H.R. 3605

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3605 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3605

To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 23, 2025

Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Bonamici, Mrs. 
McBath, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Simon, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Thompson of 
Mississippi, Mr. Fields, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Takano, Mr. Davis of Illinois, 
Mr. Garamendi, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Waters, Mr. Latimer, Mrs. 
Ramirez, Ms. Omar, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms. Clarke of New York, and Mr. 
Meeks) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, 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 ``Strength in Diversity Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

The purpose of this Act is to support the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategies to address 
the effects of racial isolation or concentrated poverty by increasing 
diversity, including racial diversity and socioeconomic diversity, in 
covered schools.

SEC. 3. RESERVATION FOR NATIONAL AND STATE ACTIVITIES.

(a) National Activities.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 5 
percent of the amounts made available under section 9 for a fiscal year 
to carry out activities of national significance relating to this Act, 
which may include--
(1) research, development, data collection, monitoring, 
technical assistance, evaluation, or dissemination activities; 
and
(2) the development and maintenance of best practices for 
recipients of grants under section 4 and other experts in the 
field of school diversity.
(b) State Activities.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 10 
percent of the amounts made available under section 9 for a fiscal year 
for planning grants and implementation grants made to State educational 
agencies under section 4.

SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

(a) Authorization.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts made available under 
section 9 and not reserved under section 3 for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall award grants in accordance with subsection 
(b) to eligible entities to develop or implement plans to 
improve diversity and reduce or eliminate racial or 
socioeconomic isolation in covered schools.
(2) Types of grants.--The Secretary may, in any fiscal 
year, award--
(A) planning grants to carry out the activities 
described in section 6(a);
(B) implementation grants to carry out the 
activities described in section 6(b); or
(C) both such planning grants and implementation 
grants.
(b) Award Basis.--
(1) Criteria for evaluating applications.--The Secretary 
shall award grants under this section on a competitive basis, 
based on--
(A) the quality of the application submitted by an 
eligible entity under section 5;
(B) the likelihood, as determined by the Secretary, 
that the eligible entity will use the grant to improve 
student outcomes or outcomes on other performance 
measures described in section 7; and
(C) the likelihood that the grant will lead to a 
meaningful reduction in racial and economic isolation 
for children in covered schools.
(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to the following eligible 
entities:
(A) First, to an eligible entity that proposes, in 
an application submitted under section 5, to use the 
grant to support a program that addresses racial 
isolation.
(B) Second, to an eligible entity that proposes, in 
an application submitted under section 5, to use the 
grant to support a program that extends beyond one 
local educational agency, such as an inter-district or 
regional program.
(C) Third, to an eligible entity that demonstrates 
meaningful coordination with local housing agencies and 
transportation departments to increase access to 
schools that have a disproportionately low number of 
low-income students.
(c) Duration of Grants.--
(1) Planning grant.--A planning grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 2 years.
(2) Implementation grant.--An implementation grant awarded 
under this section shall be for a period of not more than 3 
years, except that the Secretary may extend an implementation 
grant for an additional 2-year period if the eligible entity 
receiving the grant demonstrates to the Secretary that the 
eligible entity is making significant progress, as determined 
by the Secretary, on the program performance measures described 
in section 7.

SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.

