Convictions for marijuana and other drugs should not be permitted to cut off student financial aid. (Image from public domain.)

On March 2, I blogged about the student financial aid fallout for drug convictions. In addition to the information link by Students for Sensible Drug Policy listed in that blog entry,  please electronically sign the SSDP’s petition letter supporting the RISE Act — fully quoted below — to repeal statutory provisions precluding student financial assistance for people convicted of drug offenses.

Also, I know SSDP Executive Director Kris Krane. He and his organization are class acts, and I recommend providing financial support to the SSDP.

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1184

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal the provisions prohibiting persons convicted of drug offenses from receiving student financial assistance.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 9, 2005

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. OWENS, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. LEE, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. FILNER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. FARR, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. WATSON, Mr. OLVER, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. CARSON, Ms. VELAZQUEZ, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. STARK, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATERS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. WATT, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. NADLER, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

A BILL

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal the provisions prohibiting persons convicted of drug offenses from receiving student financial assistance.

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 `Removing Impediments to Students Education Act ‘ or the `RISE Act’.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF PROVISIONS PROHIBITING PERSONS CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES FROM RECEIVING STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

Subsection (r) of section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)) is repealed.