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S. 1945 117th Congress Senate

IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act

Official title: A bill to provide for the long-term improvement of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 27, 2021 Introduced by: Christopher A. Coons Democratic · Delaware See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 27, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
May 27, 2021
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action May 27, 2021

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for HBCU Excellence Act or the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act

This bill establishes a grant program to support long-term improvements of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and graduate programs at HBCUs.

Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to HBCUs to improve campus facilities. A recipient must use grant funds for certain activities, such as constructing or renovating facilities, carrying out major repairs, and strengthening the safety and security of a campus. Any new construction, modernization, or renovation projects must meet building code and energy and water conservation requirements.

Further, HBCUs must seek to procure contracts from certain small businesses, including those owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans.

The bill prohibits the use of grant funds for specified activities, including for the payment of routine and predictable maintenance costs, minor repairs, and utility bills.

The Government Accountability Office must study the implementation of the grant program.

The bill also requires ED to repay the outstanding balance of principal, interest, fees, and costs and any related reimbursements for certain capital financing loans.

 Related & companion bills 3
  • HR 3294 Identical bill IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act
  • HR 8803 IGNITE HBCU, TCU, and MSI Excellence Act
  • HR 6893 IGNITE HBCU and MSI Excellence Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 1

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

  • ADOBE INC
    for ADOBE INC · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter 2025 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

 Cosponsors 10
All 10 Democratic 4 Republican 5
Blunt, Roy
· Apr 7, 2022
 D
Ossoff, Jon
Georgia · Sep 28, 2021
 R
Hyde-Smith, Cindy
Mississippi · Jul 14, 2021
 D
Booker, Cory A.
New Jersey · Jun 24, 2021
 R
Graham, Lindsey
South Carolina · Jun 24, 2021
 R
Boozman, John
Arkansas · Jun 17, 2021
 R
Tillis, Thomas
North Carolina · Jun 17, 2021
 D
Van Hollen, Chris
Maryland · Jun 17, 2021
 D
Warnock, Raphael G.
Georgia · Jun 17, 2021
 R
Scott, Tim
South Carolina · May 27, 2021
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1945: IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1945/
MLA
"S. 1945: IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1945/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1945, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1945/.
Markdown link
[S. 1945: IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-1945/)
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