[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 461 Engrossed Amendment House (EAH)]

<DOC>
                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      December 7, 2020.
    Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 461) entitled ``An Act 
to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of historically Black 
colleges and universities through robust public-sector, private-sector, 
and community partnerships and engagement, and for other purposes.'', 
do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships 
Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act'' or the ``HBCU PARTNERS 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) As many colleges and universities across the country 
        kept their doors closed to African American applicants, 
        historically Black colleges and universities (referred to in 
        this section as ``HBCUs'') played a central role in ensuring 
        that African Americans could attain an excellent education.
            (2) Today, HBCUs continue to play a critical role in 
        ensuring that African Americans, and those of all races, can 
        access high-quality educational opportunities.
            (3) HBCUs enroll nearly 300,000 students, an estimated 70 
        percent of whom come from low-income backgrounds and 80 percent 
        of whom are African American.
            (4) According to the National Association For Equal 
        Opportunity In Higher Education (referred to in this section as 
        ``NAFEO''), HBCUs make up just 3 percent of American 
        institutions of higher education but serve more than a fifth of 
        African American college students.
            (5) According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 
        (referred to in this section as ``TMCF''), approximately 9 
        percent of all African American college students attend HBCUs.
            (6) A March 2017 report from the Education Trust concluded 
        that HBCUs have higher completion rates for African American 
        students than other institutions serving similar student 
        populations.
            (7) According to TMCF, 40 percent of African American 
        Members of Congress, 50 percent of African American lawyers, 
        and 80 percent of African American judges are graduates of 
        HBCUs.
            (8) According to NAFEO, HBCUs graduate approximately 50 
        percent of African American public school teaching 
        professionals.
            (9) According to the United Negro College Fund (referred to 
        in this section as ``UNCF''), African American graduates of 
        HBCUs are almost twice as likely as African Americans who 
        graduated from other institutions to report that their 
        university prepared them well for life.
            (10) According to a study commissioned by UNCF, in 2014, 
        HBCUs generated a total direct economic impact of 
        $14,800,000,000 and created more than 134,000 jobs.
            (11) According to a 2019 report produced by the American 
        Council on Education and UNCF, despite efforts to counter a 
        historical legacy of inequitable funding and notable 
        investments by the Federal Government and many State 
        governments, resource inequities continue to plague HBCUs.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of HBCUs 
        to fulfill their principal mission of equalizing educational 
        opportunity, as described in section 301(b) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051(b));
            (2) to align HBCUs with the educational and economic 
        competitiveness priorities of the United States;
            (3) to provide students enrolled at HBCUs with the highest 
        quality educational and economic opportunities;
            (4) to bolster and facilitate productive interactions 
        between HBCUs and Federal agencies; and
            (5) to encourage HBCU participation in and benefit from 
        Federal programs, grants, contracts, and cooperative 
        agreements.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Applicable agency.--The term ``applicable agency'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (B) the Department of Commerce;
                    (C) the Department of Defense;
                    (D) the Department of Education;
                    (E) the Department of Energy;
                    (F) the Department of Health and Human Services;
                    (G) the Department of Homeland Security;
                    (H) the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development;
                    (I) the Department of the Interior;
                    (J) the Department of Justice;
                    (K) the Department of Labor;
                    (L) the Department of State;
                    (M) the Department of Transportation;
                    (N) the Department of Treasury;
                    (O) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
                    (P) the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration;
                    (Q) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    (R) the National Science Foundation;
                    (S) the Small Business Administration; and
                    (T) any other Federal agency designated as an 
                applicable agency under section 4.
            (2) Executive director.--The term ``Executive Director'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Executive Director of the White House 
                Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities, as designated by the President; or
                    (B) if no such Executive Director is designated, 
                such person as the President may designate to lead the 
                White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges 
                and Universities.
            (3) HBCU.--The term ``HBCU'' means a historically Black 
        college or university.
            (4) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``part B institution'' under section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            (5) President's board of advisors.--The term ``President's 
        Board of Advisors'' means the President's Board of Advisors on 
        historically Black colleges and universities.
            (6) Secretary.--Except as otherwise provided, the term 
        ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Education.
            (7) White house initiative.--The term ``White House 
        Initiative'' means the White House Initiative on historically 
        Black colleges and universities.

SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING HBCUS THROUGH FEDERAL AGENCY PLANS.

