I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2957 
To establish a postsecondary student data system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 27, 2023 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Ms. MACE, and Ms. SHERRILL) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a postsecondary student data system. 
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 ‘‘College Transparency 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. POSTSECONDARY STUDENT DATA SYSTEM. 
Section 132 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1015a) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (l) as subsection 
(m); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(2) by inserting after subsection (k) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(l) POSTSECONDARY STUDENT DATA SYSTEM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
SYSTEM.—Not 
later than 4 years after the date of enactment 
of the College Transparency Act, the Commis-
sioner of the National Center for Education 
Statistics (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Commissioner’) shall develop and maintain a 
secure and privacy-protected postsecondary stu-
dent-level data system in order to— 
‘‘(i) accurately evaluate student en-
rollment patterns, progression, completion, 
and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher 
education costs and financial aid; 
‘‘(ii) assist with transparency, institu-
tional improvement, and analysis of Fed-
eral aid programs; 
‘‘(iii) provide accurate, complete, and 
customizable information for students and 
families making decisions about postsec-
ondary education; and 
‘‘(iv) reduce the reporting burden on 
institutions of higher education, in accord-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
ance with section 5 of the College Trans-
parency Act. 
‘‘(B) AVOIDING
DUPLICATED
REPORT-
ING.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this section, to the extent that another provi-
sion of this section requires the same reporting 
or collection of data that is required under this 
subsection, an institution of higher education, 
or the Secretary or Commissioner, shall use the 
reporting or data required for the postsec-
ondary student data system under this sub-
section to satisfy both requirements. 
‘‘(C) DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.—In devel-
oping the postsecondary student data system 
described in this subsection, the Commissioner 
shall— 
‘‘(i) focus on the needs of— 
‘‘(I) users of the data system; 
and 
‘‘(II) entities, including institu-
tions of higher education, reporting to 
the data system; 
‘‘(ii) take into consideration, to the 
extent practicable— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(I) the guidelines outlined in the 
U.S. Web Design Standards main-
tained by the General Services Admin-
istration and the Digital Services 
Playbook and TechFAR Handbook for 
Procuring 
Digital 
Services 
Using 
Agile Processes of the U.S. Digital 
Service; and 
‘‘(II) the relevant successor docu-
ments or recommendations of such 
guidelines; 
‘‘(iii) use modern, relevant privacy- 
and security-enhancing technology, and en-
hance and update the data system as nec-
essary to carry out the purpose of this sub-
section; 
‘‘(iv) ensure data privacy and security 
is consistent with any relevant Federal law 
relating to privacy or data security, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(I) the requirements of sub-
chapter II of chapter 35 of title 44, 
United States Code, specifying secu-
rity categorization under the Federal 
Information Processing Standards or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
any relevant successor of such stand-
ards; 
‘‘(II) security requirements that 
are consistent with the Federal agency 
responsibilities in section 3554 of title 
44, United States Code, or any rel-
evant successor of such responsibil-
ities; and 
‘‘(III) 
security 
requirements, 
guidelines, and controls consistent 
with cybersecurity standards and best 
practices developed by the National 
Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, including frameworks, con-
sistent with section 2(c) of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(c)), or 
any relevant successor of such frame-
works; 
‘‘(v) follow Federal data minimization 
practices to ensure only the minimum 
amount of data is collected to meet the 
system’s goals, in accordance with Federal 
data minimization standards and guide-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
lines developed by the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology; and 
‘‘(vi) provide notice to students out-
lining the data included in the system and 
how the data are used. 
‘‘(2) DATA ELEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of the College 
Transparency Act, the Commissioner, in con-
sultation with the Postsecondary Student Data 
System Advisory Committee established under 
subparagraph (B), shall determine— 
‘‘(i) the data elements to be included 
in the postsecondary student data system, 
in accordance with subparagraphs (C) and 
(D); and 
‘‘(ii) how to include the data elements 
required under subparagraph (C), and any 
additional data elements selected under 
subparagraph (D), in the postsecondary 
student data system. 
‘‘(B) POSTSECONDARY
STUDENT
DATA 
SYSTEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(i) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Not 
later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
of the College Transparency Act, the Com-
missioner shall establish a Postsecondary 
Student Data System Advisory Committee 
(referred to in this subsection as the ‘Advi-
sory Committee’), whose members shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) the Chief Privacy Officer of 
the Department or an official of the 
Department delegated the duties of 
overseeing data privacy at the Depart-
ment; 
‘‘(II) the Chief Security Officer 
of the Department or an official of 
the Department delegated the duties 
of overseeing data security at the De-
partment; 
‘‘(III) representatives of diverse 
institutions of higher education, which 
shall include equal representation be-
tween 2-year and 4-year institutions 
of higher education, and from public, 
nonprofit, and proprietary institutions 
of higher education, including minor-
ity-serving institutions; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(IV) representatives from State 
higher education agencies, entities, 
bodies, or boards; 
‘‘(V) representatives of postsec-
ondary students; 
‘‘(VI) representatives from rel-
evant Federal agencies; 
‘‘(VII) individuals with expertise 
in data privacy and security; and 
‘‘(VIII) other stakeholders (in-
cluding individuals with consumer 
protection and postsecondary edu-
cation research). 
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—The Commis-
sioner shall ensure that the Advisory Com-
mittee— 
‘‘(I) adheres to all requirements 
under chapter 10 of title 5, United 
States Code (commonly known as the 
‘Federal Advisory Committee Act’); 
‘‘(II) establishes operating and 
meeting procedures and guidelines 
necessary to execute its advisory du-
ties; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(III) is provided with appro-
priate staffing and resources to exe-
cute its advisory duties. 
‘‘(C) REQUIRED
DATA
ELEMENTS.—The 
data elements in the postsecondary student 
data system shall include, at a minimum, the 
following: 
‘‘(i) Student-level data elements nec-
essary to calculate the information within 
the surveys designated by the Commis-
sioner as ‘student-related surveys’ in the 
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 
System (IPEDS), as such surveys are in 
effect on the day before the date of enact-
ment of the College Transparency Act, ex-
cept that in the case that collection of such 
elements would conflict with subparagraph 
(F), such elements in conflict with sub-
paragraph (F) shall be included in the ag-
gregate instead of at the student level. 
‘‘(ii) Student-level data elements nec-
essary to allow for reporting student en-
rollment, persistence, retention, transfer, 
and completion measures for all credential 
levels separately (including certificate, as-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:05 May 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2957.IH
H2957
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS