I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 51 

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a grant 

program under which the Secretary will award $19,000,000 of grant 

funding to the 19 1890-institutions ($1,000,000 to each institution), 

such as Tuskegee University in Alabama, Prairie View A&M University 

of Texas, Fort Valley State University of Georgia, North Carolina A&T 

State University, and Florida A&M University, and allocate the 

$1,000,000 to each such institution for purposes of awarding scholarships 

to students attending such institutions, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2017 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. FUDGE, Mrs. 

LOVE, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. CLEAVER, and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary 

of Agriculture to establish a grant program under which 

the Secretary will award $19,000,000 of grant funding 

to the 19 1890-institutions ($1,000,000 to each institution), such as Tuskegee University in Alabama, Prairie 

View A&M University of Texas, Fort Valley State University of Georgia, North Carolina A&T State University, 

and Florida A&M University, and allocate the 

$1,000,000 to each such institution for purposes of 


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•HR 51 IH

awarding scholarships to students attending such institutions, 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; FINDINGS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890s Land6 Grant African-American Colleges and Universities Act’’. 

7 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 419, 

9 chapter 841; 7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), brought about 

10 the establishment of the following 19 public, Afri11 can-American land-grant colleges and universities: 

12 (A) Alabama A&M University. 

13 (B) Alcorn State University. 

14 (C) Central State University. 

15 (D) Delaware State University. 

16 (E) Florida A&M University. 

17 (F) Fort Valley State University. 

18 (G) Kentucky State University. 

19 (H) Langston University. 

20 (I) Lincoln University. 

21 (J) North Carolina A&T State University. 

22 (K) Prairie View A&M University. 

23 (L) South Carolina State University. 

24 (M) Southern University System. 


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1 (N) Tennessee State University. 

2 (O) Tuskegee University. 

3 (P) University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. 

4 (Q) University of Maryland Eastern Shore. 

5 (R) Virginia State University. 

6 (S) West Virginia State University. 

7 (2) Funding for agricultural education, re8 search, and extension at such colleges and univer9 sities is authorized to be appropriated to the Depart10 ment of Agriculture with each farm bill, which is en11 acted approximately every 5 years. 

12 (3) The Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 

13 113–79) authorizes the appropriation of Federal 

14 funds for research, education, and extension activi15 ties at such colleges and universities and the Agri16 culture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Admin17 istration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 

18 2016 (Division A of Public Law 114–113) appro19 priated $19,000,000 for education grants for such 

20 colleges and universities. 

21 (4) There is a great need to increase the num22 ber of young African-Americans seeking careers in 

23 the food and agricultural sciences (as defined in sec24 tion 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, 

25 Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 


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•HR 51 IH

1 U.S.C. 3103)), including agribusiness, food produc2 tion, distribution, and retailing, the clothing indus3 tries, energy and renewable fuels, and farming mar4 keting, finance, and distribution. 

5 (5) Scholarship funding provided to increase 

6 the number of young African-American individuals 

7 seeking a career in the food and agricultural 

8 sciences shall be provided with the caveat that such 

9 scholarship students shall commit to pursue a career 

10 in the food and agricultural sciences, including agri11 business, food production, distribution, and retailing, 

12 the clothing industries, energy and renewable fuels, 

13 and farming marketing, finance, and distribution. 

14 (6) The average age of farmers and producers 

15 in the United States is 60 years of age and con16 tinues to rise. 

17 (7) Beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined 

18 in section 7405 of Farm Security and Rural Invest19 ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f)) need greater 

20 assistance in the financing of their education be21 cause of the increased startup costs associated with 

22 farming, such as the purchase of land and farming 

23 equipment. 

24 (c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are the fol25 lowing: 


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1 (1) To address the national crisis posed by the 

2 aging farmer and producer population in the United 

3 States. 

4 (2) To increase the number of young African5 American individuals seeking a career in the food 

6 and agricultural sciences (as defined in section 1404 

7 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 

8 and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)), 

9 including agribusiness, food production, distribution, 

10 and retailing, the clothing industries, energy and re11 newable fuels, and farming marketing, finance, and 

12 distribution. 

13 (3) To reduce the average age of farmers and 

14 producers in the United States. 

15 (4) To provide greater assistance to beginning 

16 farmers and ranchers (as defined in section 7405 of 

17 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 

18 U.S.C. 3319f)). 

19 (5) To provide scholarships to 1890 land-grant 

20 students seeking careers in the food and agricultural 

21 sciences. 

22 SEC. 2. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS ATTEND23 ING 1890-INSTITUTIONS. 

24 Subtitle G of the National Agricultural Research, Ex25 tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by 


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1 inserting after section 1445 (7 U.S.C. 3222) the following 

2 new section: 

3 ‘‘SEC. 1446. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890 LAND4 GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE 

5 UNIVERSITY. 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

7 grant program under which the Secretary will award a 

8 grant to each college eligible to receive funds under the 

9 Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417–419, as amended; 

10 7 U.S.C. 321–326 and 328), including Tuskegee Univer11 sity (in this section referred to as ‘eligible institutions’) 

12 for purposes of awarding scholarships to individuals 

13 who— 

14 ‘‘(1) are seeking to attend such college; and 

15 ‘‘(2) intend to pursue a career in the food and 

16 agricultural sciences, including a career in agri17 business, food production, distribution, and retailing, 

18 the clothing industries, energy and renewable fuels, 

19 and farming marketing, finance, and distribution. 

20 ‘‘(b) FUNDING.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds of the Com22 modity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make 

23 available to carry out this section $19,000,000 for 

24 each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022. 


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1 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds made avail2 able under paragraph (1) in a fiscal year, the Sec3 retary shall allocate to each eligible institution 

4 $1,000,000.’’. 

Æ 


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