Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act - Prohibits any accreditor from being considered a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered by degree-granting institutions for any purpose related to immigration, federal employment, or any other federal activity, unless the accreditor is recognized by the Secretary of Education.
Considers only a degree from a degree-granting institution that is accredited by such an accreditor to be acceptable in situations when a degree from an institution of higher education (IHE) is required or taken into consideration for the purpose of appointing, promoting, or improving the pay of a federal employee.
Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to define as an unfair and deceptive act or practice: (1) certain offerings of academic, professional, or occupational degrees by entities that are not IHEs or are not accredited by an accreditor recognized by the Secretary, any other appropriate federal agency, or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; or (2) the issuing of any accreditation to a degree-granting institution by an accreditor that lacks such recognition.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2234 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2234
To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order
to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are
used for Federal employment purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2013
Mr. Bishop of New York introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in
addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy
and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order
to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are
used for Federal employment purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Diploma and Accreditation Integrity
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to protect institutions of
higher education, businesses and other employers, professional
licensing boards, patients and clients of degree holders, taxpayers,
and other individuals from any person claiming to possess a legitimate
academic degree that in fact was issued by a fraudulent or nonexistent
school, by a non-educational entity posing as a school, or by any
entity in violation of Federal or State law.
(b) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Accreditation mill.--The term ``accreditation mill''
means an education or corporate organization that offers a form
of educational recognition or accreditation, for a fee or free
of charge, that--
(A) extend a permanent recognition or accreditation
status to an institution with few or no requirements
for subsequent periodic reviews;
(B) publish a list of institutions and programs
recognized or accredited by such organization that
includes institutions and programs that did not apply
for or otherwise request such recognition or
accreditation by the organization; or
(C) lack national recognition by the Secretary of
Education or the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation.
(2) Degree-granting institution.--The term ``degree-
granting institution'' means any entity that offers or confers
an academic, professional, or occupational degree, diploma, or
certificate, if such degree, diploma, or certificate may be
used to represent to the general public that the individual
possessing such degree, diploma, or certificate has completed a
program of education or training beyond secondary education.
(3) Diploma mill.--The term ``diploma mill'' means any
entity that--
(A) lacks valid accreditation by an agency
recognized by a Federal agency, a State government, or
the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a
valid accrediting agency of institutions of higher
education; and
(B) offers degrees, diplomas, or certifications,
for a fee, that may be used to represent to the general
public that the individual possessing such a degree,
diploma, or certification has completed a program of
education or training beyond secondary education, but
little or no education or course work is required to
obtain such a degree, diploma, or certification.
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
SEC. 3. ACCREDITING AGENCIES.
No accrediting agency or association may be considered to be a
reliable authority as to the quality of education or training offered
by a degree-granting institution for any purpose related to
immigration, Federal employment and hiring practices, or for any other
Federal purposes, unless the agency or association is a nationally
recognized accrediting agency or association recognized by the
Secretary of Education pursuant to part H of title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099a et seq.).
SEC. 4. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT.
For purposes of applying any civil service law, rule, or regulation
that requires or takes into consideration a degree from an institution
of higher education for purposes of appointment or promotion of, or
improved pay for, a Federal employee, only a degree from a degree-
granting institution that is accredited by a nationally recognized
accrediting agency or association recognized by the Secretary of
Education pursuant to part H of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099a et seq.) shall be acceptable.
SEC. 5. UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE ACTS AND PRACTICES REGARDING DIPLOMAS AND
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.
(a) Conduct Prohibited.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall initiate a
rulemaking to define as an unfair and deceptive act or practice under
section 18 of Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a) the
following:
(1) The issuing of a degree, diploma, certificate, or any
similar document by an entity that is not recognized as a
legitimate postsecondary degree-granting institution by the
Secretary of Education, if such degree, diploma, certificate,
or similar document misrepresents, directly or indirectly, the
subject matter, substance, or content of the course of study or
any other material fact concerning the course of study for
which such degree, diploma, certificate, or similar document
was awarded.
(2) The offering or conferring of an academic,
professional, or occupational degree if the entity offering or
conferring the degree--
(A) is not an institution of higher education; or
(B) is not accredited by--
(i) a nationally recognized accrediting
agency or association recognized by the
Secretary of Education pursuant to part H of
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1099a et seq.); or
(ii) an accrediting agency or association
that is recognized as a legitimate accrediting
agency or association for any purpose by any
appropriate Federal agency or by the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation,
unless the entity offering or conferring such a degree clearly
and conspicuously discloses, in all advertising and promotional
materials that contain a reference to such a degree, that the
awarding of the degree has not been so authorized or that the
entity offering or conferring the degree has not been so
approved or recognized.
(3) The claiming or asserting in any advertisements or
promotional material of an entity offering or conferring an
academic, professional, or occupational degree, that such
entity has--
(A) an accredited status unless it holds
accreditation from an accrediting agency that is
recognized by the Secretary of Education or the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation, or is recognized
for any purpose by any appropriate Federal agency; or
(B) an unaccredited, but approved status that
misrepresents, directly or indirectly, the nature,
extent, or credibility of such approval.
(4) The issuing of any accreditation, including
institutional, programmatic, or specialized accreditation, to
any degree-granting institution by any entity that is not
recognized for accreditation purposes by the Secretary of
Education, any other appropriate Federal agency, or the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation.
(b) Final Rule.--The Commission shall issue final rules under this
section not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(c) Reporting Requirement.--
(1) Federal trade commission.--In administering and
enforcing the rule required under subsection (a), the Federal
Trade Commission shall report regularly to the Secretary of
Education any information regarding entities which the
Commission knows or suspects to be in violation of such rule.
(2) Secretary of education.--The Secretary of Education
shall make available to the general public, in paper and
electronic forms, the information reported to the Secretary in
accordance with paragraph (1).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.