I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1494 

To strengthen partnerships between historically Black colleges and universities 

and minority-serving institutions and the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 5, 2019 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi (for himself, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 

GREEN of Texas, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. LEE of California, 

Mrs. BEATTY, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. BASS, Mr. CLYBURN, and Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to 

the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

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 through fiscal year 2024; 

17 and 

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

19 Department to— 

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

21 of the issuance under paragraph (1) of the De22 partment-wide strategy, develop a component23 specific action plan to implement such strategy; 

24 (B) monitor progress on such implementa25 tion; and 


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1 (C) not later than one year after the date 

2 of such issuance, report to the Secretary re3 garding progress on such implementation. 

4 SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

5 PARTNERSHIPS. 

6 The Under Secretary for Science and Technology of 

7 the Department shall seek to enhance partnerships with 

8 historically Black colleges and universities and minority9 serving institutions with respect to administering the pri10 mary research and development activities of the Depart11 ment by, among other things— 

12 (1) encouraging the participation of such col13 leges, universities, and institutions in the research, 

14 development, testing, and evaluation programs and 

15 activities of the Department; 

16 (2) facilitating partnerships between such col17 leges, universities, and institutions and private sec18 tor stakeholders, national laboratories, and other 

19 academic institutions in areas important to home20 land security; and 

21 (3) distributing funds through Science and 

22 Technology Directorate grants, cooperative agree23 ments, and contracts to such colleges, universities, 

24 and institutions for enhancements in areas impor25 tant to homeland security. 


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1 SEC. 4. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES PARTNERSHIPS. 

2 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief 

4 Human Capitol Officer of the Department, shall make 

5 available to historically Black colleges and universities and 

6 minority-serving institutions a current list of internship, 

7 fellowship, scholarship, and recruitment opportunities 

8 within the Department for students and recent graduates 

9 of such colleges, universities, and institutions. 

10 SEC. 5. OPPORTUNITIES FOR 8(a) PROGRAM PARTNER11 SHIPS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

14 the Small Business Administration shall publish eligibility 

15 criteria on how historically Black colleges and universities 

16 and minority-serving institutions may qualify to partici17 pate in Federal acquisitions authorized pursuant to sec18 tion 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a); 

19 Public Law 85–536). 

20 (b) DEPARTMENT ACTIONS.—Upon publication of 

21 eligibility criteria in accordance with subsection (a), the 

22 Secretary shall disseminate information to historically 

23 Black colleges and universities and minority-serving insti24 tutions regarding— 

25 (1) how to establish such eligibility; and 


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1 (2) current and future opportunities to partici2 pate in Federal acquisitions authorized pursuant to 

3 section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. 

4 SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT. 

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

6 2020, and annually thereafter through 2026, the Sec7 retary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Secu8 rity of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

9 on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

10 Senate a report on the efforts of the Department to part11 ner with historically Black colleges and universities and 

12 minority-serving institutions to carry out this Act. 

13 (b) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—The annual re14 ports required under subsection (a) shall include the fol15 lowing: 

16 (1) A list of awards, including the cor17 responding monetary value for each such award, to 

18 historically Black colleges and universities and mi19 nority-serving institutions, disaggregated by grant, 

20 contract, cooperative agreement, and other research 

21 development test and evaluation activity, initiative, 

22 and program. 

23 (2) A description of how the Department is 

24 partnering with historically Black colleges and uni25 versities and minority-serving institutions under the 


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

2 such programs have helped such colleges, univer3 sities, and institutions participate in acquisitions 

4 with the Department. 

5 (3) A summary of outreach efforts to histori6 cally Black colleges and universities and minority7 serving institutions, and an identification of any De8 partment programs and initiatives in which such col9 leges, universities, and institutions are under-rep10 resented among institutions of higher education. 

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

12 by the Department pursuant to sections 2 and 4, in13 cluding— 

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

15 pursuant to the Department-wide strategy to 

16 enhance partnerships with historically Black 

17 colleges and universities and minority-serving 

18 institutions under such section, and the status 

19 of efforts to implement action plans throughout 

20 the Department to carry out such strategy; and 

21 (B) for section 4, participation rates in 

22 each internship, fellowship, scholarship, and re23 cruitment opportunity referred to in such sec24 tion, listed by historically Black college and uniVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Mar 15, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1494.IH H1494

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1 versity and minority-serving institution so par2 ticipating. 

3 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

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

6 means the Department of Homeland Security. 

7 (2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNI8 VERSITIES.—The term ‘‘historically Black colleges 

9 and universities’’ means a part B institution de10 scribed in section 322(2) of the Higher Education 

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

12 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

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

14 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High15 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

16 (4) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.—The 

17 term ‘‘minority-serving institutions’’ means an insti18 tution of higher education described in section 

19 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

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

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

22 Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Æ 


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