II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2331 

To establish the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Innovation Fund. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 13, 2014 

Mrs. HAGAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish the Historically Black Colleges and Universities 

Innovation Fund. 

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 ‘‘Historically Black Col5 leges and Universities Innovation Fund Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVER7 SITIES INNOVATION FUND. 

8 Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

9 U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

10 the following: 

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1 ‘‘PART F—HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND 

2 UNIVERSITIES INNOVATION FUND 

3 ‘‘SEC. 786. PURPOSE. 

4 ‘‘It is the purpose of this part to assist historically 

5 Black colleges and universities in planning, developing, im6 plementing, validating, and replicating innovations that 

7 provide solutions to persistent challenges in enabling eco8 nomically and educationally disadvantaged students to en9 roll in, persist through, and graduate from historically 

10 Black colleges and universities, including initiatives de11 signed to— 

12 ‘‘(1) improve student achievement at histori13 cally Black colleges and universities; 

14 ‘‘(2) increase successful recruitment at histori15 cally Black colleges and universities of— 

16 ‘‘(A) students from low-income families of 

17 all races; 

18 ‘‘(B) adults; and 

19 ‘‘(C) military-affiliated students; 

20 ‘‘(3) increase the rate at which students en21 rolled in historically Black colleges and universities 

22 make adequate or accelerated progress towards 

23 graduation and successfully graduate from such col24 leges and universities; 

25 ‘‘(4) increase the number of students pursuing 

26 and completing degrees in science, technology, engimstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 neering, and mathematics at historically Black col2 leges and universities and pursuing graduate work in 

3 such fields; 

4 ‘‘(5) enhance the quality of teacher preparation 

5 programs offered by historically Black colleges and 

6 universities; 

7 ‘‘(6) redesign course offerings and institutional 

8 student aid programs to help students obtain mean9 ingful employment; and 

10 ‘‘(7) expand the effective use of technology at 

11 historically Black colleges and universities. 

12 ‘‘SEC. 787. DEFINITIONS. 

13 ‘‘In this part: 

14 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en15 tity’ means— 

16 ‘‘(A) a part B institution as defined in sec17 tion 322(2); 

18 ‘‘(B) a part B institution, as so defined, 

19 applying in consortium with one or more other 

20 institutions of higher education; 

21 ‘‘(C) a part B institution, as so defined, 

22 applying in consortium with one or more private 

23 nonprofit organizations; 

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1 ‘‘(D) a part B institution, as so defined, 

2 applying in consortium with one or more local 

3 educational agencies; or 

4 ‘‘(E) a part B institution, as so defined, 

5 applying in a consortium that includes entities 

6 described in more than one of paragraphs (2), 

7 (3), or (4). 

8 ‘‘(2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI9 VERSITY.—The term ‘historically Black college or 

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

11 institution’ as defined in section 322(2). 

12 ‘‘SEC. 788. GRANTS AUTHORIZED. 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—With funds made available for 

14 this part under section 792, the Secretary shall make com15 petitive planning and implementation grants, as described 

16 in subsections (b) and (c), to eligible entities to enable 

17 such entities to plan for the implementation of, in the case 

18 of a planning grant, and implement, in the case of an im19 plementation grant, innovations authorized under this 

20 part and to support the implementation, validation, scal21 ing up, and replication of such innovations. 

22 ‘‘(b) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall use not 

24 more than $10,500,000 of the funds made available 

25 under section 792 to award planning grants to eligimstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ble entities to plan, design, and develop innovations 

2 that address the purpose of this part as described in 

3 section 786. 

4 ‘‘(2) DURATION.—A planning grant authorized 

5 under this subsection shall be for the duration of 1 

6 year. 

7 ‘‘(3) GRANT AMOUNTS.—Each planning grant 

8 authorized under this subsection shall be of an 

9 amount that is not more than $100,000. 

10 ‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With funds made available 

12 for this part under section 792, the Secretary shall 

13 award implementation grants to eligible entities to 

14 further develop, pilot, field-test, implement, docu15 ment, validate, and, as applicable, scale up and rep16 licate innovations that address the purpose of this 

17 part as described in section 786. 

18 ‘‘(2) DURATION.—An implementation grant au19 thorized under this subsection shall be for a dura20 tion of 5 years, conditional after 3 years upon the 

21 eligible entity achieving satisfactory progress to22 wards carrying out the educational innovations, ac23 tivities, and projects described in section 789(d), as 

24 determined by the Secretary. 

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1 ‘‘(3) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each planning grant 

2 authorized under this subsection shall be of an 

3 amount that is not more than $10,000,000. 

4 ‘‘(d) CONSORTIUM ENTITIES.— 

5 ‘‘(1) FISCAL AGENT.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an eligi7 ble entity described in subparagraph (B), (C), 

8 (D), or (E) of section 787(1), each part B insti9 tution, institution of higher education, private 

10 nonprofit organization, or educational agency 

11 that applied in consortium for a grant under 

12 this part shall agree on 1 such member of such 

13 eligible entity to serve as the fiscal agent of 

14 such entity. 

