Bills · S. 5431 · Text
Introduced in Senate
Confirmed from the official record
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[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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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