,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddif ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ab1 #bjbf,ms4 ,alsobrooks 7for herself and ,mr4 ,justice7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife to provide for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically ,black colleges and universities1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,according to a #bjba study by ,americans for the ,arts1 the arts are an invaluable aspect of ,american society1 as they strengthen the economy1 improve healthcare1 spark creativity and innovation1 and unify communities1 with #gc percent of participants agreeing that the arts help them to better understand other cultures4 7#b7 ,many ,united ,states museums are grappling with diversity4 ,studies report that only #a4d percent of artists featured in ,america's top museums are black1 only #d percent of staff directors at top museums are ,black1 and only #b4e percent of ,black ,americans are owners of ,arts-,entertainment business4 7#c7 ,historically ,black colleges and universities1 or ,h,b,c,us1 are uniquely positioned to produce a diverse generation of art professionals and help bring much needed attention to works by ,black artists4 ,h,b,c,us have historically served as long-standing conservators and crucial supporters of ,black art and for the teaching1 supporting1 and displaying of essential ,black artists who may otherwise have remained unrecognized4 7#d7 ,arts programs and arts departments are expensive and have often fallen victim to funding shortfalls4 ,in #bjah1 the ,college ,art ,association reported that at least #ah institutions of higher education planned to severely curtail or eliminate their arts departments4 7#e7 ,h,b,c,us have also been underfunded by #ab1fjj1jjj1jjj compared to their predominantly ,white counterparts over the last #cj years4 ,some ,h,b,c,us have shrunk1 consolidated1 or cut their arts programs due to limited resources4 7#f7 ,an increased investment in ,,hbcu arts1 arts education1 and culture programs can further help students of color access an affordable arts education and ensure the continued preparation1 conservation1 display1 and study of works by ,black artists4 #b4 ,strengthening historically ,black colleges and universities ,section #cbc of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#ad7 and 7#ae7 as paragraphs 7#ai7 and 7#bj71 respectively2 and 7,b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ac7 the following3 7#ad7 ,providing financial and other assistance to students in arts1 arts education1 and cultural programs4 7#ae7 ,establishing outreach programs and development offices for arts1 arts education1 and cultural departments4 7#af7 ,providing comprehensive wraparound services for arts1 arts education1 and cultural students1 including faculty and peer mentorship1 work-based learning opportunities1 guidance counseling1 and career advising4 7#ag7 ,exhibiting1 maintaining1 monitoring1 and protecting ,black art collections in exhibition and in storage4 7#ah7 ,providing well-paid apprenticeship1 internship1 and fellowship opportunities to students in arts1 arts education1 and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts1 arts education1 and cultural institutes4 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7d7 ,national ,endowment for the ,arts ,an institution may enter into a partnership with the ,national ,endowment for the ,arts to carry out the activities described in paragraphs 7#ad7 through 7#ah7 of subsection 7a74 7e7 ,definition ,in this section1 the term arts means art forms used for self-expression and interpretation1 including performance1 literary1 visual1 graphic1 plastic1 and decorative arts4 4