Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act

To prohibit the Secretary of Education from engaging in regulatory overreach with regard to institutional eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act 2. Regulatory relief (a) Regulations repealed (1) Repeal The following regulations (including any supplement or revision to such regulations) are repealed and shall have no legal effect: (A) State authorization Sections 600.4(a)(3), 600.5(a)(4), 600.6(a)(3), 600.9, and 668.43(b) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to State authorization), as added or amended by— (i) the final regulations published by the Department of Education in the Federal Register on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 66832 et seq.); or (ii) the negotiated rulemaking committee established after the notice of intention to establish such committee published in the Federal Register on November 20, 2013 (78 Fed. Reg. 69612 et seq). (B) Definition of credit hour The definition of the term credit hour (C) Gainful employment Sections 600.10(c), 600.20(d), 668.6, and 668.7, of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations as added or amended by the final regulations published by the Department of Education in the Federal Register on October 31, 2014 (79 Fed. Reg. 64889 et seq.). (2) Effect of repeal To the extent that regulations repealed by paragraph (1) amended regulations that were in effect on June 30, 2011, the provisions of the regulations that were in effect on June 30, 2011, and were so amended are restored and revived as if the regulations repealed by paragraph (1) had not taken effect. (b) Certain regulations and other actions prohibited (1) State authorization, gainful employment, and teacher preparation (A) In general The Secretary of Education shall not, during the period described in subparagraph (B) 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. (i) the State authorization for institutions of higher education to operate within a State; (ii) the definition or application of the term gainful employment (iii) a teacher preparation program accountability system. (B) Period of prohibition The period during which the Secretary is prohibited from promulgating or enforcing a regulation described in subparagraph (A) 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. (2) Credit hour The Secretary of Education shall not, on or after the date of enactment of this Act, promulgate or enforce any regulation or rule with respect to the definition of the term credit hour 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. (3) Postsecondary institution ratings system The Secretary of Education shall not carry out, develop, refine, promulgate, publish, implement, administer, or enforce a postsecondary institution ratings system or any other performance system to rate institutions of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1002 3. Third-party service providers Section 487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(20) Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, an institution described in section 101 may provide payment, based on the amount of tuition generated by the institution from student enrollment, to a third-party entity that provides a set of services to the institution that includes student recruitment services, regardless of whether the third-party entity is affiliated with an institution that provides educational services other than the institution providing such payment, if— (A) the third-party entity is not affiliated with the institution providing such payment; (B) the third-party entity does not make compensation payments to its employees that are prohibited under this paragraph; (C) the set of services provided to the institution by the third-party entity include services in addition to student recruitment services, and the institution does not pay the third-party entity solely or separately for student recruitment services provided by the third-party entity; and (D) any student recruitment information available to the third-party entity, including personally identifiable information, will not be used by, shared with, or sold to any other person or entity, including any institution that is affiliated with the third-party entity. .

Summary: Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act Repeals certain Department of Education (ED) regulations that for purposes of determining whether a school is eligible to participate in programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA): (1) require institutions of higher education (IHEs) and postsecondary vocational institutions (except religious schools) to be legally authorized by the state in which they are situated, (2) delineate what such legal authorization requires of states and schools, (3) impose standards and disclosure requirements on programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, and (4) define "credit hour." Prohibits ED from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule not in effect on the date of this Act's enactment regarding: (1) the state authorization for IHEs to operate within a state, (2) the definition or application of the term "gainful employment," or (3) a teacher preparation program accountability system. Ends that prohibition when a law is enacted that extends by at least two fiscal years the authorization or duration of one or more programs under the HEA. Prohibits ED from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule that defines "credit hour" for any purpose under the HEA. Prohibits ED from carrying out, developing, refining, promulgating, publishing, implementing, administering, or enforcing a postsecondary institution ratings system or any other performance system to rate IHEs. Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA to authorize nonprofit IHEs to make payments to third-party entities for services that include student recruitment and are based on the amount of tuition that the IHE generates from student enrollment if the third-party entity: (1) is not affiliated with the IHE, (2) does not provide incentive payments to its employees for their success in enrolling students or securing financial aid for them, (3) is not paid by the IHE solely or separately for student recruitment services, and (4) will not make student recruitment information available to any other person or entity.