I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7572 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2022 
Mr. AGUILAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services, 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 amend the Public Works and Economic Development 
Act of 1965 to establish university centers to encourage 
certain economic development, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘University Centers for 
Growth, Development, Prosperity (GDP) Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY UNIVERSITY 
CENTERS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Title II of the Public Works 
and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 219. UNIVERSITY CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
awards to institutions of higher learning for such institu-
tions to serve as university centers. 
‘‘(b) GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE.—The Secretary shall 
ensure that one university center is established in each 
State to provide services in such State. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITIZATION OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COL-
LEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNI-
VERSITIES, HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS, AND MI-
NORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.—In establishing univer-
sity centers under this section, the Secretary shall 
prioritize institutions of higher education that are eligible 
to receive funds under section 371(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The university centers established 
under this section, to the extent practicable, shall— 
‘‘(1) collaborate with other university centers; 
‘‘(2) collaborate with economic development dis-
tricts, trade adjustment assistance centers, Hollings 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers of the 
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National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
Business Centers and Rural Business Centers of the 
Minority Business Development Agency, and other 
relevant Federal economic development technical as-
sistance and service providers to provide expertise, 
applied research, and technical assistance to develop, 
implement, and support regional strategies that as-
sist in job creation, high-skilled regional talent pools, 
and business expansion in a region’s innovation clus-
ter; 
‘‘(3) provide technical assistance, business de-
velopment services, and technology transfer services 
to businesses in the service area of the university 
center; 
‘‘(4) establish partnerships with one or more 
commercialization intermediaries that are public or 
nonprofit technology transfer organizations eligible 
to receive a grant under section 602(d)(1)(B) of the 
American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 
U.S.C. 1862s–9(d)(1)(B)); and 
‘‘(5) provide to communities and regions assist-
ance relating to data collection and analysis and 
other research relating to economic conditions and 
vulnerabilities that can inform economic development 
and adjustment strategies. 
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‘‘(e) FUNDING.—The Secretary may provide to each 
university center under this section for each fiscal year 
an amount that is not less than $500,000 and not more 
than $1,000,000.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 3(12) of 
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) is amended by inserting ‘‘a univer-
sity center established under section 219 or’’ after 
‘‘means’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Public Works and Economic Devel-
opment Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 note) is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 218 the fol-
lowing new item: 
‘‘Sec. 219. University centers.’’. 
Æ 
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