,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ccaj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #b1  
#bjba,mr4 ,brown introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the    
,secretary of ,defense to develop a plan
 to establish the ,minority ,institute  
for ,defense ,research1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,building ,equitable
 ,access to ,contribute to ,our         
,national ,security ,act of #bjba or the
 ,,beacon ,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,minority 
,institute for ,defense ,research  7a7  
,plan ,to establish ,minority ,institute
 for ,defense ,research  7#a7 ,in       
general ,not later than #a year after   
the date of the enactment of this       
section1 the ,secretary shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a  
plan 7in this section referred to as the
 ,plan7 for the establishment of the    
,minority ,institute for ,defense       

,research 7in this section referred to  
as the ,consortium74  7#b7 ,elements    
,the ,plan shall include the following3 
7,a7 ,information relating to the       
projected needs of the ,department for  
the next twenty years with respect to   
essential engineering1 research1 or     
development capability4  7,b7 ,an       
assessment relating to the engineering1 
research1 and development capability of 
each minority institution to identify   
each leading minority institution4  7,c7
 ,information relating to the           
advancements and investments necessary  
to elevate a minority institution or a  
consortium of minority institutions to  
the research capacity of a ,university  
,affiliated ,research ,center4  7,d7    
,recommendations relating to actions    
that may be taken by the ,department1   
,congress1 and minority institutions to 
establish the ,consortium within #aj    
years4  7#c7 ,publicly available ,the   
,plan shall be posted on a publicly     
available website of the ,department4   

7b7 ,naming of the ,consortium ,with    
respect to the naming of the            
,consortium1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7
 establish a process to solicit and     
review proposals of names from-- 7,a7   
minority institutions2  7,b7 nonprofit  
institutions that advocate on behalf of 
minority institutions2 and  7,c7 members
 of the public2  7#b7 develop a list of 
all names received pursuant to paragraph
 7#a72  7#c7 provide opportunity for    
public comment on the names included on 
such list2 and  7#d7 choose a name from 
such list to name the ,consortium4  7c7 
,grant program for leading minority     
institutions  7#a7 ,in general ,the     
,secretary may establish a program to   
award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to
 leading minority institutions for the  
purposes described in paragraph 7#b74   
7#b7 ,purposes ,the purposes described  
in this paragraph are the following3    
7,a7 ,establishing a legal entity for   
the purpose of entering into research   
contracts or agreements with the        

,federal ,government or the ,consortium4
  7,b7 ,developing the capability to bid
 on ,federal ,government or ,consortium 
contracts4  7,c7 ,requesting technical  
assistance from the ,federal ,government
 or a private entity with respect to    
contracting with the ,federal           
,government or the ,consortium4  7,d7   
,recruiting and retaining research      
faculty4  7,e7 ,advancing research      
capabilities relating to the national   
security of the ,united ,states4  7,f7  
,any other matter determined appropriate
 by the ,secretary4  7#c7 ,application  
,to be eligible to receive a grant under
 this section1 a leading minority       
institution shall submit to the         
,secretary an application therefor in   
such form1 and containing such          
information1 as the ,secretary may      
require4  7#d7 ,preference ,in awarding 
grants pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 the  
,secretary shall give preference to a   
leading minority institution with a ,r#a
 or ,r#b status on the ,carnegie        

,classification of ,institutions of     
,higher ,education4  7d7 ,definitions   
,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term        
congressional defense committees means--
 7,a7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services
 and the ,committee on ,appropriations  
of the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee
 on ,armed ,services and the ,committee 
on ,appropriations of the ,house of     
,representatives4  7#b7 ,the term       
,department means the ,department of    
,defense4  7#c7 ,the term leading       
minority institution means a minority   
institution identified 7pursuant to the 
assessment required under subsection    
7a77#b77;,b77 as being in the top #bj   
percent of all such institutions with   
respect to providing essential          
engineering1 research1 or development   
capability4  7#d7 ,the term institution 
of higher education has the meaning     
given such term in section #aja of the  
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7#e7 ,the term       
minority institution means-- 7,a7 a part

 ,b institution 7as such term is defined
 in section #cbb7b7 of the ,higher      
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajfa7b7772 or  7,b7 any institution of 
higher education at which not less than 
#ej percent of the total student        
enrollment consists of students from    
ethnic groups that are underrepresented 
in the fields of science and            
engineering4  7#f7 ,the term ,secretary 
means the ,secretary of ,defense4  7#g7 
,the term ,university ,affiliated       
,research ,center means a research      
organization within an institution of   
higher education that-- 7,a7 provides or
 maintains ,department essential        
engineering1 research1 or development   
capabilities2 and  7,b7 receives sole   
source contract funding from the        
,department pursuant to section         
#bcjd7;c77#c77;,b7 of title #aj1 ,united
 ,states ,code4  #c4 ,subcontract       
requirements for minority institutions  
7a7 ,in general ,section #bcjd of title 
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  

by adding at the end the following new  
subsection3  7m7 7#a7 ,the head of an   
agency shall require that a contract    
awarded to an educational institution   
pursuant to subsection 7c77#c77;,b7     
includes a requirement to subcontract   
with one or more minority institutions  
for a total amount of not less than #e  
percent of the amount awarded in the    
contract4  7#b7 ,for the purposes of    
this subsection1 a minority institution 
means-- 7,a7 a part ,b institution 7as  
that term is defined in section #cbb7b7 
of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfa7b7772 or  7,b7 any 
other institution of higher education   
7as that term is defined in section #aja
 of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja77 at 
which not less than #ej percent of the  
total student enrollment consists of    
students from ethnic groups that are    
underrepresented in the fields of       
science and engineering4  4  7b7        
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
subsection 7a7 shall-- 7#a7 take effect 

on ,october #a1 #bjbf2 and  7#b7 apply  
with respect to funds that are awarded  
by the ,department of ,defense on or    
after such date4