In order to receive a grant under section 4, an eligible entity 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such 
manner as the Secretary may require. Such application shall include--
(1) a description of the program for which the eligible 
entity is seeking a grant, including--
(A) how the eligible entity proposes to use the 
grant to improve the academic and life outcomes of 
students in racial or socioeconomic isolation in 
covered schools by supporting interventions that 
increase diversity for students in such covered 
schools;
(B) in the case of an implementation grant, the 
implementation grant plan described in section 6(b)(1); 
and
(C) evidence, or if such evidence is not available, 
a rationale based on current research, regarding how 
the program will increase diversity;
(2) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to use any 
of the grant to benefit covered schools that are racially 
isolated, a description of how the eligible entity will 
identify and define racial isolation;
(3) in the case of an eligible entity proposing to use any 
portion of the grant to benefit high-poverty covered schools, a 
description of how the eligible entity will identify and define 
income level and socioeconomic status;
(4) a description of the plan of the eligible entity for 
continuing the program after the grant period ends;
(5) a description of how the eligible entity will assess, 
monitor, and evaluate the impact of the activities funded under 
the grant on student achievement and student enrollment 
diversity, and teacher diversity;
(6) an assurance that the eligible entity has conducted, or 
will conduct, robust parent and community engagement, while 
planning for and implementing the program, such as through--
(A) consultation with appropriate officials from 
Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations approved by the 
Tribes located in the area served by the eligible 
entity;
(B) consultation with other community entities, 
including local housing or transportation authorities;
(C) public hearings or other open forums to inform 
the development of any formal strategy to increase 
diversity; and
(D) outreach to parents and students, in a language 
that parents and students can understand, and 
consultation with students and families in the targeted 
district or region that is designed to ensure 
participation in the planning and development of any 
formal strategy to increase diversity;
(7) an estimate of the number of students that the eligible 
entity plans to serve under the program and the number of 
students to be served through additional expansion of the 
program after the grant period ends;
(8) an assurance that the eligible entity will--
(A) cooperate with the Secretary in evaluating the 
program, including any evaluation that might require 
data and information from multiple recipients of grants 
under section 4; and
(B) engage in the best practices developed under 
section 3(a)(2);
(9) an assurance that, to the extent possible, the eligible 
entity has considered the potential implications of the grant 
activities on the demographics and student enrollment of nearby 
covered schools not included in the activities of the grant;
(10) in the case of an eligible entity applying for an 
implementation grant, a description of how the eligible entity 
will--
(A) implement, replicate, or expand a strategy 
based on a strong or moderate level of evidence (as 
described in subclause (I) or (II) of section 
8101(21)(A)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i))); or
(B) test a promising strategy to increase diversity 
in covered schools;
(11) in the case of an application by a consortium of local 
educational agencies, a specification of which agency is the 
lead applicant, and how the grant funds will be divided among 
the school districts served by such consortium; and
(12) in the case of an application by a State educational 
agency, a demonstration that the agency has procedures in 
place--
(A) to assess and prevent the redrawing of school 
district lines in a manner that increases racial or 
socioeconomic isolation;
(B) to assess the segregation impacts of new school 
construction proposals and to prioritize school 
construction funding that will foreseeably increase 
racial and economic integration; and
(C) to include progress toward reduction of racial 
and economic isolation as a factor in the reports 
required under section 1111(h) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)).

SEC. 6. USES OF FUNDS.

