RISE Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3589 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3589

  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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 7, 2026

 Mr. Banks (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr.
  Young, and Ms. Smith) introduced the following bill; which was read
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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
                        (referred to in this paragraph as an `IEP') in
                        accordance with section 614(d) of the
                        Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, if
                        the IEP for the student was utilized in high
                        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) (referred to in
                        this paragraph as a `Section 504 plan'), if the
                        Section 504 plan for the student was utilized
                        in high school.
                            ``(III) A plan or record of service for the
                        individual from a private high 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 a total of
        $10,000,000 for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.''.

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)(A) 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 in the
        institution who are formally registered as students with
        disabilities with the institution's office of disability
        services (which, for purposes of this paragraph, includes an
        equivalent office), including--
                    ``(i) the total number of students registered with
                the institution's office of disability services;
                    ``(ii) the number of students accessing or
                receiving accommodations, as voluntarily reported to
                the institution's office of disability services;
                    ``(iii) the percentage of undergraduate students
                enrolled in the institution who are registered with the
                institution's office of disability services; and
                    ``(iv) the total number of undergraduate
                certificates or degrees awarded to students registered
                with the institution's office of disability services.
            ``(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an institution
        shall not be required to submit information under this
        paragraph 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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