I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1949 
To direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory Committee 
on Improving Postsecondary Education Data to conduct a study on 
improvements to postsecondary education transparency at the Federal 
level. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 13, 2013 
Mr. MESSER (for himself, Mr. KLINE, Mr. PETRI, Ms. FOXX, Mr. ROE of 
Tennessee, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, and Mr. BUCSHON) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory 
Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education Data 
to conduct a study on improvements to postsecondary 
education transparency at the Federal level. 
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 ‘‘Improving Postsec-
ondary Education Data for Students Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. STUDY ON WAYS TO IMPROVE POSTSECONDARY 
EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY AT THE FED-
ERAL LEVEL. 
(a) FORMATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IM-
PROVING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Education shall convene the Advisory Committee on 
Improving Postsecondary Education Data (in this 
Act referred to as the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’), which 
shall be comprised of 15 members appointed by the 
Secretary in consultation with the Commissioner for 
Education Statistics, including— 
(A) individuals representing different sec-
tors of institutions of higher education; 
(B) experts in the field of higher education 
policy; 
(C) State higher education officials, stu-
dents, and other stakeholders from the higher 
education community; 
(D) representatives from the business com-
munity; 
(E) experts in choice in consumer markets, 
and 
(F) privacy experts. 
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(2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary shall ap-
point the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee. 
(b) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Advisory Committee 
shall conduct a study examining— 
(1) the types of information, including informa-
tion related to costs of postsecondary education, stu-
dent outcomes, and postgraduation earnings, the 
Federal Government should collect and report on in-
stitutions of higher education to assist students and 
families in their search for an institution of higher 
education; 
(2) how such information should be collected 
and reported, including how to disaggregate infor-
mation on student outcomes by subgroups of stu-
dents, such as full-time students, part-time students, 
nontraditional students, students who are veterans, 
and Federal Pell Grant recipients under subpart 1 
of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a); and 
(3) the ways in which the Federal Government 
may make such information more readily available 
to— 
(A) students and their families in a format 
that is easily accessible and understandable; 
and 
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(B) States, individual or groups of institu-
tions of higher education, and private-sector en-
tities. 
(c) SCOPE
OF STUDY.—In conducting the study 
under this Act, the Advisory Committee shall, at a min-
imum, examine— 
(1) whether the current Federal transparency 
initiatives on postsecondary education— 
(A) are reporting consistent information 
about individual institutions of higher education 
across Federal agencies; and 
(B) are similar to transparency initiatives 
on postsecondary education carried out by 
States, individual or groups of institutions of 
higher education, or private-sector entities; 
(2) whether— 
(A) 
the 
collection 
and 
reporting 
of 
postgraduation earnings by the Federal Govern-
ment is feasible, and if feasible, the options for 
collecting and reporting such information; 
(B) collecting and reporting such informa-
tion would improve the utility of Federal trans-
parency initiatives for students and their fami-
lies; and 
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(C) collecting and reporting such informa-
tion would have an impact on student privacy, 
and if so, how such impact may be minimized; 
(3) whether any other information, including in-
formation relating to student outcomes or identified 
under the review required under subsection (d), 
should be collected and reported by the Federal Gov-
ernment to improve the utility of such initiatives for 
students and their families, and if so, how such in-
formation may be collected and reported, including 
whether the information should be disaggregated by 
subgroups of students; 
(4) whether any information currently collected 
and reported by the Federal Government on institu-
tions of higher education is not useful for students 
and their families and should not be so collected and 
reported; 
(5) the manner in which the information from 
Federal transparency initiatives is made available to 
students and their families, and whether format 
changes may help the information become more eas-
ily understood and widely utilized by students and 
their families; 
(6) any activities being carried out by the Fed-
eral Government, States, individual or groups of in-
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stitutions of higher education, or private-sector enti-
ties to help inform students and their families of the 
availability of Federal transparency initiatives; 
(7) the cost to institutions of higher education 
of reporting to the Federal Government the informa-
tion that is being collected and reported through 
Federal transparency initiatives, and how such cost 
may be minimized; and 
(8) the relevant research described in sub-
section (d). 
(d) REVIEW
OF RELEVANT RESEARCH.—In con-
ducting the study under this Act, the Advisory Committee 
shall review and consider— 
(1) research and studies, if any, that have been 
conducted to determine questions most frequently 
asked by students and families to help inform their 
search for an institution of higher education; 
(2) the types of information students seek be-
fore enrolling in an institution of higher education; 
(3) whether the availability to students and 
their families of additional information on institu-
tions of higher education will be beneficial or con-
fusing; 
(4) results, if any, that are available from con-
sumer testing of Federal, State, institution of higher 
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education, and private-sector transparency initiatives 
on postsecondary education that have been made 
publicly available on or after the date that is 10 
years before the date of enactment of this Act; and 
(5) any gaps in the research, studies, and re-
sults described in paragraphs (1) and (4) relating to 
the types of information students seek before enroll-
ing in an institution of higher education. 
(e) CONSULTATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In conducting the study 
under this Act, the Advisory Committee shall— 
(A) hold public hearings to consult with 
parents and students; and 
(B) consult with a broad range of inter-
ested parties in higher education, including ap-
propriate researchers, representatives of sec-
ondary schools and institutions of higher edu-
cation, State administrators, and Federal offi-
cials. 
(2) CONSULTATION
WITH
THE
AUTHORIZING 
COMMITTEES.—The Advisory Committee shall con-
sult on a regular basis with the authorizing commit-
tees in conducting the study under this Act. 
(f) REPORTS TO AUTHORIZING COMMITTEES.— 
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(1) INTERIM
REPORT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
visory Committee shall prepare and submit to the 
authorizing committees and the Secretary an interim 
report describing the progress made in conducting 
the study under this Act and any preliminary find-
ings on the topics identified under subsection (c). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
visory Committee shall prepare and submit to 
the authorizing committees and the Secretary a 
final report on the study, including— 
(i) recommendations for legislative, 
regulatory, 
and 
administrative 
actions 
based on findings related to the topics 
identified under subsection (c); and 
(ii) a summary of the research de-
scribed in subsection (d). 
(B) CONSULTATION
WITH
NCES.—The 
Advisory Committee shall consult with the Com-
missioner of Education Statistics prior to mak-
ing 
recommendations 
under 
subparagraph 
(A)(i) with respect to improving the information 
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being collected and reported by the Federal 
Government on institutions of higher education. 
(g) AVAILABILITY
OF FUNDS.—The amount nec-
essary to conduct the study under this Act shall be made 
available from amounts available to the Secretary for ad-
ministrative expenses of the Department of Education. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act: 
(1) AUTHORIZING
COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘authorizing committees’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003). 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), except 
that such term does not include institutions de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section 102. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 103 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003). 
(5) STUDENT.—The term ‘‘student’’ includes— 
(A) a prospective student; 
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(B) a student enrolled in an institution of 
higher education; 
(C) a nontraditional student (as defined in 
section 803(j)(2) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161c(j)(2))); and 
(D) a veteran (as defined in section 
480(c)(1) 
of 
such 
Act 
(20 
U.S.C. 
1087vv(c)(1))) who is a student or prospective 
student. 
Æ 
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