Bill Summary
This legislation aims to enhance funding for scholarships specifically for students at 1890 institutions, which are historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) focused on agriculture and related fields.
Key provisions include:
1. **Scholarship Expansion**: The bill revises existing scholarship criteria to explicitly include scholarships for both bachelor's and graduate degree programs, broadening the scope of financial support available to students.
2. **Mandatory Funding**: It establishes a mandatory funding allocation of $15 million annually from the Commodity Credit Corporation for fiscal year 2025 and beyond, ensuring consistent financial resources for these scholarships.
3. **Discretionary Funding Update**: The bill updates the timeline for discretionary funding, allowing for more flexibility in funding availability from fiscal year 2020 onwards.
4. **Conforming Amendments**: It makes necessary adjustments to ensure that subsequent amendments align with the new funding provisions and scholarship criteria.
Overall, the legislation seeks to provide critical financial support to enhance educational opportunities for students at 1890 institutions.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the proposed legislation on additional funding for scholarships for students at 1890 institutions could affect people:
1. **Increased Access to Higher Education**: The legislation provides additional funding specifically for scholarships at 1890 institutions, which are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) focused on agriculture, science, and related fields. This increased funding could enable more students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue bachelor’s or graduate degrees, thereby enhancing educational access and promoting diversity in higher education.
2. **Financial Relief for Students**: By allocating $15 million annually for scholarships, the legislation may significantly reduce the financial burden on students attending 1890 institutions. This could lead to lower student debt levels, allowing graduates to enter the workforce without the overwhelming financial stress that often accompanies student loans, ultimately impacting their future economic stability and career choices.
3. **Strengthened Agricultural Workforce**: As the funding targets institutions specializing in agricultural research and education, the legislation could contribute to building a more skilled workforce in the agricultural sector. By providing scholarships, it encourages students to pursue careers in agriculture, thus addressing potential labor shortages and fostering innovation in agricultural practices, which can have positive implications for food security and rural economies.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1271 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1271
To provide additional funding for scholarships for students at 1890
institutions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2025
Mr. David Scott of Georgia (for himself, Ms. Adams, Mrs. Beatty, Mr.
Bishop, Ms. Brown, Mr. Carson, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Evans
of Pennsylvania, Mr. Fields, Ms. McBride, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. McIver,
Ms. Sewell, Mr. Thanedar, and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide additional funding for scholarships for students at 1890
institutions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890
INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Scholarships for Bachelor or Graduate Programs.--Section
1446(a)(1) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222a(a)(1)) is amended by
striking ``scholarships to individuals'' and inserting ``scholarships
(including for programs leading to a bachelor or graduate degree) to
individuals''.
(b) Mandatory Funding.--Section 1446(b)(1) of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3222a(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Fiscal year 2025 and fiscal years
thereafter.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit
Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to
carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2025
and each fiscal year thereafter, to remain available
until expended.''.
(c) Discretionary Funding.--Section 1446(b)(2) of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3222a(b)(2)) is amended by striking ``each of fiscal years 2020
through 2023'' and inserting ``fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year
thereafter''.
(d) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1446(a)(3) of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3222a(a)(3)) is amended by striking ``each of the 4 succeeding
academic years'' and inserting ``each academic year thereafter for
which funding is available under subsection (b)(1)''.
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