for which the funds allocated for projects authorized under this section from the amounts appropriated pursuant to the authority of section 402A(g) exceeds the funds allocated for such purpose for fiscal year 2027, not more than 2 percent of such excess funds may be made available for grants under this subsection.
(8)
Definition
In this subsection, the term  cost of attendance  has the meaning given the term in section 472.
 .