HBCU Preservation Bill Dies in Congress
By Charles Dervarics

Despite a flurry of last-minute activity that raised the hopes of Black college leaders, Congress in late November fell short in a final attempt to approve an HBCU historic building preservation bill before lawmakers adjourned for 2002.

In a complex series of negotiations in the waning days of the 107th Congress, the Senate on Nov. 20 broke a logjam and approved a bill to set aside funds for historic preservation at historically Black colleges and universities. But the bill was slightly different from a measure approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, and House leaders opted not to consider the Senate alternative before adjournment the next day.

The roller-coaster week had given new hope to a seven-year legislative effort to create a new program for HBCUs. "Time ran out," says Hope Derrick, an aide to Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a prime sponsor of the HBCU bill in the House. While acknowledging disappointment, Derrick says advocates can take the Senate vote as a note of encouragement heading into 2003.

"There was headway this year," she says, "and we've been working on this for seven years."

Clyburn's bill, H.R. 1606, cleared the House this summer after languishing due to concerns about cost. A report from the General Accounting Office has said it may cost $755 million to rehabilitate HBCU buildings and — in part to limit funding concerns — Clyburn's bill did not set specific funding levels. Instead, his bill would allow lawmakers to set program funding on an annual basis.

That approach ran into trouble in the Senate, however, where at least one Republican leader wanted annual funding limits. As a result, sponsors agreed to limit funding to $10 million in the law's first two years. That plan passed the Senate but died in the House as lawmakers wrapped up work to adjourn for the year.