15 ‘‘(B) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The fiscal agent 

16 of an eligible entity, as described in subpara17 graph (A), shall act on behalf of such entity in 

18 performing the financial duties of such entity. 

19 ‘‘(C) WRITTEN AGREEMENT.—The agree20 ment described in subparagraph (A) shall be in 

21 writing and signed by each part B institution, 

22 institution of higher education, private non23 profit organization, or educational agency that 

24 applied in consortium with the selected fiscal 

25 agent for a grant under this part. 

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1 ‘‘(2) SUBGRANTS.—In the case of an entity de2 scribed in subparagraph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of sec3 tion 787(1) that receives a grant under this part, 

4 the fiscal agent for such entity (as described in 

5 paragraph (1)) may make subgrants to another part 

6 B institution, institution of higher education, private 

7 nonprofit organization, or educational agency that 

8 applied in consortium for such grant with such fiscal 

9 agent. 

10 ‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

11 ‘‘(1) PLANNING GRANTS.—The Federal share of 

12 the total cost of carrying out a project funded by a 

13 planning grant authorized under subsection (b) shall 

14 be 100 percent of such total cost. 

15 ‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of 

17 the total cost of carrying out a project funded 

18 by an implementation grant authorized under 

19 subsection (c) shall be not more than 85 per20 cent of such total cost. 

21 ‘‘(B) REMAINING COST.—An eligible entity 

22 that receives a grant under subsection (c) shall 

23 provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount 

24 equal to not less than 15 percent of the total 

25 cost of carrying out the project funded by the 

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1 grant. Such amount may be provided by in cash 

2 or in kind contributions. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 789. APPLICATIONS. 

4 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 

5 grant under this part shall submit an application to the 

6 Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 

7 such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. 

8 ‘‘(b) CONSORTIUM ENTITIES.—An application under 

9 this section for a planning grant or an implementation 

10 grant by an eligible entity that is a part B institution ap11 plying for a grant under this part in consortium with an12 other institution of higher education, private nonprofit or13 ganization, or educational agency, as described in sub14 paragraph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 787(1), shall 

15 include the written agreement described in section 

16 788(d)(1)(C). 

17 ‘‘(c) PLANNING GRANTS.—The Secretary shall en18 sure that the application requirements under this section 

19 for a planning grant authorized under section 788(b) in20 clude, in addition to the requirement under subsection (b), 

21 only the minimal requirements that are necessary to re22 view the proposed process of an eligible entity for the plan23 ning and development of one or more educational innova24 tions that address the purpose of this part as described 

25 in section 786. 

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1 ‘‘(d) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—An application 

2 under this section for an implementation grant authorized 

3 under section 788(c) shall include, in addition to the re4 quirement under subsection (b), descriptions of— 

5 ‘‘(1) each educational innovation that the eligi6 ble entity will implement using the funds made avail7 able by such grant, including, as applicable, a de8 scription of the evidence supporting the effectiveness 

9 of each such innovation; 

10 ‘‘(2) how each educational innovation proposed 

11 to be implemented under such grant will address the 

12 purpose of this part, as described in section 786, 

13 and how each such innovation will further the insti14 tutional or organizational missions of, as applicable, 

15 the part B institution and each institution of higher 

16 education, private nonprofit organization, and edu17 cational agency applying in consortium with such 

18 part B institution for such grant; 

19 ‘‘(3) the specific activities that the eligible enti20 ty will carry out with funds made available by such 

21 grant, including, for a consortium application sub22 mitted by an eligible entity described in subpara23 graph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 787(1), a de24 scription of the activities that the part B institution 

25 and each institution of higher education, private 

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1 nonprofit organization, and educational agency of 

2 the consortium will carry out and a description of 

3 the capacity of each such institution, organization, 

4 and educational agency to carry out such activities; 

5 ‘‘(4) the performance measures that the eligible 

6 entity will use to track its progress in implementing 

7 each proposed educational innovation, including a 

8 description of how the entity will implement such 

9 performance measures and use information on per10 formance to make adjustments and improvements to 

11 its implementation activities, as needed, over the 

12 course of the grant period; 

13 ‘‘(5) how the eligible entity will provide the 

14 amount required under section 788(e)(2)(B); 

15 ‘‘(6) how the eligible entity will provide for an 

16 independent evaluation of the implementation and 

17 impact of the projects funded by such grant that in18 cludes— 

19 ‘‘(A) an interim report (evaluating the 

20 progress made in the first 3 years of the grant); 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(B) a final report (completed at the end 

23 of the grant period); and 

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1 ‘‘(7) the plan of the eligible entity for con2 tinuing each proposed educational innovation after 

3 the grant period has ended. 

