Text of Senate Amendment 6825

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: September 23, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Linked context

People mentioned: Warnock, Raphael G.
Committees: Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Appropriations

Readable version of the official text

SA 6825. Mr. WARNOCK submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end, add the following:

TITLE __—IGNITE HBCU EXCELLENCE

SEC. __1. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the “Institutional Grants for

New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for HBCU

Excellence Act” or the “IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act”.

SEC. __2. GRANTS FOR THE LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT OF HBCUS.

(a) In General.—

(1) Grants authorized.—The Secretary shall award grants to

eligible entities, on a competitive basis, to support long-

term improvements to the facilities of such entities in

accordance with this title.

(2) Grant period.—With respect to each eligible entity

that is awarded a grant under this section, such grant shall

be for a period determined appropriate by the Secretary based

on the information submitted by such entity under subsection

(b).

(3) Multiple grants permitted.—An eligible entity may

apply for, and be awarded, more than 1 grant under this

section.

(b) Application.—To be considered for a grant under this

section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to

the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing

such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(1) to the extent possible, the information necessary for

the Secretary to make the determinations under subsection

(c);

(2) a description of the projects that such eligible entity

plans to carry out with the grant and how such projects will

advance the long-term goals of the entity;

(3) an explanation of—

(A) how such projects will reduce risks to the health,

welfare, and safety of students, staff, administrators,

faculty, researchers, and guests at such eligible entity; and

(B) the anticipated number of years that any facilities

constructed, improved, or replaced under such projects may be

used before presenting a risk described in subparagraph (A);

(4) the median age of the facilities that such entity plans

to improve or replace under such projects; and

(5) in the case of an eligible entity seeking to carry out

facility repairs described in section __3(a)(3), a

preventative maintenance plan for such repairs.

Secretary—

(1) shall give priority to an eligible entity that—

(A) demonstrates the greatest need to improve campus

facilities, as determined by a comparison of factors

identified by the Secretary, which may include—

(i) consideration of threats posed by the proximity of such

facilities to toxic sites;

(ii) the vulnerability of such facilities to natural

disasters and environmental risks;

(iii) the median age of the facilities that such entity

will use grant funds to improve;

(iv) the extent to which student enrollment exceeds

physical and instructional capacity;

(v) the condition of major systems in such facilities such

as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, water,

and sewer systems;

(vi) the condition of roofs, windows, and doors of such

facilities;

(vii) other critical health and safety conditions;

(viii) the number and condition of facilities in

significant disrepair; and

(ix) the total amount of deferred maintenance of such

facilities;

(B) demonstrates the most limited capacity to raise funds

for the long-term improvement of campus facilities, as

determined by an assessment of—

(i) the current and historic ability of the eligible entity

to raise funds for construction, renovation, modernization,

and major repair projects for campus;

(ii) whether the eligible entity has been able to issue

bonds or receive other funds to support school construction

projects;

(iii) the bond rating of the eligible entity;

(iv) the number of students enrolled as of the date on

which the application is submitted;

(v) the total value of the endowment of the eligible entity

as of the date on which the application is submitted;

(vi) the total amount of deferred maintenance of such

facilities; and

(vii) the amount and sources of institutional revenue;

eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of

part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 1070a et seq.), and whose families qualify for other

Federal need-based aid;

(D) is a public institution that—

(i) faces declining State support or investment; and

(ii) demonstrates limited ability to generate revenue, as

determined by assessing—

(I) the total value of the endowment of the institution as

of the date on which the application is submitted; and

(II) the costs of the deferred maintenance of the

institution relative to the total revenue of the institution;

and

(E) demonstrates an effort to seek support from public and

private entities for projects carried out with a grant

awarded under this Act; and

(2) may give priority to an eligible entity—

(A) that lacks access to high-speed broadband and will use

the grant funds to improve access to high-speed broadband

sufficient to support digital and technology-based learning

in accordance with section __3(a)(6);

(B) at which the highest degree that is predominantly

awarded to students is an associate's degree;

preceding fiscal year; or

(D) that proposes projects aligned with long-term

infrastructure priorities that—

(i) serve as regional models, as determined by the

Secretary;

(ii) address multiple needs on the campus of the entity;

(iii) address the needs of at least 1 eligible entity in

addition to the entity receiving the grant; or

(iv) encourage efforts described in section __3(d).

