Last week, Congressman Rich McCormick introduced the HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act in Washington. The bill seeks to update federal definitions that affect Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Currently, schools are classified under the Higher Education Act of 1965 as either HBCUs or PBIs. Many PBIs serve large African American student populations but do not qualify for HBCU designation because they were founded after a 1964 cutoff.
The proposed legislation sets November 8, 1965—the date the Higher Education Act was signed into law—as the new eligibility date. This adjustment would allow more PBIs that narrowly missed the original deadline to receive HBCU status and access related resources.
Congressman McCormick stated, “As a former student body president of Morehouse School of Medicine, I am honored to introduce this transformative piece of legislation. Updating outdated federal definitions to ensure fairness for students at historically underserved institutions has been a priority of mine since coming to Congress. I look forward to seeing stronger, more support for their students.”
McCormick has represented Georgia’s 6th district in the U.S. Congress since 2023 after replacing Lucy McBath. He won his seat by defeating Bob Christian in the general election with 64.9% of the vote. Born in Las Vegas in 1968, McCormick currently lives in Suwanee and holds degrees from Oregon State University and National University.
A video of Congressman McCormick’s floor speech on this legislation is available online.
