Assisting Students,
Parents, and Schools: Congressional Action after the Gulf Coast Hurricanes
April 26, 2006
The prayers of all the
American people are with the families who have been affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, as well as all those working on the relief and recovery
effort.
Congress
responded by approving billions in immediate aid to help address the
short-term needs of the victims, but there is much more work to be done.
The House Education & the Workforce Committee continues to work closely
with federal agencies to determine how best to meet the needs of the
children, families, teachers, and schools impacted by these tragedies.
Below are legislative responses spearheaded by Committee Members to aid
students, schools, and families impacted by the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
H.R. 2863, the
Hurricane Relief Supplemental (signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year
2006 Department of Defense Appropriations bill):
-
Reimburses public,
private, and charter schools that have enrolled displaced students, up
to $6,000 per student ($7,500 per student in special education).
-
Helps public, private,
and charter schools get the supplies and equipment to reopen their
doors, including funds to help damaged schools in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas access services, equipment, and
supplies.
-
Provides funds to assist
higher education institutions that have enrolled displaced students, as
well as resources for institutions in Louisiana and Mississippi impacted
by the hurricanes.
-
Includes funds for the
Head Start early childhood program to assist with the costs not covered
by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and insurance to renovate
Head Start facilities affected by the hurricanes.
-
Eases federal
requirements for state administration of the Child Care and Development
Block Grant (CCDBG) to give displaced families easier access to child
care services.
H.R. 3169, the Pell
Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act (signed into law)
H.R. 3668, the Student
Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act (signed into law)
H.R. 3863, the Natural
Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act (signed into law)
-
Sponsored by Committee
Member Bobby Jindal (R-LA)
-
Extends by one year the
deadline the U.S. Department of Education has to reallocate funds
returned to the department under the campus-based aid programs
(Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work Study, and
Perkins Loans).
-
Permits the Secretary of
Education to waive matching requirements for campus-based aid funding
for affected institutions and institutions that have enrolled displaced
students.
-
Allows the U.S.
Department of Education to redirect aid to students and campuses that
have most needed it in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Aid has also been redirected to institutions that have enrolled students
displaced by the storms.
H.R. 3975, the
Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act (passed by the House)
-
Sponsored by Committee
Member Bobby Jindal (R-LA)
-
Would expand outreach
efforts to ensure disadvantaged students and families have access to
information about financial aid that may be available as they pursue
higher education.
-
Would require colleges
and universities to adjust financial aid award calculations through the
Expected Family Contribution, taking into account changes in families’
financial circumstances caused by the hurricanes.
-
Would encourage
institutions of higher education to ease the process for displaced
students to transfer academic credits.
The Education & the
Workforce Committee has been active in driving legislation to provide
resources to schools and families as quickly as possible, and likewise, it
has been and will remain active in investigating why there occasionally
may be obstacles as part of that process. The Committee and the Congress
have the opportunity and the obligation to look back, learn from
shortcomings, and build upon successes. This is a process that the
Committee will remain committed to in the months and years ahead. |