119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 2664
H.R. 2664 expands how historically Black colleges and universities can use federal grant funds to support arts education and Black artists. Specifically, the bill allows HBCUs to use these grants for new purposes including providing financial aid to arts students, establishing outreach programs for arts departments, offering mentorship and career counseling, maintaining Black art collections, and funding apprenticeships and internships in partnership with arts organizations. The bill is motivated by findings that HBCUs have received $12.6 billion less in funding than predominantly White institutions over 30 years, leading many to cut arts programs, and that Black artists and leaders remain severely underrepresented in America's top museums. The legislation also allows HBCUs to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts to carry out these activities.