(d) Geographic Distribution.—The Secretary shall ensure

that grants under this section are awarded to eligible

entities in a manner that reflects the geographic

distribution of such entities in the United States.

(e) Technical Assistance.—The Secretary, directly or by

grant or contract, may provide technical assistance to

eligible entities to prepare the entities to qualify, apply

for, and maintain a grant, under this Act.

(f) Relationship to HBCU Capital Financing Program.—

(1) In general.—The Secretary may take into consideration

whether an eligible entity has received a loan under a loan

agreement made under part D of title III of the Higher

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1066 et seq.) when—

(A) reviewing grant applications under this section;

(B) determining priority under subsection (c); and

Act.

(2) Priority.—With respect to paragraph (1)(B), the

Secretary may—

(A) determine that an eligible entity should not receive

priority under subsection (c) if such entity has received a

loan under a loan agreement made under part D of title III of

the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1066 et seq.);

and

(B) determine that an eligible entity should receive higher

priority under subsection (c) if such entity has not received

a loan under a loan agreement made under part D of title III

of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1066 et seq.).

SEC. __3. GRANT USES.

(a) Permitted Uses.—Except as provided in subsection (b),

an eligible entity that receives a grant under this title

shall use such grant funds to carry out at least one of the

following activities:

(1) Construct, modernize, renovate, or retrofit the campus

facilities of such entity, which may include—

(A) improving existing, or establishing new, instructional

laboratories or workforce-aligned (as determined by the

Secretary) research facilities relating to fields of health,

science, technology, engineering, the arts, agriculture,

education, and other disciplines as determined by the

Secretary;

(B) constructing or improving roads or other transportation

infrastructure on campus, for which the eligible entity is

responsible;

facilities that house historic or cultural artifacts;

(D) constructing, modernizing, renovating, and retrofitting

any campus facility or dormitory (including dining

facilities) or other facility customarily used for housing

students;

(E) improving security and safety for students, faculty,

and staff;

(F) installing or upgrading water, wastewater, power, and

underground infrastructure; and

(G) developing facilities or infrastructure that support

job creation, entrepreneurship, and community-based

opportunities, including establishing workforce development

hubs that—

(i) are aligned with regional labor market needs;

(ii) focus on fields such as artificial intelligence; and

(iii) support education, training, and career placement for

students.

(2) Purchase, manufacture, or modernize vehicle fleets

owned and operated by such entity that are used primarily for

the purpose of facilitating campus accessibility and student

academic activities.

(3) Carry out repairs, including with respect to deferred

maintenance, to the facilities of such eligible entity in

accordance with the preventative maintenance plan submitted

under section __2(b)(5).

(4) Acquire and install research-related equipment and

technology in the campus facilities of such entity, including

specialty equipment with respect to emerging fields (as

determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the head of

the eligible entity), such as artificial intelligence, data

science, machine learning, cybersecurity, biotechnology,

chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, robotics, and advanced

manufacturing.

(5) For the purpose of facilitating the construction of new

campus facilities that are not primarily used for classroom

instruction or academic activities—

(A) purchase or otherwise acquire title to land to serve as

a permanent site for such facilities; and

(B) to the extent that other public or private funds are

insufficient—

(i) prepare land for the construction of such facilities;

and

(ii) pay other preconstruction costs relating to the

development of such facilities.

(6) Install or extend the life of basic systems and

components of campus facilities, which may include—

(A) high-speed broadband internet infrastructure sufficient

to support digital and technology-based learning;

(B) high-capacity, middle-mile broadband networks, and

campus-wide broadband networks, including 5G and future

network generations;

including small cells;

(D) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) or

other indoor air quality systems;

(E) support for last-mile service for rural campuses when

other means of providing this support is unavailable; and

(F) other infrastructure to support the success of

operations and other digital and technology needs.

(7) Strengthen the safety and security of the campus of

such entity by improving or utilizing design elements,

principles, and technology that—

(A) guarantee layers of security throughout such campus;

and

(B) uphold the function of such campus as a learning and

teaching environment.

