Title: Expressing the sense of Congress that August 30, 2021, be observed as the 131st anniversary of the 1890 Institutions.
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 131 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 48 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 48

 Expressing the sense of Congress that August 30, 2021, be observed as 
            the 131st anniversary of the 1890 Institutions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 27, 2021

 Ms. Adams (for herself, Mr. Barr, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mrs. Bustos, 
   Mr. Cooper, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. 
 Kaptur, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. 
   Pocan, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Trone, and Mr. 
   Turner) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that August 30, 2021, be observed as 
            the 131st anniversary of the 1890 Institutions.

Whereas former Senator Justin Morrill helped lead the passage of the Second 
        Morrill Act of 1890 on August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), to 
        establish and support land-grant institutions for African Americans to 
        attend;
Whereas the mission of the 1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the 
        Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 
        U.S.C. 7601)) is educational instruction, agricultural research, and 
        statewide extension efforts;
Whereas the universities that were founded and form the 1890 Institutions 
        include--

    (1) Lincoln University, in Missouri, in 1866;

    (2) Alcorn State University, in Mississippi, in 1871;

    (3) University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, in Arkansas, in 1873;

    (4) Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, in Alabama, in 
1875;

    (5) Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, in Texas, in 
1876;

    (6) Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, in 
Louisiana, in 1880;

    (7) Tuskegee University, in Alabama, in 1881;

    (8) Virginia State University, in Virginia, in 1882;

    (9) Kentucky State University, in Kentucky, in 1886;

    (10) University of Maryland Eastern Shore, in Maryland, in 1886;

    (11) Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, in Florida, in 
1887;

    (12) Central State University, in Ohio, in 1887;

    (13) Delaware State University, in Delaware, in 1891;

    (14) North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, in 
North Carolina, in 1891;

    (15) West Virginia State University, in West Virginia, in 1891;

    (16) Fort Valley State University, in Georgia, in 1895;

    (17) South Carolina State University, in South Carolina, in 1896;

    (18) Langston University, in Oklahoma, in 1897; and

    (19) Tennessee State University, in Tennessee, in 1912;

Whereas collectively, these institutions have over 88,000 undergraduate and 
        graduate students in disciplines including--

    (1) agriculture and related sciences;

    (2) computer and information sciences;

    (3) biological and biomedical sciences;

    (4) the physical and social sciences;

    (5) the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas; 
and

    (6) other majors and degrees;

Whereas the Council of 1890 Universities is comprised of the 19 presidents and 
        chancellors of the universities and provides leadership to advance the 
        interests of the institutions;
Whereas the 1890 Association of Research Directors and the 1890 Association of 
        Extension Administrators, respectively, help lead the university 
        research activities and serve the extension needs of communities;
Whereas the 1890 Universities Foundation was established in December 2016 to 
        help facilitate strategic initiatives across the 1890 Institutions;
Whereas in successive farm bills, including the Agriculture Improvement Act of 
        2018 (Public Law 115-334), Congress made new Federal investments in the 
        1890 Institutions, such as--

    (1) the program providing scholarships for students at 1890 
Institutions under section 1446 of the National Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222a);

    (2) the recognition of at least 3 Centers of Excellence at 1890 
Institutions under section 1673(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5926(d)); and

    (3) allowing for the carryover of funds for extension at 1890 
Institutions under section 7114 of the Agriculture Improvement of 2018 
(Public Law 115-334);

Whereas in the ongoing Federal-State partnership to provide support for the 19 
        historically Black 1890 Institutions, sections 1444 and 1445 of the 
        National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
        1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221, 3222), the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.), 
        and the Hatch Act of 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361a et seq.) require the States to 
        fully match the Federal funding provided under such provisions of law;
Whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, 
        Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136), the Consolidated 
        Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), and the American Rescue 
        Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) has provided significant Federal 
        funding and resources to help universities, including the 1890 
        Institutions, meet the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives convened a 
        subcommittee and a full committee hearing in December 2020 and June 
        2021, respectively, where the presidents and deans of several 1890 
        Institutions testified on the importance of and issues impacting the 
        1890 Institutions; and
Whereas the Department of Agriculture has worked collaboratively with the 1890 
        Institutions through the USDA-1890 Task Force established in 1988, 
        enabling the 1890 Institutions to work across the Department: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the 131 years of significant and meaningful 
        contributions the 1890 Institutions have made to the United 
        States;
            (2) encourages that the 131st anniversary of the 1890 
        Institutions should be observed with Federal and State 
        ceremonies and other appropriate events around the country;
            (3) celebrates the collaborative work the 19 historically 
        Black 1890 Institutions have undertaken to address the 
        agricultural research and extension needs of the country;
            (4) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture 
        and other Federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with 
        the 1890 Institutions;
            (5) encourages the creation of task forces similar to the 
        USDA-1890 Task Force across other Federal agencies; and
            (6) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the 
        past funding and program inequities of the 1890 Institutions.
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