II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 461 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2019 

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. PERDUE, Mr. 

JONES, Mr. WICKER, Ms. HARRIS, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. KAINE, Mrs. 

HYDE-SMITH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. BOOKER, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. WARREN, Mr. SANDERS, and Mr. BRAUN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice, considered, read the third time, and 

passed 

A BILL 

To strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of historically 

Black colleges and universities through robust publicsector, private-sector, and community partnerships and 

engagement, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘HBCU Propelling 

5 Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for 

6 Students Act’’ or the ‘‘HBCU PARTNERS Act’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 461 CPS

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) As many colleges and universities across the 

4 country kept their doors closed to African American 

5 applicants, historically Black colleges and univer6 sities (referred to in this section as ‘‘HBCUs’’) 

7 played a central role in ensuring that African Ameri8 cans could attain an excellent education. 

9 (2) Today, HBCUs continue to play a critical 

10 role in ensuring that African Americans, and those 

11 of all races, can access high-quality educational op12 portunities. 

13 (3) HBCUs enroll nearly 300,000 students, an 

14 estimated 70 percent of whom come from low-income 

15 backgrounds and 80 percent of whom are African 

16 American. 

17 (4) According to the National Association For 

18 Equal Opportunity In Higher Education, HBCUs 

19 make up just 3 percent of American institutions of 

20 higher education but serve more than a fifth of Afri21 can American college students. 

22 (5) A March 2017 report from the Education 

23 Trust concluded that HBCUs have higher comple24 tion rates for African American students than other 

25 institutions serving similar student populations. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 461 CPS

1 (6) In 2014, HBCUs generated a total direct 

2 economic impact of $14,800,000,000 and created 

3 more than 134,000 jobs, according to a study com4 missioned by the United Negro College Fund (re5 ferred to in this section as ‘‘UNCF’’). 

6 (7) According to the Thurgood Marshall College 

7 Fund (referred to in this section as ‘‘TMCF’’), 40 

8 percent of African American Members of Congress, 

9 50 percent of African American lawyers, and 80 per10 cent of African American judges are graduates of 

11 HBCUs. 

12 (8) According to UNCF, in 2013, HBCUs 

13 awarded a quarter of all science, technology, engi14 neering, and mathematics bachelor’s degrees award15 ed to African Americans. 

16 (9) According to TMCF, approximately 9 per17 cent of all African American college students attend 

18 HBCUs. 

19 (10) According to UNCF, African American 

20 graduates of HBCUs are almost twice as likely as 

21 African Americans who graduated from other insti22 tutions to report that their university prepared them 

23 well for life. 

24 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 461 CPS

1 (1) to strengthen the capacity and competitive2 ness of HBCUs to fulfill their principal mission of 

3 equalizing educational opportunity, as described in 

4 section 301(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

5 (20 U.S.C. 1051(b)); 

6 (2) to align HBCUs with the educational and 

7 economic competitiveness priorities of the United 

8 States; 

9 (3) to provide students enrolled at HBCUs with 

10 the highest quality educational and economic oppor11 tunities; 

12 (4) to bolster and facilitate productive inter13 actions between HBCUs and Federal agencies; and 

14 (5) to encourage HBCU participation in and 

15 benefit from Federal programs, grants, contracts, 

16 and cooperative agreements. 

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act: 

19 (1) APPLICABLE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘applica20 ble agency’’ means any Federal agency designated 

21 by the Secretary, in accordance with section 4. 

22 (2) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Execu23 tive Director’’ means— 

24 (A) the Executive Director of the White 

25 House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 461 CPS

1 and Universities, as designated by the Presi2 dent; or 

3 (B) if no such Executive Director is des4 ignated, such person as the President may des5 ignate to lead the White House Initiative on 

6 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

7 (3) HBCU.—The term ‘‘HBCU’’ means a his8 torically Black college or university. 

9 (4) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI10 VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 

11 university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 

12 institution’’ under section 322 of the Higher Edu13 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 

14 (5) PRESIDENT’S BOARD OF ADVISORS.—The 

15 term ‘‘President’s Board of Advisors’’ means the 

16 President’s Board of Advisors on historically Black 

17 colleges and universities. 

18 (6) SECRETARY.—Except as otherwise provided, 

19 the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Edu20 cation. 

21 (7) WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE.—The term 

22 ‘‘White House Initiative’’ means the White House 

23 Initiative on historically Black colleges and univer24 sities. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 461 CPS

1 SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING HBCUS THROUGH FEDERAL 

2 AGENCY PLANS. 

3 (a) DESIGNATING APPLICABLE AGENCIES.—The 

4 Secretary, in consultation with the Executive Director, 

5 shall identify those Federal agencies that regularly inter6 act with HBCUs and designate them as applicable agen7 cies. 

8 (b) SUBMITTING AGENCY PLANS.—Not later than 

9 February 1 of each year, the head of each applicable agen10 cy shall submit to the Secretary and the Executive Direc11 tor an annual Agency Plan describing efforts to strength12 en the capacity of HBCUs to participate in relevant Fed13 eral programs and initiatives under the jurisdiction of the 

14 applicable agency. 

