March 5, 2026
Mrs. Foushee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to provide for a special allocation of certain awards of financial assistance to historically Black Colleges and Universities relating to national artificial intelligence research institutes, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the HBCU AI Research Leadership Act
.
Sec. 2. Special allocation for HBCUs relating to national artificial intelligence research institutes
(a) In general
Paragraph (1) of section 5201(b) of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9431(b)) is amended—
(1)
by striking Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the Secretary of Energy,
and inserting the following:
(A) Awards
Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the Secretary of Energy,; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
(B) Special allocation for historically Black colleges and universities
In awarding financial assistance under subparagraph (A), the agency head shall designate not less than ten percent of such assistance for the Institutes to eligible historically Black colleges or universities (or consortia thereof), which may include partnerships with other institutions of higher education, to establish and support Institutes.
(b) Definition
Section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (11) as paragraphs (6) through (12), respectively; and
(2)
by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraph:
(5) Historically Black college and university
The term
historically Black college and universityhas the meaning given the termpart B institutionin section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).