HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act

House Bill

H.R. 7660

119th Congress

HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 24, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Richard McCormick

R - GA

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill would change the official definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to include schools founded before November 8, 1965, as long as they meet all other qualification requirements. Currently, only institutions established before 1964 qualify as HBCUs, which provides access to special federal funding, grants, and recognition for schools with a historic mission of educating African American students.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Introduced2/24/2026

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act

This bill would change the official definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to include schools founded before November 8, 1965, as long as they meet all other qualification requirements. Currently, only institutions established befor

Community Breakdown

Pass

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Fail

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This bill would change the official definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to include schools founded before November 8, 1965, as long as they meet all other qualification requirements. Currently, only institutions established before 1964 qualify as HBCUs, which provides access to special federal funding, grants, and recognition for schools with a historic mission of educating African American students.

Bill Number: 7660
Introduced: 2/24/2026
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act
Bill Number: 7660
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced: 2/24/2026
Summary: This bill would change the official definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to include schools founded before November 8, 1965, as long as they meet all other qualification requirements. Currently, only institutions established before 1964 qualify as HBCUs, which provides

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would change the official definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to include schools founded before November 8, 1965, as long as they meet all other qualification requirements. Currently, only institutions established before 1964 qualify as HBCUs, which provides access to special federal funding, grants, and recognition for schools with a historic mission of educating African American students.

Last updated: 2/25/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Expands the timeline for HBCU designation by one year, allowing institutions established before November 8, 1965 to potentially qualify
Schools would still need to meet all other existing criteria, including having had a mission of educating Black students when access to education was limited by race
HBCU designation provides colleges access to dedicated federal funding programs, grants, and technical assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually
Could make a small number of historically Black institutions eligible for federal support they currently cannot access due to their founding date being just after the 1964 cutoff

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily affect a select number of colleges founded in 1964-1965 that served Black students during segregation but currently miss HBCU status by a narrow margin. If these institutions gain HBCU designation, their students could benefit from increased institutional resources, specialized scholarship programs, and enhanced campus facilities funded through HBCU-specific federal grants. The change would also provide these schools with greater recognition and potentially boost enrollment and private donations.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

7660, 119th Congress (2026). "HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hr-7660

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