I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6718 
To amend the definition of professional degree in the Higher Education 
Act of 1965. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2025 
Mr. LAWLER (for himself, Mr. BACON, Mr. BRESNAHAN, and Mrs. KIGGANS 
of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the definition of professional degree in the Higher 
Education Act of 1965. 
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 ‘‘Professional Student 
Degree Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROFESSIONAL DEGREE DEFINED. 
Section 455(a)(4)(C) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(a)(4)(C)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘, as defined 
under section 668.2 of title 34, Code of Federal 
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Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment 
of this paragraph),’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii) 
PROFESSIONAL
DEGREE.—In 
this paragraph, the term ‘professional de-
gree’— 
‘‘(I) means a degree that sig-
nifies both completion of the academic 
requirements for beginning practice in 
a given profession (for which profes-
sional licensure is also commonly re-
quired), and a level of professional 
skill beyond that normally required 
for a bachelor’s degree, as determined 
by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(II) includes each of the fol-
lowing degrees: 
‘‘(aa) 
Pharmacy 
(Pharm.D.). 
‘‘(bb) Dentistry (D.D.S. or 
D.M.D.). 
‘‘(cc) Veterinary Medicine 
(D.V.M.). 
‘‘(dd) Chiropractic (D.C. or 
D.C.M.). 
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‘‘(ee) Law (L.L.B. or J.D.). 
‘‘(ff) Medicine (M.D.). 
‘‘(gg) Optometry (O.D.). 
‘‘(hh) Osteopathic Medicine/ 
Osteopathy (D.O.). 
‘‘(ii) Podiatric Medicine/Po-
diatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.). 
‘‘(jj) 
Theology/Theological 
Studies (M.Div., or M.H.L.). 
‘‘(kk) 
Clinical 
Psychology 
(Psy.D. or Ph.D.). 
‘‘(ll) Ministry (D.Min.). 
‘‘(mm) Social Work (M.S.W. 
or D.S.W.). 
‘‘(nn) Audiology (Au.D.). 
‘‘(oo) Physician Assistant/ 
Associate (M.P.A.S., M.S.P.A.S., 
M.M.S., or M.S.). 
‘‘(pp) Occupational Therapy 
(M.O.T. of O.T.D.). 
‘‘(qq) 
Physical 
Therapy 
(D.P.T.). 
‘‘(rr) 
Nursing 
(M.S.N., 
D.N.P., or Ph.D.). 
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‘‘(ss) 
Public 
Health 
(M.P.H.). 
‘‘(tt) Business Administra-
tion and Management, General 
(M.B.A. or D.B.A.). 
‘‘(uu) Accounting (M.Acc. or 
M.S.A.). 
‘‘(vv) 
Architecture 
(M.Arch.). 
‘‘(ww) 
Education 
(M.A., 
M.S., M.A.T., M.Ed.). 
‘‘(xx) 
Special 
Education 
(M.Ed. or M.S.Ed.). 
‘‘(yy) Any other degree that 
meets the requirements of sub-
clause (I), as determined by the 
Secretary.’’. 
Æ 
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