(a) Planning Grants.--Each eligible entity that receives a planning 
grant under section 4 shall use the grant to support students in 
covered schools through the following activities:
(1) Completing a comprehensive assessment of, with respect 
to the geographic area served by such eligible entity--
(A) the educational outcomes and racial and 
socioeconomic stratification of children attending 
covered schools;
(B) an analysis of the location and capacity of 
program and school facilities and the adequacy of local 
or regional transportation infrastructure; and
(C) teacher diversity in covered schools, and plans 
for expanding teacher diversity.
(2) Developing and implementing a robust family, student, 
and community engagement plan, including, where feasible, 
public hearings or other open forums that would precede and 
inform the development of a formal strategy to improve 
diversity in covered schools.
(3) Developing options, including timelines and cost 
estimates, for improving diversity in covered schools, such as 
weighted lotteries, revised feeder patterns, school boundary 
redesign, or regional coordination.
(4) Developing an implementation plan based on community 
preferences among the options developed under paragraph (3).
(5) Building the capacity to collect and analyze data that 
provide information for transparency, continuous improvement, 
and evaluation.
(6) Developing an implementation plan to comply with a 
court-ordered school desegregation plan.
(7) Engaging in best practices developed under section 
3(a)(2).
(8) If applicable, developing an implementation plan to 
replace entrance exams or other competitive application 
procedures with methods of student assignment to promote racial 
and socioeconomic diversity.
(b) Implementation Grants.--
(1) Implementation grant plan.--Each eligible entity that 
receives an implementation grant under section 4 shall 
implement a high-quality plan to support students in covered 
schools that includes--
(A) a comprehensive set of strategies designed to 
improve academic outcomes for all students, 
particularly students of color and low-income students, 
by increasing diversity in covered schools;
(B) evidence of strong family and community support 
for such strategies, including evidence that the 
eligible entity has engaged in meaningful family and 
community outreach activities;
(C) goals to increase diversity, including teacher 
diversity, in covered schools over the course of the 
grant period;
(D) collection and analysis of data to provide 
transparency and support continuous improvement 
throughout the grant period; and
(E) a rigorous method of evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the program.
(2) Implementation grant activities.--Each eligible entity 
that receives an implementation grant under section 4 may use 
the grant to carry out one or more of the following activities:
(A) Recruiting, hiring, or training additional 
teachers, administrators, school counselors, and other 
instructional and support staff in new, expanded, or 
restructured covered schools, or other professional 
development activities for staff and administrators.
(B) Investing in specialized academic programs or 
facilities designed to encourage inter-district school 
attendance patterns.
(C) Developing or initiating a transportation plan 
for bringing students to and from covered schools, if 
such transportation is sustainable beyond the grant 
period and does not represent a significant portion of 
the grant received by an eligible entity under section 
4.
(D) Developing innovative and equitable school 
assignment plans.
(E) Carrying out innovative activities designed to 
increase racial and socioeconomic school diversity and 
engagement between children from different racial, 
economic, and cultural backgrounds.
(F) Creating or improving systems and partnerships 
to create a one-stop enrollment process for students 
with multiple public school options, including making 
school information and data more accessible and easy to 
understand, in order to ensure access to low poverty or 
high-performing schools for low-income children and to 
promote racial and socioeconomic diversity.
(G) Increasing teacher diversity in covered 
schools.

SEC. 7. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

The Secretary shall establish performance measures for the programs 
and activities carried out through a grant under section 4. These 
measures, at a minimum, shall track the progress of each eligible 
entity in--
(1) improving academic and other developmental or 
noncognitive outcomes for each subgroup described in section 
1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)) that is served by the 
eligible entity on measures, including, as applicable, by--
(A) increasing school readiness;
(B) increasing student achievement and decreasing 
achievement gaps;
(C) increasing high school graduation rates;
(D) increasing readiness for postsecondary 
education and careers;
(E) improving access to mental health and social-
emotional learning;
(F) reducing school discipline rates; and
(G) any other indicator the Secretary or eligible 
entity may identify; and
(2) increasing diversity and decreasing racial or 
socioeconomic isolation in covered schools.

SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORTS.

An eligible entity that receives a grant under section 4 shall 
submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the 
Secretary may require, an annual report that includes--
(1) a description of the efforts of the eligible entity to 
increase racial and socioeconomic diversity;
(2) information on the progress of the eligible entity with 
respect to the performance measures described in section 7;
(3) the data supporting such progress;
(4) a description of how the eligible entity will continue 
to make improvements toward increasing diversity and decreasing 
racial or socioeconomic isolation in covered schools and 
sustaining inclusion; and
(5) information on the progress of regional programs on 
reducing racial and socioeconomic isolation in covered schools, 
if applicable.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025 and each of the 5 
succeeding fiscal years.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Covered school.--The term ``covered school'' means--
(A) a publicly-funded early childhood education 
program;
(B) a public elementary school; or
(C) a public secondary school.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
State educational agency, a local educational agency, a 
consortium of such agencies, an educational service agency, or 
a regional educational agency that at the time of the 
application of such eligible entity has significant achievement 
gaps and socioeconomic or racial segregation within or between 
the school districts served by such entity.
(3) ESEA terms.--The terms ``educational service agency'', 
``elementary school'', ``local educational agency'', 
``secondary school'', ``Secretary'', and ``State educational 
agency'' have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
(4) Publicly-funded early childhood education program.--The 
term ``publicly-funded early childhood education program'' 
means an early childhood education program (as defined in 
section 103(8) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1003(8))) that receives State or Federal funds.

SEC. 11. PROHIBITION AGAINST FEDERAL CONTROL OF EDUCATION.

No provision of this Act shall be construed to authorize any 
department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to 
exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, 
program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational 
institution, school, or school system.
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