Washington, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Senate followed the House’s lead by passing S.461, the HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act (PARTNERS), as amended, by a voice vote. This bill was led in the Senate by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and 14 bipartisan cosponsors, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D-CA). Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) led the bill in the House. The measure would codify Executive Order 13779, which seeks to require agencies that regularly interact with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to submit an agency plan to both the Secretary of Education and the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs regarding efforts to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to participate in relevant federal programs and initiatives.
“Thanks to Sen. Tim Scott and Congresswoman Adams for guiding this bill through the process,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “Once again, I say as emphatically as possible that much more that must be done for HBCUs before this Congress gavels out. In this next round of stimulus, HBCUs need more relief, like the funding found in the CARES Act. Additionally, institutions with loans from the HBCU Capital Finance program must receive permanent relief.”
“Codifying Executive Order 13779 is an essential first piece of the puzzle to make sure HBCUs receive the funding necessary to be whole,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs at UNCF. “When I think about what we as African Americans have experienced this year, with the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 as well as the undisputed showcase of racial inequity, we can only be bold in our asks. HBCUs can no longer wait. It is important to bolster HBCU funding in regular appropriations, follow up on funding made in the CARES Act and permanently relieve HBCUs of HBCU Capital Finance Program debt. We see all of those steps as necessary this month, especially considering the level of support HBCUs received at both the Democratic and Republican Conventions this year.”
The HBCU PARTNERS Act also codifies the role of the president’s Board of Advisors, which advises the president of the United States on all matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of HBCUs. The president is expected to sign the legislation.
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.