I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4535 
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 
JANUARY 27, 2010 
Mr. BISHOP of New York (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, and Mr. CASTLE) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and 
Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Diploma and Accredi-
tation Integrity Protection Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to protect 
institutions of higher education, businesses and other em-
ployers, professional licensing boards, patients and clients 
of degree holders, taxpayers, and other individuals from 
any person claiming to possess a legitimate academic de-
gree 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 ‘‘accredi-
tation mill’’ means an education or corporate organi-
zation that offers a form of educational recognition 
or accreditation, for a fee or free of charge, that— 
(A) extend a permanent recognition or ac-
creditation status to an institution with few or 
no requirements for subsequent periodic re-
views; 
(B) publish a list of institutions and pro-
grams recognized or accredited by such organi-
zation that includes institutions and programs 
that did not apply for or otherwise request such 
recognition or accreditation by the organization; 
or 
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(C) lack national recognition by the Sec-
retary 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 rep-
resent to the general public that the individual pos-
sessing such degree, diploma, or certificate has com-
pleted 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 govern-
ment, or the Council for Higher Education Ac-
creditation as a valid accrediting agency of in-
stitutions of higher education; and 
(B) offers degrees, diplomas, or certifi-
cations, for a fee, that may be used to represent 
to the general public that the individual pos-
sessing such a degree, diploma, or certification 
has completed a program of education or train-
ing beyond secondary education, but little or no 
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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 High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
SEC. 3. ACCREDITING AGENCIES. 
No accrediting agency or association may be consid-
ered to be a reliable authority as to the quality of edu-
cation or training offered by a degree-granting institution 
for any purpose related to immigration, Federal employ-
ment and hiring practices, or for any other Federal pur-
poses, unless the agency or association is a nationally rec-
ognized 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 pur-
poses 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 rec-
ognized accrediting agency or association recognized by 
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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 RE-
GARDING 
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 rec-
ognized as a legitimate postsecondary degree-grant-
ing institution by the Secretary of Education, if such 
degree, diploma, certificate, or similar document 
misrepresents, directly or indirectly, the subject mat-
ter, 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 of-
fering or conferring the degree— 
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(A) is not an institution of higher edu-
cation; 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 associa-
tion that is recognized as a legitimate ac-
crediting 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 de-
gree clearly and conspicuously discloses, in all adver-
tising and promotional materials that contain a ref-
erence to such a degree, that the awarding of the de-
gree has not been so authorized or that the entity 
offering or conferring the degree has not been so ap-
proved or recognized. 
(3) The claiming or asserting in any advertise-
ments or promotional material of an entity offering 
or conferring an academic, professional, or occupa-
tional degree, that such entity has— 
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(A) an accredited status unless it holds ac-
creditation 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 appro-
priate 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 accredita-
tion, 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 admin-
istering and enforcing the rule required under sub-
section (a), the Federal Trade Commission shall re-
port regularly to the Secretary of Education any in-
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formation regarding entities which the Commission 
knows or suspects to be in violation of such rule. 
(2) SECRETARY
OF
EDUCATION.—The Sec-
retary of Education shall make available to the gen-
eral public, in paper and electronic forms, the infor-
mation reported to the Secretary in accordance with 
paragraph (1). 
Æ 
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