# 119-s-4496: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities, and for other purposes.

119-s-4496, A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-23).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4496
- As of: 2026-05-23
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4496
- Congress: 119
- Title: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities, and for other purposes.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-12
- Sponsor: Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-23

## Summary

**Strengthen arts and Black cultural programs at historically Black colleges and universities.** This bill would amend Section 323 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize new arts-focused student aid, outreach and development offices, comprehensive wraparound supports, protection of Black art collections, paid experiential opportunities, and formal partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts. It also defines “arts” to include performance, literary, visual, graphic, plastic, and decorative forms. - Students and educators: Students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs would get financial and other assistance and access to well-paid apprenticeships, internships, and fellowships, plus wraparound services like faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning, guidance counseling, and career advising. - Institutions and programs: Historically Black colleges and universities and their arts departments would be authorized to create outreach programs and development offices and to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts and nonprofit arts institutes to carry out these activities. - Collections and cultural preservation: Institutions would be authorized to exhibit, maintain, monitor, and protect Black art collections whether on display or in storage.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] (R-WV), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More arts support at HBCUs: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let eligible HBCUs use Section 323 grant money for arts-related activities. Schools would be able to give financial help to arts, arts education, and cultural students. Schools would be able to fund outreach and development offices and provide wraparound services like fac…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1408: Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-4496 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4496)

## Related
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1408: Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1408)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4496 (as of 2026-05-23).