H.R. 3857: BASIC Act
Before you vote › Federal bills
H.R. 3857: BASIC Act
117th Congress · introduced 2021-06-11 · Education · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2021-06-11 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
BASIC Act
Plain summary
Basic Assistance for Students In College Act or the BASIC Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award planning and implementation grants to institutions of higher education in order to identify and meet the basic needs of students, including food, housing, transportation, and health care. ED must also implement an agreement to (1) share data with other federal agencies in order to identify students who may be eligible for certain federal benefits; and (2) coordinate efforts to enroll those students in federal benefits programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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)
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.
Limited to a few requests an hour per person.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Arguments against (opponents)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] · 31 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), André Carson (D-IN), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA)
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] reported raising $922,924 (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 (1)
- 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).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr3857.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>
Record fed-us-cong117-hr3857 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117