IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1494 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT 

To strengthen partnerships between historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions 

and the Department of Homeland Security, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Historically Black Col3 leges and Universities (HBCUs) Homeland Security Part4 nerships Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT-WIDE STRATEGY FOR ENHANCED 

6 PARTNERSHIPS WITH HISTORICALLY BLACK 

7 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND MINOR8 ITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS. 

9 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Under 

11 Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans of the Depart12 ment, shall— 

13 (1) issue a Department-wide strategy to en14 hance partnerships with historically Black colleges 

15 and universities and minority-serving institutions 

16 that includes yearly goals, including goals related to 

17 improving recruitment and hiring, research and de18 velopment, and acquisition opportunities at such in19 stitutions, through fiscal year 2025; and 

20 (2) require the head of each component of the 

21 Department to— 

22 (A) not later than 150 days after the date 

23 of the issuance under paragraph (1) of the De24 partment-wide strategy, develop a component25 specific action plan to implement such strategy; 


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1 (B) monitor progress on such implementa2 tion; and 

3 (C) not later than 1 year after the date of 

4 such issuance, report to the Secretary regarding 

5 progress on such implementation. 

6 SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

7 PARTNERSHIPS. 

8 The Secretary shall seek to enhance partnerships 

9 with historically Black colleges and universities and minor10 ity-serving institutions with respect to administering the 

11 research and development activities of the Department by, 

12 among other things— 

13 (1) encouraging the participation of such col14 leges, universities, and institutions in the research, 

15 development, testing, and evaluation programs and 

16 activities of the Department; 

17 (2) facilitating partnerships between such col18 leges, universities, and institutions and private sec19 tor stakeholders, national laboratories, and other 

20 academic institutions in areas important to home21 land security, including cybersecurity, emergency 

22 management, and counterterrorism; and 

23 (3) distributing funds through Science and 

24 Technology Directorate grants, cooperative agree25 ments, and contracts to such colleges, universities, 


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1 and institutions for enhancements in areas impor2 tant to homeland security, including cybersecurity, 

3 emergency management, and counterterrorism. 

4 SEC. 4. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES PARTNERSHIPS. 

5 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact6 ment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief 

7 Human Capitol Officer of the Department, shall make 

8 available to historically Black colleges and universities and 

9 minority-serving institutions a current list of internship, 

10 fellowship, scholarship, and recruitment opportunities 

11 within the Department for students and recent graduates 

12 of such colleges, universities, and institutions. 

13 SEC. 5. ACQUISITION PARTNERSHIPS. 

14 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact15 ment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief 

16 Procurement Officer of the Department, shall— 

17 (1) identify how to increase the participation of 

18 historically Black colleges and universities and mi19 nority-serving institutions in Department acquisi20 tions, including identifying existing opportunities for 

21 historically Black colleges and universities and mi22 nority-serving institutions to participate in the con23 tracting program of the Small Business Administra24 tion for minorities; and 


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1 (2) disseminate to such colleges, universities, 

2 and institutions— 

3 (A) information identified in accordance 

4 with paragraph (1); and 

5 (B) current and future opportunities to 

6 participate in Department acquisitions. 

7 SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT. 

8 (a) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 

9 2020, and annually thereafter through 2026, the Sec10 retary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Secu11 rity of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

12 on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

13 Senate a report on the efforts of the Department to part14 ner with historically Black colleges and universities and 

15 minority-serving institutions to carry out this Act. 

16 (b) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—The annual re17 ports required under subsection (a) shall include the fol18 lowing: 

19 (1) A list of awards, including the cor20 responding monetary value for each such award, to 

21 historically Black colleges and universities and mi22 nority-serving institutions, disaggregated by grant, 

23 contract, cooperative agreement, and other research 

24 development test and evaluation activity, initiative, 

25 and program. 


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1 (2) A description of how the Department is 

2 partnering with historically Black colleges and uni3 versities and minority-serving institutions under the 

4 programs referred to in sections 3 and 5, and how 

5 such programs have helped such colleges, univer6 sities, and institutions participate in acquisitions 

7 with the Department. 

8 (3) A summary of outreach efforts to histori9 cally Black colleges and universities and minority10 serving institutions, and an identification of any De11 partment programs and initiatives in which such col12 leges, universities, and institutions are under-rep13 resented among institutions of higher education. 

14 (4) A description of the status of efforts made 

15 by the Department pursuant to sections 2 and 4, in16 cluding— 

17 (A) for section 2, Department-wide goals 

18 pursuant to the Department-wide strategy to 

19 enhance partnerships with historically Black 

20 colleges and universities and minority-serving 

21 institutions under such section, and the status 

22 of efforts to implement action plans throughout 

23 the Department to carry out such strategy; and 

24 (B) for section 4, participation rates in 

25 each internship, fellowship, scholarship, and reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:22 Feb 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1494.RFS H1494

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1 cruitment opportunity referred to in such sec2 tion, listed by historically Black college and uni3 versity and minority-serving institution so par4 ticipating. 

5 (5) A list of memoranda of understanding en6 tered into by the Department with historically Black 

7 colleges and universities and minority-serving insti8 tutions and information on the parties and scope of 

9 each such memorandum of understanding. 

10 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

11 In this Act: 

12 (1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

13 means the Department of Homeland Security. 

14 (2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNI15 VERSITIES.—The term ‘‘historically Black colleges 

16 and universities’’ means a part B institution de17 scribed in section 322(2) of the Higher Education 

18 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)). 

19 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

20 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

21 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High22 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

23 (4) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.—The 

24 term ‘‘minority-serving institutions’’ means an insti25 tution of higher education described in section 


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1 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

2 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 

3 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

4 Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 10, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 

By ROBERT F. REEVES, 

Deputy Clerk. 


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