The General Assembly finds that:
(1) The State of Maryland wishes to provide all of its citizens with equal access to higher education at excellent and affordable public colleges and universities;
(2) The General Assembly has carefully reviewed the Memorandum Opinions and Orders of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, issued October 7, 2013, and November 8, 2017, in the action, The Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education, et al. v. Maryland Higher Education Commission, et al., 06–CV–02773–CCB;
(3) The District Court found that the State failed to eliminate a traceable de jure era policy of unnecessary duplication of programs at historically black colleges and universities in the State that has exacerbated the racial identifiability of Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities;
(4) Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities, which are Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore, should receive additional support to remedy the findings of the District Court;
(5) The additional support shall be provided in the form of additional funding in the amount of $577,000,000, which shall be provided in amounts as calculated under § 15–126 of this article in each of fiscal years 2023 through 2032, and shall be allocated among the institutions; and
(6) The provisions of §§ 15–126 and 15–127 of this article shall ensure that Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities shall receive this support.