119-hr3939

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3939 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3939

 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide students with 
 disabilities and their families with access to critical information 
 needed to select the right college and succeed once enrolled.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 12, 2025

Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mrs. Houchin, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Lawler, and 
 Ms. Schrier) 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 students with 
 disabilities and their families with access to critical information 
 needed to select the right college and succeed once enrolled.

 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 ``Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and 
Empower Act'' or the ``RISE Act''.

SEC. 2. PERFECTING AMENDMENT TO THE DEFINITION OF DISABILITY.

 

Section 103

    (6) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1003

    (6) ) is amended by striking ``

section 3

    (2) '' and inserting 
``

section 3''.

SEC. 3. SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO SUCCEED ONCE ENROLLED 
 IN COLLEGE.

 

Section 487

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094

    (a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (30)
        (A) The institution will carry out the following:
 ``
            (i) Adopt policies that make any of the following 
 documentation submitted by an individual sufficient to 
 establish that such individual is an individual with a 
 disability:
 ``
            (I) Documentation that the individual has 
 had an individualized education program

    (IEP) in accordance with 

section 614
            (d) of the 
 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 
 including an IEP that may not be current on the 
 date of the determination that the individual 
 has a disability. The institution may ask for 
 additional documentation from an individual who 
 had an IEP but who was subsequently evaluated 
 and determined to be ineligible for services 
 under the Individuals with Disabilities 
 Education Act, including an individual 
 determined to be ineligible during elementary 
 school.
 ``
            (II) Documentation describing services or 
 accommodations provided to the individual 
 pursuant to 

section 504 of the Rehabilitation 
 Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) (commonly referred 
 to as a `

Section 504 plan').
 ``
            (III) A plan or record of service for the 
 individual from a private school, a local 
 educational agency, a State educational agency, 
 or an institution of higher education provided 
 in accordance with the Americans with 
 Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et 
 seq.).
 ``
            (IV) A record or evaluation from a 
 relevant licensed professional finding that the 
 individual has a disability.
 ``
            (V) A plan or record of disability from 
 another institution of higher education.
 ``
            (VI) Documentation of a disability due to 
 service in the uniformed services, as defined 
 in 

section 484C

    (a) .
 ``
            (ii) Adopt policies that are transparent and 
 explicit regarding information about the process by 
 which the institution determines eligibility for 
 accommodations.
 ``
            (iii) Disseminate such information to students, 
 parents, and faculty in an accessible format, including 
 during any student orientation and making such 
 information readily available on a public website of 
 the institution.
 ``
        (B) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to 
 preclude an institution from establishing less burdensome 
 criteria than that described in subparagraph
        (A) to establish 
 an individual as an individual with a disability and therefore 
 eligible for accommodations.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS FOR THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR INFORMATION 
 AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS WITH 
 DISABILITIES.

 

Section 777

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1140q

    (a) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``From amounts 
 appropriated under 

section 778,'' and inserting ``From amounts 
 appropriated under paragraph

    (5) ,''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
 to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000.''.

SEC. 5. INCLUSION OF INFORMATION ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

 

Section 487

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094

    (a) ), as amended by 

section 3, is further amended by adding at the 
end the following:
 ``

    (31) The institution will submit, for inclusion in the 
 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

    (IPEDS) or any 
 other Federal postsecondary institution data collection effort, 
 key data related to undergraduate students enrolled at the 
 institution who are formally registered as students with 
 disabilities with the institution's office of disability 
 services (or the equivalent office), including the total number 
 of students with disabilities enrolled, the number of students 
 accessing or receiving accommodations, the percentage of 
 students with disabilities of all undergraduate students, and 
 the total number of undergraduate certificates or degrees 
 awarded to students with disabilities. An institution shall not 
 be required to submit the information described in the 
 preceding sentence if the number of such students would reveal 
 personally identifiable information about an individual 
 student.''.

SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

 None of the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to 
affect the meaning of the terms ``reasonable accommodation'' or 
``record of impairment'' under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) or the rights or remedies provided under 
such Act.
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