(8) Strengthen institutional planning and governance to

support long-term infrastructure goals by—

(A) developing or updating campus infrastructure master

plans, facility condition assessments, deferred maintenance

strategies, or long-term capital project timeliness;

(B) aligning campus infrastructure master plans with

academic and workforce priorities, including with respect to

the facilities used by programs in high-demand fields (as

determined by the Secretary) in order to address the needs of

such facilities and support the growth of such programs;

sustainability, service quality, or institutional

competitiveness;

(D) supporting high-quality research and development

efforts, including planning and expanding partnerships with

manufacturers, employers, or innovation stakeholders that

strengthen infrastructure and innovation; and

(E) establishing or expanding offices or initiatives for

the recruitment and retention of faculty in fields of

research.

(b) Prohibited Uses.—An eligible entity that receives a

grant under this title may not use such grant funds for—

(1) payment of routine and predictable maintenance costs,

minor repairs, or utility bills;

(2) any facility that is primarily used for athletic

contests or exhibitions or other events for which admission

is charged to the general public;

(3) the purchase or support of any communications equipment

or service (as defined in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted

Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608)) that

poses a risk to national security; or

(4) activities that are funded, in whole or in part, under

part B of title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 1060 et seq.), unless the Secretary approves such use.

a grant received under this title only to supplement the

level of Federal, State, and local public funds that would,

in the absence of such grant, be made available for the

activities supported by the grant, and not to supplant such

funds.

(d) Encouraging Partnerships.—The Secretary shall

encourage partnerships between eligible entities and public

and private entities to—

(1) provide additional funding; and

(2) assist in carrying out the activities under this Act.

SEC. __4. USE OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.

In carrying out projects funded with a grant under this

Act, an eligible entity shall seek to procure contracts

from—

(1) small business concerns owned and controlled by

veterans (including service-disabled veterans); and

(2) qualified HUBZone small business concerns.

SEC. __5. RESERVATION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER

ACTIVITIES.

(a) Reservation.—An eligible entity that receives a grant

under this title may reserve a total of not more than 5

percent of the amount of such grant to—

(1) develop the facilities master plan required under

subsection (b);

(2) carry out activities to—

(A) protect the health of students, staff, administrators,

faculty, researchers, and guests during the construction or

modernization of the campus facilities of such entity; and

(B) mitigate excessive noise caused by activities carried

out under this Act;

(3) pay personnel to carry out administrative work relating

to the grant program; and

(4) pay other reasonable administrative costs associated

with the grant program.

(b) Facilities Master Plan.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after receiving a

grant under this Act, an eligible entity shall submit to the

Secretary a comprehensive facilities master plan that—

(A) describes how the entity will carry out the activities

identified in the application submitted under section __2(b)

with the grant funds received under this Act; and

(B) identifies the anticipated benefits and outcomes of

such activities.

(2) Elements.—The facilities master plan required under

paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to the eligible

entity submitting such plan, a description of, as of the date

on which such plan is submitted—

(A) the extent to which the campus facilities—

(i) meet the educational needs of students; and

(ii) support the educational mission and vision of such

entity;

(B) the physical condition of the campus facilities;

conditions of the campus facilities, including—

(i) indoor air quality;

(ii) the presence of hazardous and toxic substances and

chemicals on or near such facilities;

(iii) the safety of drinking water at the tap and water

used for meal preparation, including the level of lead and

other contaminants in such water;

(iv) energy and water efficiency;

(v) excessive noise in academic spaces; and

(vi) other health, safety, and environmental conditions

that would impact the health, safety, and learning ability of

students;

(D) the actual and anticipated impact of current and future

student enrollment levels (as of the date of application) on

the design of current and future campus facilities, as well

as the financial implications of such enrollment levels;

(E) the dollar amount and percentage of funds such entity

will dedicate to capital construction projects, including—

(i) any funds in the budget of such entity that will be

dedicated to such projects; and

(ii) any funds not in such budget that will be dedicated to

such projects, including any funds available to the eligible

entity as the result of a bond issue or the Historically

Black College and University Capital Financing Program under

part D of title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 1066 et seq.); and

(F) the dollar amount and percentage of funds such entity

will dedicate to the maintenance and operation of campus

facilities, including—

(i) any funds in the budget of such entity that will be

dedicated to the maintenance and operation of such

facilities; and

(ii) any funds not in the budget of such entity that will

be dedicated to the maintenance and operation of such

facilities.