    (a) Designating Applicable Agencies.--The Secretary, in 
consultation with the Executive Director, shall--
            (1) identify each Federal agency with which an HBCU--
                    (A) has entered into a grant, contract, or 
                cooperative agreement; or
                    (B) is eligible to participate in the programs and 
                initiatives under the jurisdiction of such Federal 
                agency; and
            (2) designate each Federal agency so identified as an 
        applicable agency.
    (b) Submitting Agency Plans.--Not later than February 1 of each 
year, the head of each applicable agency shall submit to the Secretary, 
the Executive Director, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
House of Representatives, and the President's Board of Advisors an 
annual Agency Plan describing efforts to strengthen the capacity of 
HBCUs to participate or be eligible to participate in the programs and 
initiatives under the jurisdiction of such applicable agency as 
described in subsection (a)(1)(B).
    (c) Further Requirements for Submission and Accessibility.--The 
Executive Director shall make all annual Agency Plan submissions 
publicly available online in a user-friendly format.
    (d) Agency Plan Content.--Where appropriate, each Agency Plan shall 
include--
            (1) a description of how the applicable agency intends to 
        increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for 
        grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements;
            (2) an identification of Federal programs and initiatives 
        under the jurisdiction of the applicable agency in which HBCUs 
        are underrepresented;
            (3) an outline of proposed efforts to improve HBCUs' 
        participation in such programs and initiatives;
            (4) a description of any progress made towards advancing or 
        achieving goals and efforts from previous Agency Plans 
        submitted under this section by such applicable agency;
            (5) a description of how the applicable agency plans to 
        encourage public-sector, private-sector, and community 
        involvement to improve the capacity of HBCUs to compete 
        effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, 
        and to participate in programs and initiatives under the 
        jurisdiction of such agency;
            (6) an identification of programs and initiatives not 
        listed in a previous Agency Plan in which an HBCU may 
        participate;
            (7) any other information the applicable agency determines 
        is relevant to promoting opportunities to fund, partner, 
        contract, or otherwise interact with HBCUs; and
            (8) any additional criteria established by the Secretary or 
        the White House Initiative.
    (e) Agency Engagement.--To help fulfill the objectives of the 
Agency Plans, the head of each applicable agency--
            (1) shall provide, as appropriate, technical assistance and 
        information to the Executive Director to enhance communication 
        with HBCUs concerning the applicable agency's--
                    (A) programs and initiatives described in 
                subsection (d)(2); and
                    (B) the preparation of applications or proposals 
                for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and
            (2) shall appoint a senior official to report directly to 
        the agency head on the applicable agency's progress under this 
        section.

SEC. 5. PRESIDENT'S BOARD OF ADVISORS ON HBCUS.

    (a) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--There is established the President's Board 
        of Advisors on historically Black colleges and universities in 
        the Department of Education or, if the President so elects, 
        within the Executive Office of the President.
            (2) Funding from ed.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), 
        the Secretary shall provide funding and administrative support 
        for the President's Board of Advisors, subject to the 
        availability of appropriations.
            (3) Funding from the executive office of the president.--If 
        the President elects to locate the President's Board of 
        Advisors within the Executive Office of the President, the 
        Executive Office of the President shall provide funding and 
        administrative support for the President's Board of Advisors, 
        subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall appoint not more than 
        23 members to the President's Board of Advisors, and the 
        Secretary and Executive Director or their designees shall serve 
        as ex officio members.
            (2) Chair.--
                    (A) Designation.--The President shall designate one 
                member of the President's Board of Advisors to serve as 
                its Chair, who shall help direct the Board's work in 
                coordination with the Secretary and in consultation 
                with the Executive Director.
                    (B) Consultation.--The Chair shall also consult 
                with the Executive Director regarding the time and 
                location of meetings of the President's Board of 
                Advisors, which shall take place not less frequently 
                than once every 6 months.
                    (C) Performance.--Insofar as the Federal Advisory 
                Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) may apply to the 
                President's Board of Advisors, any functions of the 
                President under such Act, except for those of reporting 
                to the Congress, shall be performed by the Chair, in 
                accordance with guidelines issued by the Administrator 
                of General Services.
            (3) Compensation.--Members of the President's Board of 
        Advisors shall serve without compensation, but shall be 
        reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, as authorized by law.
    (c) Mission and Functions.--The President's Board of Advisors shall 
advise the President, through the White House Initiative, on all 
matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of HBCUs, 
which shall include the following:
            (1) Improving the identity, visibility, distinctive 
        capabilities, and overall competitiveness of HBCUs.
            (2) Engaging the philanthropic, business, government, 
        military, homeland-security, and education communities in a 
        national dialogue regarding new HBCU programs and initiatives.
            (3) Improving the ability of HBCUs to remain fiscally 
        secure institutions that can assist the Nation in achieving its 
        educational goals and in advancing the interests of all 
        Americans.
            (4) Elevating the public awareness of, and fostering 
        appreciation of, HBCUs.
            (5) Encouraging public-private investments in HBCUs.
            (6) Improving government-wide strategic planning related to 
        HBCU competitiveness to align Federal resources and provide the 
        context for decisions about HBCU partnerships, investments, 
        performance goals, priorities, human capital development, and 
        budget planning.
    (d) Report.--The President's Board of Advisors shall report 
annually to the President on the Board's progress in carrying out its 
duties under this section.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 461

_______________________________________________________________________

                               AMENDMENT