II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4247 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 

establish university centers to encourage certain economic development, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 18 (legislative day, MAY 17), 2022 

Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. BROWN) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Works and Economic Development 

Act of 1965 to establish university centers to encourage 

certain economic development, 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 ‘‘University Centers for 

5 Growth, Development, and Prosperity Act of 2022’’. 


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•S 4247 IS

1 SEC. 2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY UNIVERSITY 

2 CENTERS. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Title II of the Public Works 

4 and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 

5 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 219. UNIVERSITY CENTERS. 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 

8 awards to institutions of higher learning for such institu9 tions to serve as university centers. 

10 ‘‘(b) GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE.—The Secretary shall 

11 ensure that one university center is established in each 

12 State to provide services in such State. 

13 ‘‘(c) PRIORITIZATION OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COL14 LEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNI15 VERSITIES, HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS, AND MI16 NORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.—In establishing univer17 sity centers under this section, the Secretary shall 

18 prioritize institutions of higher education that are eligible 

19 to receive funds under section 371(a) of the Higher Edu20 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 

21 ‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The university centers established 

22 under this section, to the extent practicable, shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) collaborate with other university centers; 

24 ‘‘(2) collaborate with economic development dis25 tricts, trade adjustment assistance centers, Hollings 

26 Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers of the 


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1 National Institute of Standards and Technology, 

2 Business Centers and Rural Business Centers of the 

3 Minority Business Development Agency, and other 

4 relevant Federal economic development technical as5 sistance and service providers to provide expertise, 

6 applied research, and technical assistance to develop, 

7 implement, and support regional strategies that as8 sist in job creation, high-skilled regional talent pools, 

9 and business expansion in a region’s innovation clus10 ter; 

11 ‘‘(3) provide technical assistance, business de12 velopment services, and technology transfer services 

13 to businesses in the service area of the university 

14 center; 

15 ‘‘(4) establish partnerships with one or more 

16 commercialization intermediaries that are public or 

17 nonprofit technology transfer organizations eligible 

18 to receive a grant under section 602(d)(1)(B) of the 

19 American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 

20 U.S.C. 1862s–9(d)(1)(B)); and 

21 ‘‘(5) provide to communities and regions assist22 ance relating to data collection and analysis and 

23 other research relating to economic conditions and 

24 vulnerabilities that can inform economic development 

25 and adjustment strategies. 


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1 ‘‘(e) FUNDING.—The Secretary may provide to each 

2 university center under this section for each fiscal year 

3 an amount that is not less than $500,000 and not more 

4 than $1,000,000.’’. 

5 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 3(12) of 

6 the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 

7 (42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) is amended by inserting ‘‘a univer8 sity center established under section 219 or’’ after 

9 ‘‘means’’. 

10 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

11 in section 1(b) of the Public Works and Economic Devel12 opment Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 note) is amended 

13 by inserting after the item relating to section 218 the fol14 lowing new item: 

‘‘Sec. 219. University centers.’’. 

Æ 


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