Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Education Relief Act of 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would like to address a bill that was actually recommended to me by the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Alexander. I appreciate his bringing this matter to my attention. I will explain what it does in a moment.

Basically, it deals with the educational impact of hurricanes on our population, whether they be in Texas, whether they be in Florida, or whether they be in Puerto Rico. I think it is important, as the Presiding Officer knows in his having been to Puerto Rico recently, that we deal with all of these hurricanes and their aftermaths in a similar and combined and joint fashion.

This legislation is called the Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Education Relief Act of 2017, and it has three vital hurricane relief- related purposes.

First, it provides the Secretary of Education with the authority to waive Federal matching requirements for two campus-based aid programs under the Higher Education Act. First is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program. Second is the Federal Work-Study Program. Notably, in my State, 18 campuses of higher education will be eligible for the waiver of Federal matching requirements. If not passed before September 30, which is on Saturday, if I am not mistaken, these matching funds will no longer be available. So this is a rare window of opportunity for us. As I said, this waiver of authority and relief was also done following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Sandy, I believe.

No. 2, the bill requires the Secretary to reallocate any remaining supplemental educational opportunity grant or Federal work study funds from the 2016 and 2017 award years to colleges and universities located in hurricane-impacted areas. Currently, this second amount totals $17.5 million, and if it is not used by the end of September, like these matching funds, it will no longer be available. These funds provide financial aid to students who have been harmed by the hurricanes at those schools.

Finally, the third thing this bill will do is restore the equitable distribution to all schools in the Project School Emergency Response to Violence Program.

These grants go to schools to assist recovery following a crisis.

They can be used for a wide variety of activities, including mental health assessments, emergency transportation needs, and increased costs for teacher overtime. My State alone can be expected to submit applications for this funding next week, and over 14,000 campuses would be eligible. Obviously, given the limited funds, not all of them will receive the maximum they could, but the point is, this is a widely needed and important source of funds for those 14,000 campuses in Texas alone. Previously, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut all received these funds after Katrina and Sandy.

Colleagues, Congress needs to act or we will forgo our opportunity to use all three categories of these funds since, as I said, the time expires next Saturday.

When so many people in my home State of Texas and States such as Louisiana and Florida and places such as Puerto Rico are dealing with the aftermath of devastating hurricanes, we cannot allow this opportunity to go to waste.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1866, introduced earlier today.

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