4 ‘‘SEC. 790. PRIORITY. 

5 ‘‘In awarding grants under this part, the Secretary 

6 shall give priority to applications that address issues of 

7 major national need, including— 

8 ‘‘(1) educational innovations designed to in9 crease the number of African-American males who 

10 attain a postsecondary degree; 

11 ‘‘(2) innovative partnerships between part B in12 stitutions and local educational agencies that are de13 signed to increase the enrollment and successful 

14 completion of historically underrepresented popu15 lations in higher education; 

16 ‘‘(3) educational innovations that bring together 

17 the resources of part B institutions and partner in18 stitutions in support of economic development, entre19 preneurship, and the commercialization of funded re20 search and the development of an innovation eco21 system on postsecondary school campuses; 

22 ‘‘(4) educational innovations that support devel23 oping programs and initiatives to support under24 graduate and graduate programs in science, tech25 nology, engineering, and mathematics; and 

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1 ‘‘(5) educational innovations described in para2 graphs (3) and (6) of section 791(b). 

3 ‘‘SEC. 791. USE OF FUNDS. 

4 ‘‘(a) PLANNING GRANTS.—An eligible entity receiv5 ing a planning grant authorized under section 788(b) shall 

6 use funds made available by such grant to conduct a com7 prehensive institutional planning process that includes— 

8 ‘‘(1) an assessment of the needs of the part B 

9 institution and, in the case of an eligible entity ap10 plying in a consortium described in subparagraph 

11 (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 787(1), the needs of 

12 such other institution of higher education, private 

13 nonprofit organization, or educational agency; 

14 ‘‘(2) research on educational innovations, con15 sistent with the purpose of this part, as described in 

16 section 786, to meet the needs described in para17 graph (1); 

18 ‘‘(3) the selection of one or more such edu19 cational innovations to be implemented; 

20 ‘‘(4) an assessment of the capacity of the part 

21 B institution and, in the case of an eligible entity 

22 applying in a consortium as described in subpara23 graph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 787(1), the 

24 capacity of such other institution of higher edu25 cation, private nonprofit organization, or educational 

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1 agency to implement each such educational innova2 tion; and 

3 ‘‘(5) activities to further develop such capacity. 

4 ‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—An eligible entity 

5 receiving an implementation grant under section 788(c) 

6 shall use the funds made available by such grant to further 

7 develop, pilot, field-test, implement, document, validate, 

8 and, as applicable, scale up and replicate educational inno9 vations that address the purpose of this part, as described 

10 in section 786, such as educational innovations designed 

11 to— 

12 ‘‘(1) improve student achievement, such as 

13 through activities designed to increase the number 

14 or percentage of students who successfully complete 

15 developmental or remedial coursework (which may 

16 be accomplished through the evidence-based redesign 

17 of such coursework) and pursue and succeed in post18 secondary studies; 

19 ‘‘(2) improve and expand institutional recruit20 ment, postsecondary school awareness, and postsec21 ondary school preparation efforts targeting students, 

22 including high-achieving students, from low-income 

23 families, such as through activities undertaken in 

24 partnership with local educational agencies and non25 profit organizations (including the introduction of 

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1 dual enrollment programs and the implementation of 

2 activities designed to enable more students to enter 

3 postsecondary education without the need for reme4 diation); 

5 ‘‘(3) increase the number or percentage of stu6 dents, particularly students who are members of his7 torically underrepresented populations, who enroll in 

8 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

9 courses, graduate with degrees in such fields, and 

10 pursue advanced studies in such fields; 

11 ‘‘(4) increase (such as through the provision of 

12 comprehensive academic and nonacademic student 

13 support services) the number or percentage of stu14 dents who make satisfactory or accelerated progress 

15 toward graduation from postsecondary school and 

16 the number or percentage of students who graduate 

17 from postsecondary school on time; 

18 ‘‘(5) implement evidence-based improvements to 

19 courses, particularly high-enrollment courses, to im20 prove student outcomes and reduce education costs 

21 for students, including costs of remedial courses; 

22 ‘‘(6) enhance the quality of teacher preparation 

23 programs at part B institutions, to enable teachers 

24 at such institutions to be highly effective in the 

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1 classroom and to enable such programs to meet the 

2 demands for accountability in teacher education; 

3 ‘‘(7) expand the effective use of technology in 

4 higher education, such as through inter-institutional 

5 collaboration on implementing competency-based 

6 technology-enabled delivery models (including hybrid 

7 models) or through the use of open educational re8 sources and digital content; and 

9 ‘‘(8) provide a continuum of solutions by incor10 porating activities that address multiple objectives 

11 described in paragraphs (1) through (7). 

12 ‘‘SEC. 792. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

14 as may be necessary for fiscal years 2015 through 2020 

15 to carry out the activities under this part.’’. 

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