[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 461 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 461
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 ``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, HBCUs make up just 3 percent
of American institutions of higher education but serve more
than a fifth of African American college students.
(5) 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.
(6) In 2014, HBCUs generated a total direct economic impact
of $14,800,000,000 and created more than 134,000 jobs,
according to a study commissioned by the United Negro College
Fund (referred to in this section as ``UNCF'').
(7) According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund
(referred to in this section as ``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 UNCF, in 2013, HBCUs awarded a quarter of
all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
bachelor's degrees awarded to African Americans.
(9) According to TMCF, approximately 9 percent of all
African American college students attend HBCUs.
(10) According to 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.
(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 any Federal agency designated by the Secretary, in
accordance with 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 identify those Federal
agencies that regularly interact with HBCUs and designate them as
applicable agencies.
(b) Submitting Agency Plans.--Not later than February 1 of each
year, the head of each applicable agency shall submit to the Secretary
and the Executive Director an annual Agency Plan describing efforts to
strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to participate in relevant Federal
programs and initiatives under the jurisdiction of the applicable
agency.
(c) Further Requirements for Submission and Accessibility.--The
head of each applicable agency shall submit each annual Agency Plan
described in subsection (b) to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and
Labor of the House of Representatives.
(d) Agency Plan Content.--Where appropriate, each Agency Plan
shall, among other things--
(1) establish how the applicable agency intends to increase
the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants,
contracts, or cooperative agreements;
(2) identify Federal programs and initiatives under the
jurisdiction of the applicable agency where HBCUs are not well-
represented;
(3) outline proposed efforts to improve HBCUs'
participation in such programs and initiatives in which they
are underrepresented;
(4) describe any progress made towards advancing or
achieving goals and efforts from previous Agency Plans;
(5) encourage public-sector, private-sector, and community
involvement in improving the capacity of HBCUs; and
(6) meet, where relevant, 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) may provide, as appropriate, technical assistance and
information to the Executive Director to enhance communication
with HBCUs concerning the applicable agency's program
activities and 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.--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. 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. 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. 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. Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App.) may apply to the Board, 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.
(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.
In particular, the President's Board of Advisors shall advise the
President in the following areas:
(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.
Passed the Senate February 12, 2019.
Attest:
Secretary.
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 461
_______________________________________________________________________
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.