A new bipartisan proposal is seeking to help historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) build themselves up.
The proposal is being led in the U.S House of Representatives by HBCU Caucus co-founder and co-chair Rep. Alma S. Adams, D-NC and HBCU Caucus co-chair Rep. French Hill,R-AR and in the U.S. Senate by HBCU Caucus co-chairs Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE and Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC.
The bill, “Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education (IGNITE) for HBCU Excellence Act,” was officially introduced on Wednesday at a press conference on Capitol Grounds.
Adams said the bill was being introduced “to rectify over a century of systemic neglect.” The bill has the potential to create jobs while investing in HCBU infrastructure, Adams said at the event.
The bill would give funding for HBCUs for campus facility renovation, repair, improvement and construction, historical preservation of buildings, high-speed broadband and acquisition of equipment, according to the bill summary.
According to the summary, out of 79 HBCUs surveyed for a 2018 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 70 reported that 46% of their building space needed repair or replacement. And eight of 35 public HBCUs surveyed reported that more than 75% of their building space needed such fixes. Public and private HBCUs reported average deferred maintenance backlogs of $67 million and $17 million respectively.
“As a former community banker and a former chamber chairman in metro Little Rock, I know the academic and economic power and strength of these HBCUs, not only for the benefit of those students, but for the benefit of greater Little Rock’s workforce,” Hill said at the event.
