IB 
Union Calendar No. 386 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3724 
[Report No. 118–467] 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit recognized accred-
iting agencies and associations from requiring, encouraging, or coercing 
institutions of higher education to meet any political litmus test or 
violate any right protected by the Constitution as a condition of accredi-
tation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2023 
Mr. OWENS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce 
APRIL 23, 2024 
Additional sponsors: Mr. WILLIAMS of New York, Mr. DONALDS, and Mrs. 
HOUCHIN 
APRIL 23, 2024 
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] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 25, 2023] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit 
recognized accrediting agencies and associations from re-
quiring, encouraging, or coercing institutions of higher 
education to meet any political litmus test or violate 
any right protected by the Constitution as a condition 
of accreditation. 
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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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Accreditation for College 
Excellence Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON POLITICAL LITMUS TESTS IN AC-
CREDITATION OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION. 
(a) OPERATING PROCEDURES REQUIRED.—Section 
496(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1099b(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(8); 
(2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) confirms that the standards for accredita-
tion of the agency or association do not— 
‘‘(A) except as provided in subparagraph 
(B)— 
‘‘(i) require, encourage, or coerce any 
institution to— 
‘‘(I) support, oppose, or commit to 
supporting or opposing— 
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‘‘(aa) a specific partisan, po-
litical, or ideological viewpoint or 
belief or set of such viewpoints or 
beliefs; or 
‘‘(bb) a a specific viewpoint 
or belief or set of viewpoints or be-
liefs on social, cultural, or polit-
ical issues; or 
‘‘(II) support or commit to sup-
porting the disparate treatment of any 
individual or group of individuals on 
the basis of any protected class under 
Federal civil rights law, except as re-
quired by Federal law or a court order; 
or 
‘‘(ii) assess an institution’s or program 
of study’s commitment to any ideology, be-
lief, or viewpoint; 
‘‘(B) prohibit an institution— 
‘‘(i) from having a religious mission, 
operating as a religious institution, or 
being controlled by a religious organization 
(in a manner described in paragraph (1), 
(2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of section 106.12(c) 
of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
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in effect on the date of the enactment of this 
paragraph)), or from requiring an appli-
cant, student, employee, or independent con-
tractor (such as an adjunct professor) of 
such an institution to— 
‘‘(I) provide or adhere to a state-
ment of faith; or 
‘‘(II) adhere to a code of conduct 
consistent with the stated religious 
mission of such institution or the reli-
gious tenets of such organization; or 
‘‘(ii) from requiring an applicant, stu-
dent, employee, or contractor to take an 
oath to uphold the Constitution of the 
United States; or 
‘‘(C) require, encourage, or coerce an insti-
tution of higher education to violate any right 
protected by the Constitution.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION
ON SCOPE
OF CRITERIA.—Section 
496(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1099b(g)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) LIMITATION ON SCOPE OF CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall not es-
tablish criteria for accrediting agencies or associa-
tions that are not required by this section. 
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‘‘(2) INSTITUTIONAL
ELIGIBILITY.—An institu-
tion of higher education shall be eligible for participa-
tion in programs under this title if the institution is 
in compliance with the standards of its accrediting 
agency or association that assess the institution in ac-
cordance with subsection (a)(5), regardless of any ad-
ditional standards adopted by the agency or associa-
tion for purposes unrelated to participation in pro-
grams under this title.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 386 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3724 
[Report No. 118–467] 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to 
prohibit recognized accrediting agencies and as-
sociations from requiring, encouraging, or coerc-
ing institutions of higher education to meet any 
political litmus test or violate any right protected 
by the Constitution as a condition of accredita-
tion. 
APRIL 23, 2024 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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