15 (c) FURTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION AND

16 ACCESSIBILITY.—The head of each applicable agency shall 

17 submit each annual Agency Plan described in subsection 

18 (b) to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 

19 Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education 

20 and Labor of the House of Representatives. 

21 (d) AGENCY PLAN CONTENT.—Where appropriate, 

22 each Agency Plan shall, among other things— 

23 (1) establish how the applicable agency intends 

24 to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effec25 tively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agree26 ments; 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 461 CPS

1 (2) identify Federal programs and initiatives 

2 under the jurisdiction of the applicable agency where 

3 HBCUs are not well-represented; 

4 (3) outline proposed efforts to improve HBCUs’ 

5 participation in such programs and initiatives in 

6 which they are underrepresented; 

7 (4) describe any progress made towards advanc8 ing or achieving goals and efforts from previous 

9 Agency Plans; 

10 (5) encourage public-sector, private-sector, and 

11 community involvement in improving the capacity of 

12 HBCUs; and 

13 (6) meet, where relevant, any additional criteria 

14 established by the Secretary or the White House Ini15 tiative. 

16 (e) AGENCY ENGAGEMENT.—To help fulfill the objec17 tives of the Agency Plans, the head of each applicable 

18 agency— 

19 (1) may provide, as appropriate, technical as20 sistance and information to the Executive Director 

21 to enhance communication with HBCUs concerning 

22 the applicable agency’s program activities and the 

23 preparation of applications or proposals for grants, 

24 contracts, or cooperative agreements; and 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 461 CPS

1 (2) shall appoint a senior official to report di2 rectly to the agency head on the applicable agency’s 

3 progress under this section. 

4 SEC. 5. PRESIDENT’S BOARD OF ADVISORS ON HBCUS. 

5 (a) ADMINISTRATION.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established the 

7 President’s Board of Advisors on historically Black 

8 colleges and universities in the Department of Edu9 cation or, if the President so elects, within the Exec10 utive Office of the President. 

11 (2) FUNDING FROM ED.—Except as provided in 

12 paragraph (3), the Secretary shall provide funding 

13 and administrative support for the President’s 

14 Board of Advisors, subject to the availability of ap15 propriations. 

16 (3) FUNDING FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF

17 THE PRESIDENT.—If the President elects to locate 

18 the President’s Board of Advisors within the Execu19 tive Office of the President, the Executive Office of 

20 the President shall provide funding and administra21 tive support for the President’s Board of Advisors, 

22 subject to the availability of appropriations. 

23 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The President shall appoint not 

24 more than 23 members to the President’s Board of Advi25 sors, and the Secretary and Executive Director or their 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 461 CPS

1 designees shall serve as ex officio members. The President 

2 shall designate one member of the President’s Board of 

3 Advisors to serve as its Chair, who shall help direct the 

4 Board’s work in coordination with the Secretary and in 

5 consultation with the Executive Director. The Chair shall 

6 also consult with the Executive Director regarding the 

7 time and location of meetings of the President’s Board 

8 of Advisors, which shall take place not less frequently than 

9 once every 6 months. Members of the President’s Board 

10 of Advisors shall serve without compensation, but shall be 

11 reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 

12 of subsistence, as authorized by law. Insofar as the Fed13 eral Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) may apply 

14 to the Board, any functions of the President under such 

15 Act, except for those of reporting to the Congress, shall 

16 be performed by the Chair, in accordance with guidelines 

17 issued by the Administrator of General Services. 

18 (c) MISSION AND FUNCTIONS.—The President’s 

19 Board of Advisors shall advise the President, through the 

20 White House Initiative, on all matters pertaining to 

21 strengthening the educational capacity of HBCUs. In par22 ticular, the President’s Board of Advisors shall advise the 

23 President in the following areas: 

24 (1) Improving the identity, visibility, distinctive 

25 capabilities, and overall competitiveness of HBCUs. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 461 CPS

1 (2) Engaging the philanthropic, business, gov2 ernment, military, homeland-security, and education 

3 communities in a national dialogue regarding new 

4 HBCU programs and initiatives. 

5 (3) Improving the ability of HBCUs to remain 

6 fiscally secure institutions that can assist the Nation 

7 in achieving its educational goals and in advancing 

8 the interests of all Americans. 

9 (4) Elevating the public awareness of, and fos10 tering appreciation of, HBCUs. 

11 (5) Encouraging public-private investments in 

12 HBCUs. 

13 (6) Improving government-wide strategic plan14 ning related to HBCU competitiveness to align Fed15 eral resources and provide the context for decisions 

16 about HBCU partnerships, investments, perform17 ance goals, priorities, human capital development 

18 and budget planning. 

19 (d) REPORT.—The President’s Board of Advisors 

20 shall report annually to the President on the Board’s 

21 progress in carrying out its duties under this section. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS