I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5895 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional uses 
of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and univer-
sities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2023 
Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. CARSON, Ms. LEE 
of California, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. BUSH, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 
WILSON of Florida, Mr. THANEDAR, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. JACKSON of Il-
linois, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 
BOWMAN, and Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK) introduced the following 
bill 
OCTOBER 25, 2023 
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen 
historically Black colleges and universities, 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. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) According to a 2021 study by Americans for 
the Arts, the arts are an invaluable aspect of Amer-
ican society, as they strengthen the economy, im-
prove healthcare, spark creativity and innovation, 
and unify communities, with 73 percent of partici-
pants agreeing that the arts help them to better un-
derstand other cultures. 
(2) Many United States museums are grappling 
with diversity. Studies report that only 1.4 percent 
of artists featured in America’s top museums are 
black, only 4 percent of staff directors at top muse-
ums are Black, and that only 2.5 percent of Black 
Americans are owners of Arts-Entertainment busi-
ness. 
(3) Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
or HBCUs, are uniquely positioned to produce a di-
verse generation of art professionals and help bring 
much needed attention to works by Black artists. 
HBCUs have historically served as long-standing 
conservators and crucial supporters of Black art and 
for the teaching, supporting, and displaying of es-
sential Black artists who may otherwise have re-
mained unrecognized. 
(4) Arts programs and arts departments are ex-
pensive and have often fallen victim to funding 
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shortfalls. In 2018, the College Art Association re-
ported that at least 18 institutions of higher edu-
cation planned to severely curtail or eliminate their 
arts departments. 
(5) HBCUs have also been underfunded by 
$12,600,000,000 compared to their predominantly 
White counterparts over the last 30 years. Some 
HBCUs have shrunk, consolidated, or cut their arts 
programs due to limited resources. 
(6) An increased investment in HBCU arts, 
arts education, and culture programs can further 
help students of color access an affordable arts edu-
cation and ensure the continued preparation, con-
servation, display, and study of works by Black art-
ists. 
SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES 
AND UNIVERSITIES. 
Section 323 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1062) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (14) and 
(15) as paragraphs (19) and (20), respectively; 
and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (13) the 
following: 
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‘‘(14) Providing financial and other assistance 
to students in arts, arts education, and cultural pro-
grams. 
‘‘(15) Establishing outreach programs and de-
velopment offices for arts, arts education, and cul-
tural departments. 
‘‘(16) Providing comprehensive wraparound 
services for arts, arts education, and cultural stu-
dents, including faculty and peer mentorship, work- 
based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, 
and career advising. 
‘‘(17) Exhibiting, maintaining, monitoring, and 
protecting Black art collections in exhibition and in 
storage. 
‘‘(18) Providing well-paid apprenticeship, in-
ternship, and fellowship opportunities to students in 
arts, arts education, and cultural programs through 
partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and 
cultural institutes.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.—An 
institution may enter into a partnership with the National 
Endowment for the Arts to carry out the activities de-
scribed in paragraphs (14) through (18) of subsection (a). 
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‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘arts’ 
means art forms used for self-expression and interpreta-
tion, including performance, literary, visual, graphic, plas-
tic, and decorative arts.’’. 
Æ 
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