Diversify Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5431 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5431

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

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 17, 2026

Mr. Booker (for himself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

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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.

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 ``Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth Act'' or the ``Diversify Act''.

SEC. 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))''; (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 (vii) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by clause (iii), by striking ``subsection (d)(5)'' and inserting ``subsection (e)(5)''; (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) in paragraph (1)-- (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)''; (ii) in paragraph (3)-- (I) by striking ``subsection (b)(1)(D)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(4)''; and (II) by striking ``subsection (d)(5)'' and inserting ``paragraph (5);'' (iii) in paragraph (4)-- (I) by striking ``subsection (b)(1)(B)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(2)''; and (II) by striking ``subsection (b)(1)(C)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(3)''; and (iv) in paragraph (5)-- (I) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``subsection (b)(1)(D)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(4)''; and (II) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``subsection (b)(1)(D)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(4)''.

SEC. 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. <all>