I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4648 

To improve estimates of off-campus room and board for students at 

institutions of higher education, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 11, 2019 

Mr. HORSFORD (for himself and Ms. WILSON of Florida) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To improve estimates of off-campus room and board for 

students at institutions of higher education, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency in Off5 Campus Housing Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INSTITUTIONAL CALCULATIONS FOR OFF-CAMPUS 

7 ROOM AND BOARD. 

8 (a) AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE REGULATIONS.—Sec9 tion 478(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

10 U.S.C. 1087rr(a)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subpara3 graph (A); 

4 (B) by striking the period at the end of 

5 subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

6 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(C) to prescribe— 

8 ‘‘(i) at least one methodology that in9 stitutions of higher education (other than 

10 institutions that receive a waiver under 

11 clause (ii)) shall use in determining the al12 lowance for room and board costs incurred 

13 by students described in subparagraph (A) 

14 of section 472(3) and by students de15 scribed in subparagraph (D) of such sec16 tion, that shall— 

17 ‘‘(I) ensure that each such allow18 ance determination is sufficient to 

19 cover reasonable room and board costs 

20 incurred by the students for whom 

21 such allowance is being determined; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(II) include the sources of infor24 mation that institutions shall use in 


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1 making each such allowance deter2 mination; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) a process for granting institu4 tions of higher education a waiver from the 

5 requirements of clause (i), including— 

6 ‘‘(I) a requirement that each in7 stitution of higher education seeking 

8 such a waiver submit to the Sec9 retary— 

10 ‘‘(aa) a description of the 

11 methodology that the institution 

12 will use for each allowance deter13 mination described in clause (i); 

14 ‘‘(bb) an assurance that 

15 each such allowance determina16 tion meets the requirements of 

17 clause (i)(I); and 

18 ‘‘(cc) a demonstration that 

19 the institution will use reliable 

20 sources of information for each 

21 such allowance determination; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(II) a requirement that each in24 stitution of higher education that re25 ceives such a waiver publicly disclose 


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1 on the website of the institution the 

2 methodology and sources of informa3 tion used by the institution for each 

4 allowance determination described in 

5 clause (i).’’; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(3) Any regulation proposed by the Secretary 

8 under paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection shall not 

9 be subject to the requirements of paragraph (2).’’. 

10 (b) REQUIREMENT TO PRESCRIBE REGULATIONS.— 

11 Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of 

12 this Act, the Secretary of Education shall issue regulations 

13 that meet the requirements of subparagraph (C) of section 

14 478(a)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

15 1087rr(a)(1)), as added by subsection (a). 

Æ 


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