Representative French Hill

Dear Friend,

Last week, I hosted my second Arkansas HBCU Summit. The event was held at Philander Smith College in Little Rock and was followed by a job fair for students.

The Summit included panels focusing on philanthropy from both campus and investor perspectives. It also included a panel on increasing opportunities for HBCU students and a keynote address from Asahi Pompey, the President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

Also in attendance of this event was my friend and colleague, Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), Co-Chair of the HBCU Caucus. Together we worked with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) to develop the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, which prioritizes overdue infrastructure investments into our HBCU’S across the country, and here in central Arkansas.

The HBCU summit brought several companies including Microsoft Corporation, Deloitte, Regions Bank, and Goldman Sachs to campus. Afterwards I hosted a HBCU student job and internship fair. At this fair, students were able to connect with my office, NASA, Baptist Health, UAMS, and more.

HONORING OUR VETERANS

In 2019, I introduced a bill to expand acreage at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock that was included in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and signed into law.

I am proud to announce that the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration recently awarded the state of Arkansas over $6.5 million for the expansion of the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock.

This grant will fund 1,500 in-ground cremains gravesites, building and stream bank improvements, irrigation, landscaping, and supporting infrastructure on nine acres of land.

I am pleased that this grant will allow us to continue honoring veterans and their families with tributes that will commemorate their service to our nation.

2021-2022 FUTURE LEADERS COUNCIL

It was a privilege to host the first meeting of my 2021-22 Future Leaders Council last weekend on the UALR campus. After brief introductions, we discussed the Preamble and the First Amendment of our Constitution. We also discussed the three branches of government and the critical checks and balances associated with our system.

I started the Future Leaders Council in 2017, and it is comprised of fifth graders from across Arkansas's 2^nd Congressional District. We meet four times during the school year to learn about the Constitutional roots and practical sides of being a citizen of this great nation.

It is rewarding to play a role in helping build knowledge and a lifelong love of our Constitution for our future leaders. I come away from these visits hopeful and encouraged by the students’ curiosity, their interest in the political system, and their love for our nation.

NEW LOOK FOR SOCIAL SECURITY STATEMENTS

Last week, the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration announced the redesign of the Social Security Statement, a valuable tool for those who are interested in learning about their future Social Security benefits and current earnings history.

New changes will include bar charts that display an individual’s estimated retirement benefits based on different ages of retirement, text boxes that emphasize key information one may need for financial planning, and fact sheets tailored to the individual based on age group and earnings.

If you have any questions about this new format or if you have not been receiving your Social Security statement, and have any other questions related to Social Security, please contact my Little Rock office at (501) 324-5941.

CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE

The Congressional App Challenge is now open to 8th to 12th grade students. The purpose of the App Challenge is to get students interested in the world of coding, app development, and computer science, and to start building industry connections early.

The App Challenge highlights and supports students interested in the knowledge industry including coding and computer science. I am proud to support this program again this year.

The deadline for an app submission is November 1. To sign up, or to find more information, visit https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us, or contact my Little Rock Office at (501) 324-5941.

Click here or on the image above to learn more about last year's winner, Noah Taylor, of Conway High School

DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS READY TO OFFER COVID-19 BOOSTER ShOTs

Under the Emergency Use Authorization, the Department of Veterans Affairs has started administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster to:

Individuals over the age of 65 in long-term care settings
Individuals between 18-64 with underlying medical conditions
Individuals between 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure because of occupational or institutional settings

In order to receive a booster vaccine, it must be at least 6 months after the individual’s primary vaccination.

Veterans who would like additional information can visit the VA COVID-19 vaccines webpage, visit their local facility’s website or contact their care team. Visit VA’s Questions webpage for questions and answers regarding COVID-19 vaccine.

To find a free COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov, call 1-800-232-0233, or text your zip code to 438829. For more information visit the Arkansas Department of Health website.

Sincerely,