I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4029 
To direct the Secretary of Education to make reasonable adjustments to 
earnings data for graduates of cosmetology gainful employment programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 12, 2017 
Ms. SPEIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to make reasonable 
adjustments to earnings data for graduates of cosme-
tology gainful employment programs. 
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 ‘‘Accurate Income Meas-
ure Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘AIM Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENTS TO RULE RELATING TO GAINFUL 
EMPLOYMENT. 
(a) ADJUSTMENTS TO RULE.—For any rule promul-
gated by the Department of Education relating to title IV 
of the Higher Education Act, Program Integrity, Gainful 
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Employment (including 79 Fed. Reg. 64890 (October 31, 
2014), and any other related rule that may be promul-
gated by the Department) (referred to in this Act collec-
tively as the ‘‘Rule’’), the Secretary shall ensure that— 
(1) for covered programs, any earnings data for 
graduates utilized in the Rule shall recognize the 
finding of the United States District Court in the 
case titled ‘‘American Association of Cosmetology 
Schools v. DeVos (Civil Action No.: 17–0263 (RC))’’ 
that the use of Social Security Administration earn-
ings data alone as a measure of graduate earnings 
is problematic, and shall reasonably account for esti-
mated under-reporting of earned income by grad-
uates; and 
(2) any institution offering a covered program 
may appeal a zone or failing debt to earnings rate 
by submitting, as alternate earnings data, the most 
current earnings data issued by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics for the most relevant geographical region, 
at no higher than the 50th percentile, for the Stand-
ard Occupational Classification code, or combination 
of such codes, in which graduates were placed in or 
found employment. 
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(b) PROHIBITIONS.—Until the date on which the Sec-
retary issues the adjustments to the Rule required under 
subsection (a)— 
(1) all covered programs shall be exempt from 
the Rule; 
(2) the Secretary shall not publish final debt-to- 
earnings rates for covered programs; 
(3) notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
institutions of higher education providing covered 
programs shall not be required to report the debt- 
to-earnings rates of covered programs on any con-
sumer disclosures relating to gainful employment; 
and 
(4) the Secretary shall not determine any cov-
ered program ineligible to participate in programs 
authorized under title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) due to the ap-
plication of the Rule. 
(c) STUDY.—The Secretary, jointly with the Commis-
sioner of the Internal Revenue Service, shall carry out a 
study to develop a method of adjusting earnings data 
under the Rule to account for the underreporting of in-
come by graduates of covered programs. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
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(1) COVERED
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘covered 
program’’ means an educational program that— 
(A) is designed to lead to gainful employ-
ment (as that term is used in sections 101(b) 
and 102(b) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965) (20 U.S.C. 1001(b); 1002(b)); and 
(B) is identified by Department of Edu-
cation Classification of Instructional Program 
codes 12.0401 through 12.0499, 51.3306, or 
51.3501. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ means an in-
stitution described in section 101(b) or section 
102(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001(b); 1002(b)). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
Æ 
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