I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5572 

To provide consumer protections for students. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. ELLISON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed 

Services and Veterans’ Affairs, 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 provide consumer protections for students. 

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 ‘‘Protecting Students 

5 from Worthless Degrees Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

8 (1) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (A) FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

10 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Federal financial assistVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:43 Sep 26, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5572.IH H5572

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1 ance program’’ means a program authorized 

2 and funded by the Federal Government under 

3 any of the following provisions of law: 

4 (i) Title IV of the Higher Education 

5 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.). 

6 (ii) Title I of the Workforce Invest7 ment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et 

8 seq.). 

9 (iii) The Adult Education and Family 

10 Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.). 

11 (iv) Chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, or 35 

12 of title 38, United States Code. 

13 (v) Chapter 101, 105, 106A, 1606, 

14 1607, or 1608 of title 10, United States 

15 Code. 

16 (vi) Section 1784a, 2005, or 2007 of 

17 title 10, United States Code. 

18 (B) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU19 CATION.—The term ‘‘institution of higher edu20 cation’’— 

21 (i) with respect to a program author22 ized under subparagraph (A)(i), has the 

23 meaning given the term in section 102 of 

24 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

25 U.S.C. 1002); 


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1 (ii) with respect to a program author2 ized under subparagraph (A)(ii), has the 

3 meaning given the term ‘‘postsecondary 

4 educational institution’’ as defined in sec5 tion 101 of the Workforce Investment Act 

6 of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801); 

7 (iii) with respect to a program author8 ized under subparagraph (A)(iii), has the 

9 meaning given the term ‘‘postsecondary 

10 educational institution’’ as defined in sec11 tion 203 of the Adult Education and Fam12 ily Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9202); 

13 (iv) with respect to a program author14 ized under subparagraph (A)(iv), has the 

15 meaning given the term ‘‘educational insti16 tution’’ under section 3452 of title 38, 

17 United States Code; 

18 (v) with respect to a program author19 ized under subparagraph (A)(v), means an 

20 educational institution that awards a de21 gree or certificate and is located in any 

22 State; and 

23 (vi) with respect to a program author24 ized under subparagraph (A)(vi), means an 

25 educational institution that awards a deVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:43 Sep 26, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5572.IH H5572

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1 gree or certificate and is located in any 

2 State. 

3 (C) STATE.— 

4 (i) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ in5 cludes, in addition to the several States of 

6 the United States, the Commonwealth of 

7 Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, 

8 Guam, American Samoa, the United States 

9 Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the 

10 Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely 

11 associated States. 

12 (ii) FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES.— 

13 The term ‘‘freely associated States’’ means 

14 the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 

15 Federated States of Micronesia, and the 

16 Republic of Palau. 

17 (2) CONSUMER PROTECTIONS.—Notwith18 standing any other provision of law, an institution of 

19 higher education is not eligible to participate in a 

20 Federal financial assistance program with respect to 

21 any program of postsecondary education or training, 

22 including a degree or certificate program, that is de23 signed to prepare students for entry into a recog24 nized occupation or profession that requires licensing 

25 or other established requirements as a pre-condition 


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1 for entry into such occupation or profession, un2 less— 

3 (A) the successful completion of the pro4 gram fully qualifies a student, in the Metropoli5 tan Statistical Area and State in which the stu6 dent resides (and in any State in which the in7 stitution indicates, through advertising or mar8 keting activities or direct contact with potential 

9 students, that a student will be prepared to 

10 work in the occupation or profession after suc11 cessfully completing the program), to— 

12 (i) take any examination required for 

13 entry into the recognized occupation or 

14 profession in the Metropolitan Statistical 

15 Area and State in which the student re16 sides, including satisfying all Federal, 

17 State, or professionally mandated pro18 grammatic and specialized accreditation re19 quirements, if any; and 

20 (ii) be certified or licensed or meet 

21 any other academically related pre-condi22 tions that are required for entry into the 

23 recognized occupation or profession in the 

24 State; and 


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1 (B) the institution offering the program 

2 provides timely placement for all of the aca3 demically related pre-licensure requirements for 

4 entry into the recognized occupation or profes5 sion, such as clinical placements, internships, or 

6 apprenticeships. 

7 (3) REGULATIONS ON PRE-ACCREDITED PRO8 GRAMS.—The Secretary of Education shall promul9 gate regulations on requirements of an institution of 

10 higher education with respect to any program of the 

11 institution that is in a pre-accredited status, includ12 ing limitations on, or requirements of, advertisement 

13 of the program to students. Such regulations shall 

14 be consistent with the provisions of paragraph (2). 

15 (4) LOAN DISCHARGE.—The Secretary of Edu16 cation shall promulgate regulations that condition 

17 eligibility for an institution of higher education to 

18 participate in any Federal financial assistance pro19 gram on the institution signing with each student 

20 enrolled in any program of the institution that is in 

21 a pre-accredited status, a loan discharge agreement. 

22 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall be effec23 tive on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment 

24 of this Act. 

Æ 


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