,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cadi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #bf1 #bjbc,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 and ,mr4 ,wicker7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to encourage the growth of research partnerships between historically ,black colleges and universities and ,federal agencies to advance development in sub-,saharan ,africa4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,hbcu ,africa ,partnerships ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,findings4,sec4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress4,sec4 #d4 ,purposes4,sec4 #e4 ,definitions4,sec4 #f4 ,expanding partnerships between relevant departments and agencies and historically ,black colleges and universities4,sec4 #g4 ,expanding exchange programming for scholars from ,sub-,saharan ,africa4,sec4 #h4 ,communications and outreach programming4,sec4 #i4 ,congressional briefing4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,high-quality education is central to economic prosperity and social well-being in the ,united ,states and around the world4 7#b7 ,historically ,black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions play a critical role in ensuring that students of all races1 ethnicities1 and backgrounds have access to high-quality educational opportunities4 7#c7 ,h,b,c,us have a long and rich history in educating and facilitating relationships between members of the ,african diaspora in the ,united ,states and throughout the world1 from ,europe and the ,western ,hemisphere to ,asia and the ,african continent4 7#d7 ,,hbcu alumni have made important contributions to relations between the ,united ,states and ,africa in the areas of-- 7,a7 democracy and political governance2 7,b7 food and agricultural security2 7,c7 education and human capital2 7,d7 youth development2 and 7,e7 public health infrastructure4 7#e7 ,the ,united ,states ,government has partnered with ,h,b,c,us and other ,united ,states colleges and universities1 including through-- 7,a7 the ,department of ,state's educational and cultural exchange programs2 7,b7 the ,young ,african ,leaders ,initiative1 which supports ,united ,states ,government efforts to invest in the next generation of ,african leaders2 and 7,c7 ,,usaid's ,minority ,serving ,partnership ,initiative to facilitate research partnerships and engagements with minority-serving institutions1 including ,h,b,c,us4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states should promote and expand collaborative research partnerships between ,federal agencies and ,h,b,c,us that advance joint partnerships in education1 economic growth1 food security1 democracy and governance1 agriculture1 environmental conservation1 small and medium-sized business development1 humanitarian assistance1 and conflict stabilization in developing countries2 and 7#b7 the ,united ,states should continue to facilitate and deepen partnerships between ,h,b,c,us and ,sub-,saharan ,africa4 #d4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are-- 7#a7 to strengthen the capacity of ,h,b,c,us to partner with relevant ,federal departments and agencies in support of ,united ,states and ,african joint interests1 including in the areas of democracy and good governance1 food and agricultural security1 education and human capital1 youth development1 trade and economic development1 and public health infrastructure2 7#b7 to help integrate the work of ,h,b,c,us with the foreign policy and foreign assistance priorities of the ,united ,states1 as appropriate2 7#c7 to bolster and facilitate productive interactions between ,h,b,c,us and relevant ,federal departments and agencies2 7#d7 to encourage ,,hbcu participation in relevant ,federal programs1 grants1 contracts1 and cooperative agreements2 7#e7 to expand existing partnership initiatives between ,h,b,c,us and relevant ,federal departments and agencies2 and 7#f7 to recognize the historic contributions of ,h,b,c,us to relations between the ,united ,states and ,africa4 #e4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,educational exchange ,the term educational exchange means an activity listed in section #fjb7;a7 of the ,mutual ,educational and ,cultural ,exchange ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bdeb;a7a774 7#c7 ,historically black college or university2 ,,hbcu ,the terms historically ,black college or university and ,,hbcu mean a part ,b institution described in section #cbb7b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfa7b774 7#d7 ,minority-serving institution ,the term minority-serving institution means an institution listed in section #cga7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfgq7a774 7#e7 ,relevant federal departments and agencies ,the term relevant ,federal departments and agencies includes-- 7,a7 the ,department of ,state2 7,b7 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development2 and 7,c7 any other ,federal department or agency that is engaged in designing1 providing1 or supporting ,united ,states foreign assistance 7including development finance7 that the ,president determines is relevant for the purposes of this ,act4 7#f7 ,short-term graduate and technical expert exchange program ,the term short-term graduate and technical expert exchange program means an exchange program lasting #ab months or shorter1 including university exchange programs1 professional non-degree programs1 and internships4 7#g7 ,,usaid ,the term ,,usaid means the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 #f4 ,expanding partnerships between relevant departments and agencies and historically ,black colleges and universities ,to develop educational grant opportunities and expand partnerships with ,h,b,c,us-- 7#a7 the ,secretary of ,state and the ,,usaid ,administrator should identifying ,h,b,c,us that-- 7,a7 have entered into a grant1 contract1 or cooperative agreement with the ,department of ,state or ,,usaid2 or 7,b7 are eligible to participate in programs and initiatives under the jurisdiction of either such agency2 and 7#b7 the ,bureau of ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs should develop an educational exchange for ,h,b,c,us identified pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 to deepen relationships between partners in ,sub-,saharan ,african and the ,united ,states in ways that advance ,united ,states policy goals in ,africa and increase academic collaboration4 #g4 ,expanding exchange programming for scholars from ,sub-,saharan ,africa 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state and the ,,usaid ,administrator should seek to strengthen and expand partnerships and educational exchange opportunities1 including by working with ,h,b,c,us1 that build the capacity and expertise of students1 scholars1 and experts from ,sub-,saharan ,africa in key development sectors1 including-- 7#a7 food systems and agriculture-led economic growth2 7#b7 food safety and security1 nutrition1 and farming1 including aquaculture2 7#c7 animal health and pathology2 7#d7 democracy and governance2 7#e7 water1 sanitation1 and hygiene2 7#f7 public health2 7#g7 microenterprise business development and entrepreneurship2 7#h7 water security2 and 7#i7 environmental resilience4 7b7 ,bureau of ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs programming ,the ,secretary of ,state may establish a short-term graduate and technical expert exchange program for ,african students1 scholars1 and technical experts to spend a semester or academic year of nondegree study at institutions referred to in section #f7;a7 to support knowledge and skills training in the sectors referred to in subsection 7a74 #h4 ,communications and outreach programming ,the ,secretary of ,state and the ,,usaid ,administrator shall advance outreach and communications between ,h,b,c,us1 the ,department of ,state1 and ,,usaid and expand partnerships with ,h,b,c,us by-- 7#a7 providing technical assistance in the development of grant and partnership applications2 and 7#b7 upon request1 providing feedback to ,h,b,c,us1 to the maximum extent practicable1 after a grant rejection in order to improve future grant applications1 as appropriate4 #i4 ,congressional briefing ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,,usaid ,administrator1 shall brief the appropriate congressional committees regarding-- 7#a7 the implementation of existing partnerships and programs between relevant ,federal departments and agencies and ,h,b,c,us and efforts to expand such partnerships and programs2 7#b7 efforts to strengthen the capacity of ,h,b,c,us to participate1 or to be eligible to participate1 in relevant programs and initiatives2 7#c7 any progress made towards-- 7,a7 advancing plans to develop partnerships or programs and initiatives with ,h,b,c,us that are not engaged in existing partnerships with relevant ,federal departments and agencies2 and 7,b7 identifying plans in which an ,,hbcu may participate2 and 7#d7 any other information that relevant ,federal departments and agencies determine is relevant to promoting opportunities to fund1 partner1 contract1 or otherwise interact with ,h,b,c,us4