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H.R. 3790: DISTANCE Act

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H.R. 3790: DISTANCE Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-10-21 · Education · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-10-21 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

DISTANCE Act

Plain summary

Diversity in Science Technology and Nurturing Capable Educators Act or the DISTANCE Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive merit-based scholarships to students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with concurrent certification as kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers. It requires scholarship recipients to work for at least five academic years as a full-time STEM teacher at a public or private kindergarten or elementary or secondary school during the seven-year period beginning within one year after they complete their studies. It awards scholarships for one academic year of study at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis if their recipients meet certain measures of academic progress. Scholarship recipients may enter into agreements with ED that provide them with a bonus in exchange for performing their service in a high-need local educational agency for a period equivalent to the period for which they receive the bonus. This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize ED to award competitive matching grants to up to 50 institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate four-year undergraduate degree programs that enable students to concurrently: (1) earn a STEM bachelor's degree; and (2) be certified to teach kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school. It awards those grants one fiscal year at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis for up to five years.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

DISTANCE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Judy Chu (D-CA), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), William R. Keating (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] reported raising $456,272 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year
The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr3790 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114