; and (2) by adding at the end the following new section: 321. Election Infrastructure Innovation Grant Program (a) Establishment The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, in coordination with the Chairman of the Election Assistance Commission (established pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002) and in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall establish a competitive grant program to award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive basis, for purposes of research and development that are determined to have the potential to significantly to improve the security (including cybersecurity), quality, reliability, accuracy, accessibility, and affordability of election infrastructure. (b) Report to Congress Not later than 90 days after the conclusion of each fiscal year for which grants are awarded under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate a report describing such grants and analyzing the impact, if any, of such grants on the security and operation of election infrastructure. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $6,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2026 for purposes of carrying out this section. (d) Eligible entity defined In this section, the term eligible entity means— (1) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) )), including an institution of higher education that is a historically Black college or university (which has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in section 322 of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1061 )) or other minority-serving institution listed in section 371(a) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1067q(a) )