,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bigg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bh 
7legislative day1 ,september #bb71      
#bjbc,mr4 ,warnock 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,wicker7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
direct the ,secretary of ,commerce and  
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states to study the feasibility of    
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities achieving a certain       
classification4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,increase      
,america's ,research ,capacity ,act of  
#bjbc4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 
7#a7 ,historically ,black ,college or   
,university ,the term ,historically     
,black ,college or ,university means a  
part ,b institution described in section
 #cbb7b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act 
of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfa7b774  7#b7
 ,r#a institution ,the term ,r#a        

institution means an institution        
classified as an ,r#a doctoral          
university1 according to the ,carnegie  
,classification of ,institutions of     
,higher ,education framework as the     
framework exists on the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 by the issuer of
 the framework4  #c4 ,comptroller       
,general study on the feasibility of    
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities achieving a certain       
classification  7a7 ,study  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,comptroller ,general of   
the ,united ,states shall prepare a     
study on the institutional challenges   
and barriers hindering ,historically    
,black ,colleges and ,universities from 
achieving1 and the feasibility of the   
colleges and universities achieving1    
classification as an ,r#a institution4  
7#b7 ,contents ,in preparing the study1 
the ,comptroller ,general may-- 7,a7    
examine topics including-- 7i7 funding  
opportunities and resource allocation   
required for ,historically ,black       

,colleges and ,universities to enhance  
their research infrastructure and       
capacity1 focusing on the opportunities 
and resources of ,federal research      
agencies1 including the ,office of      
,science and ,technology ,policy1 the   
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology of the ,department of       
,commerce1 and similar offices of the   
,department of ,commerce2  7ii7         
strategies for ,historically ,black     
,colleges and ,universities to recruit  
and retain highly qualified faculty with
 strong research backgrounds2  7iii7    
best practices and successful models    
employed by ,r#a institutions 7as of the
 date the study is completed7 that      
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities can adopt2 and  7iv7      
analyses of-- 7,i7 which ,historically  
,black ,colleges and ,universities have 
transfer agreements for their graduates 
with ,r#a institutions1 and how many    
graduates attend ,r#a institutions under
 those agreements2  7,,ii7 which        

institutions of higher education are    
feeder institutions of ,black students  
into programs at ,r#a institutions2 and 
7,,iii7 what role undergraduate         
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities play in preparing students
 to attend an ,r#a institution2 and     
7,b7 prepare recommendations for        
,federal support and initiatives to     
facilitate the advancement of           
,historically ,black ,colleges and      
,universities in research and           
innovation4  7b7 ,report ,not later than
 #ab months after the date of enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general 
shall submit a report containing the    
results of the study1 and               
recommendations for such legislative and
 administrative action as the           
,comptroller ,general determines to be  
appropriate1 to the appropriate         
committees of ,congress and the         
,congressional ,research ,service4