IB 
Union Calendar No. 116 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2117 
[Report No. 112–177] 
To prohibit the Department of Education from overreaching into academic 
affairs and program eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2011 
Ms. FOXX (for herself and Mr. KLINE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
JULY 22, 2011 
Additional sponsors: Mr. HERGER, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. 
CARTER, Mr. GOWDY, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. AUSTRIA, Mr. PLATTS, Mrs. 
BIGGERT, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. PAUL, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. ROSS of Flor-
ida, Mr. HANNA, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. WEST, Mr. 
BARLETTA, Mrs. ROBY, Mrs. ELLMERS, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. PETRI, Mr. 
MARCHANT, Mr. COBLE, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BONNER, Mr. 
OLSON, Mr. MICA, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado, Mr. WHIT-
FIELD, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mrs. 
MYRICK, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SHUSTER, 
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. CONAWAY, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. CHAFFETZ, 
Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. GUINTA, Mr. REED, Mr. FORBES, Mrs. BLACK-
BURN, Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. COHEN, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. 
LUETKEMEYER, Mr. MARINO, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. STIV-
ERS, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mrs. EMERSON, Ms. JENKINS, Mr. SESSIONS, 
Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. BACH-
US, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. 
MCCAUL, Mr. BROOKS, and Mr. KISSELL 
JULY 22, 2011 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
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A BILL 
To prohibit the Department of Education from overreaching 
into academic affairs and program eligibility under title 
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION
1.
REPEAL
OF
REGULATIONS
RELATING
TO 
STATE
AUTHORIZATION
AND
DEFINING 
CREDIT HOUR. 
(a) REGULATIONS REPEALED.— 
(1) REPEAL.—The following regulations (in-
cluding any supplement or revision to such regula-
tions) are repealed and shall have no legal effect: 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 Reg-
ulations (relating to State authorization), as 
added or amended by the final regulations pub-
lished by the Department of Education in the 
Federal Register on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed. 
Reg. 66832 et seq.). 
(B) DEFINITION OF CREDIT HOUR.—The 
definition of the term ‘‘credit hour’’ in section 
600.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, 
as added by the final regulations published by 
the Department of Education in the Federal 
Register on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 
66946), and subsection (k)(2)(ii) of section 
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668.8 of such title, as amended by such final 
regulations (75 Fed. Reg. 66949 et seq.). 
(2) EFFECT OF REPEAL.—To the extent that 
regulations repealed by paragraph (1) amended reg-
ulations 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 para-
graph (1) had not taken effect. 
(b) REGULATIONS DEFINING CREDIT HOUR PROHIB-
ITED.—The Secretary shall not promulgate or enforce any 
regulation or rule that defines the term ‘‘credit hour’’ for 
any purpose under the Higher Education Act of 1965 on 
or after the date of enactment of this section. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Academic 
Freedom in Higher Education Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REGULATIONS RELATING TO STATE AU-
THORIZATION AND DEFINING CREDIT HOUR. 
(a) REGULATIONS REPEALED.— 
(1) REPEAL.—The following regulations (includ-
ing 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 
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668.43(b) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations 
(relating to State authorization), as added or 
amended by the final regulations published by 
the Department of Education in the Federal 
Register on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 
66832 et seq.). 
(B) DEFINITION
OF
CREDIT
HOUR.—The 
definition of the term ‘‘credit hour’’ in section 
600.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, as 
added by the final regulations published by the 
Department of Education in the Federal Register 
on October 29, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 66946), and 
subsection (k)(2)(ii) of section 668.8 of such title, 
as amended by such final regulations (75 Fed. 
Reg. 66949 et seq.). 
(2) EFFECT OF REPEAL.—To the extent that reg-
ulations repealed by paragraph (1) amended regula-
tions that were in effect on June 30, 2011, the provi-
sions 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) REGULATIONS DEFINING CREDIT HOUR PROHIB-
ITED.—The Secretary shall not promulgate or enforce any 
regulation or rule that defines the term ‘‘credit hour’’ for 
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any purpose under the Higher Education Act of 1965 on 
or after the date of enactment of this section. 
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Union Calendar No. 116 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2117 
[Report No. 112–177] 
A BILL 
To prohibit the Department of Education from 
overreaching into academic affairs and program 
eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965. 
JULY 22, 2011 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:49 Jul 22, 2011
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PO 00000
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