[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4496 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4496

  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional 
uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and 
                 universities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2026

 Ms. Alsobrooks (for herself and Mr. Justice) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional 
uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and 
                 universities, 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. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to a 2021 study by Americans for the Arts, 
        the arts are an invaluable aspect of American society, as they 
        strengthen the economy, improve healthcare, spark creativity 
        and innovation, and unify communities, with 73 percent of 
        participants agreeing that the arts help them to better 
        understand other cultures.
            (2) Many United States museums are grappling with 
        diversity. Studies report that only 1.4 percent of artists 
        featured in America's top museums are black, only 4 percent of 
        staff directors at top museums are Black, and only 2.5 percent 
        of Black Americans are owners of Arts-Entertainment business.
            (3) Historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, 
        are uniquely positioned to produce a diverse generation of art 
        professionals and help bring much needed attention to works by 
        Black artists. HBCUs have historically served as long-standing 
        conservators and crucial supporters of Black art and for the 
        teaching, supporting, and displaying of essential Black artists 
        who may otherwise have remained unrecognized.
            (4) Arts programs and arts departments are expensive and 
        have often fallen victim to funding shortfalls. In 2018, the 
        College Art Association reported that at least 18 institutions 
        of higher education planned to severely curtail or eliminate 
        their arts departments.
            (5) HBCUs have also been underfunded by $12,600,000,000 
        compared to their predominantly White counterparts over the 
        last 30 years. Some HBCUs have shrunk, consolidated, or cut 
        their arts programs due to limited resources.
            (6) An increased investment in HBCU arts, arts education, 
        and culture programs can further help students of color access 
        an affordable arts education and ensure the continued 
        preparation, conservation, display, and study of works by Black 
        artists.

SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

    Section 323 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1062) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (14) and (15) as 
                paragraphs (19) and (20), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (13) the 
                following:
            ``(14) Providing financial and other assistance to students 
        in arts, arts education, and cultural programs.
            ``(15) Establishing outreach programs and development 
        offices for arts, arts education, and cultural departments.
            ``(16) Providing comprehensive wraparound services for 
        arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty 
        and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, 
        guidance counseling, and career advising.
            ``(17) Exhibiting, maintaining, monitoring, and protecting 
        Black art collections in exhibition and in storage.
            ``(18) Providing well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and 
        fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, 
        and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, 
        arts education, and cultural institutes.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) National Endowment for the Arts.--An institution may enter 
into a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts to carry 
out the activities described in paragraphs (14) through (18) of 
subsection (a).
    ``(e) Definition.--In this section, the term `arts' means art forms 
used for self-expression and interpretation, including performance, 
literary, visual, graphic, plastic, and decorative arts.''.
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