(3) Consultation.—In developing the facilities master

plan, the eligible entity shall

demonstrate that it conducted meaningful consultation with

diverse stakeholders, which may include—

(A) staff and other institutional leaders;

(B) custodial and maintenance staff;

(D) campus facilities directors;

(E) students and families;

(F) community residents, including those directly affected

by actions undertaken as a result of utilizing grant funds;

(G) government entities;

(H) local charitable foundations;

(I) local employers;

(J) Indian Tribes, as applicable; and

(K) other such individuals and entities.

SEC. __6. HBCU CAPITAL FINANCING LOAN DISBURSEMENT AND

FORGIVENESS.

(a) In General.—Each time an institution of higher

education receives a disbursement of a loan amount under a

covered closed loan agreement, the Secretary shall repay—

(1) the outstanding balance of principal, interest, fees,

and costs on such loan amount (as of the date of such

disbursement) under the covered closed loan agreement; and

(2) any reimbursement (including reimbursements of escrow

and return of fees and deposits) relating to the covered

closed loan agreement that are usual and customary when the

loan is paid off by the institution.

(b) Covered Closed Loan Agreement.—In this section, the

term “covered closed loan agreement” means a closed loan

agreement—

(1) executed before September 22, 2026; and

(2) made under part D of title III of the Higher Education

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1066 et seq.).

SEC. __7. REPORTS.

(a) Department of Education Report.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date of

the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the

Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional

committees a report on the projects carried out with grant

funds awarded under this Act.

(2) Elements.—The report required under paragraph (1)

shall include—

(A) with respect to projects carried out by eligible

entities with grant funds awarded under this Act, an

assessment of—

(i) the types of such projects;

(ii) the square footage of the improvements made by such

projects, disaggregated by—

(I) total square footage; and

(II) square footage per each eligible entity;

(iii) the total cost of each such project;

(iv) the cost described in clause (iii), disaggregated by

the cost of—

(I) planning;

(II) design;

(III) construction;

(IV) site purchase; and

(V) improvements;

(v) the geographic distribution of such projects; and

(vi) the demographic composition of the student population

served by such projects, disaggregated by—

(I) race and ethnicity; and

(II) the number and percentage of students enrolled at such

entities who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant

under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.);

(B) an evaluation of a sample of grant recipients, selected

by the Secretary taking into account size and geographic

location of each grantee, to determine how such recipients

are using the grant and the effectiveness of the activities

carried out with the grant; and

section __3(c).

(b) Comptroller General Appropriations Report.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date of

the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the

United States shall conduct a study on the amount of

appropriations necessary to continue implementing the grant

program under this Act.

(2) Elements.—The study conducted under paragraph (1)

shall include—

(A) an evaluation of the approximate total cost of deferred

maintenance across eligible entities; and

(B) an overview of sources of funding for addressing such

needs other than the grant program under this Act.

(3) Report.—After the completion of the study under

paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit to the

Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee

on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on

the results of the study.

(4) Results.—The results of the study shall be used to

inform the appropriation of funds to carry out this title for

the fiscal years following the submission of the report under

paragraph (3).

(1) Study required.—Not later than 4 years after the date

of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the

United States shall conduct a study on the implementation of

the grant program under this Act.

(2) Elements.—The study conducted under paragraph (1)

shall include—

(A) an examination of program implementation challenges;

and

(B) an assessment of whether any changes are needed to make

grants under this title more accessible to eligible entities

with fiscal challenges to help them raise capital for

infrastructure projects.

(3) Report.—After the completion of the study under

paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit to the

appropriate congressional committees a report on the results

of the study, including any recommendations to the Secretary

for improvements to the implementation of the grant program

under this Act.

SEC. __8. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means—

(A) a part B institution, as such term is defined in

section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

1061(2)); or

(B) an institution or program listed under section

326(e)(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1063b(e)(1)).

(2) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary

of Education.

(3) State.—The term “State” has the meaning given such

term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 1003).

SEC. __9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be

necessary to carry out this title for each of fiscal years

2027 through 2032.

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