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HBCU PARTNERS Act

Public Law 116-270 · S. 461 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2020 · Education

Sponsor: Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)

Cosponsors (15): Sen. Christopher Coons,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 388 yea, 6 nay388–6
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act or the HBCU PARTNERS Act

This bill addresses the capacity of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to participate in federal programs. Specifically, the bill requires certain agencies to submit annual plans for strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to participate in federal programs. Among other things, the plans must establish how the agencies intend to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.

The agencies must provide technical assistance and information to the White House Initiative on HBCUs to enhance communication with HBCUs concerning their program activities and initiatives as well as applications for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.

In addition, the bill provides statutory authority for the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 116th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 388 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

388 yea6 nay35 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(228)

Republicans who voted yea(160)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 936 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Dec 31, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-270.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 21, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 14, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Dec 11, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 461 by Voice Vote.
  6. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 461 by Voice Vote.
  7. Dec 8, 2020FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  8. Dec 7, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 388 - 6 (Roll no. 237).House roll call 237
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 461.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Ms. Adams moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Feb 13, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  16. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  18. Feb 12, 2019FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.