PRIA Logo™
119-s-5559119th CongressWALLET

BASIC Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a federal grant program and data-sharing system to help colleges identify and address student basic needs, centering on student basic-needs support. It pairs planning and implementation grants with outreach, benefits enrollment help, and national reporting to track food, housing, child care, and related insecurities.

Show full summary
  • Students and families: Expands on-campus and coordinated off-campus help like free or subsidized food, temporary housing, priority child care, outreach to reduce stigma, and help applying for federal benefits.
  • Colleges and campuses: Offers competitive planning grants up to $200,000 for up to 2 years and implementation grants up to $5.0 million per institution per 5-year period, with a requirement to plan for non-Federal funding after grants end.
  • Equity, funding, and data: Requires at least 25 percent of funds for community colleges and at least 25 percent for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions. It mandates data-sharing with benefit agencies, confidentiality protections, and a national report on student basic-needs insecurity due within 2 years.

*Would authorize $1.0 billion per year for fiscal years 2027–2033 ($40.0 million for planning and $960.0 million for implementation), which would increase federal spending if appropriated.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New basic-needs grants for colleges

If enacted, the bill would create competitive grants to help colleges address student basic needs and authorize $1 billion per year for FY2027–FY2033. Each year $40 million would fund planning grants (up to $200,000 for up to 2 years) and $960 million would fund implementation grants (up to $5 million per grantee for a 5-year award). At least 25% of funds would be reserved for community colleges and at least 25% for HBCUs, TCUs, and other minority-serving institutions; the Secretary would prioritize schools with at least 25% Pell students and must ensure equitable State distribution. The bill would define student basic needs to include food, housing, health care, child care, internet access, transportation, clothing, and related costs. It would broaden which public colleges can count as community colleges for the reservations and would bar grant-receiving institutions from reducing a student's institutional grant because the student gets listed federal benefits. Grantees would have to identify non-Federal funding to sustain services after the grant ends.

Student benefit outreach and notices

If enacted, the Secretary of Education would keep data-sharing agreements with Federal and State agencies to identify student-aid applicants who may be eligible for listed federal benefits. Applicants who did not get benefits in the past 2 years would be notified that they may enroll and given application information. Applicants who did get benefits in the past 2 years would be notified about renewal or maintenance steps. Potential eligibility notices would be based only on student-aid application data and shared agency data, without regard to enrollment intensity, income, work, or community participation tests. Applicants could authorize disclosure of their student-aid information to helpers, and shared data could be used only for outreach and coordination, not for other investigations.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/29/2026

  • Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 9/30/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation