IB 
Union Calendar No. 58 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1949 
[Report No. 113–83] 
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 
MAY 20, 2013 
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 13, 2013] 
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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. 
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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 ‘‘Improving Postsec-
ondary Education Data for Students Act’’. 
SEC. 2. STUDY ON IMPROVEMENTS TO POSTSECONDARY 
EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY AT THE FED-
ERAL LEVEL. 
(a) FORMATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMPROV-
ING 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 who represent eco-
nomically, racially, and geographically diverse popu-
lations appointed by the Secretary in consultation 
with the Commissioner for Education Statistics, in-
cluding— 
(A) individuals representing different sec-
tors of institutions of higher education, including 
individuals representing undergraduate and 
graduate education; 
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(B) experts in the field of higher education 
policy; 
(C) State officials; 
(D) students and other stakeholders from the 
higher education community; 
(E) representatives from the business com-
munity; 
(F) experts in choice in consumer markets; 
(G) privacy experts; 
(H) college and career counselors at sec-
ondary schools; 
(I) experts in data policy, collection, and 
use; and 
(J) experts in labor markets. 
(2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary shall appoint 
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, 
sources of financial assistance (including Federal stu-
dent loans), student outcomes, and postgraduation 
earnings, the Federal Government should collect and 
report on institutions of higher education to assist 
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students and families in their search for an institu-
tion of higher education; 
(2) how such information should be collected and 
reported, including how to disaggregate information 
on student outcomes by subgroups of students, such as 
full-time students, part-time students, nontraditional 
students, first generation college 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 
will aid students and their families in making 
decisions; and 
(B) States, local governments, secondary 
schools, individual or groups of institutions of 
higher education, and private-sector entities. 
(c) SCOPE OF STUDY.—In conducting the study under 
this Act, the Advisory Committee shall, at a minimum, ex-
amine— 
(1) whether the current Federal transparency 
initiatives on postsecondary education— 
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(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 use of Federal trans-
parency initiatives and ease decisionmaking for 
students and their families; and 
(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 infor-
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mation 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 easily 
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-
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 information 
that is being collected and reported through Federal 
transparency initiatives, and how such cost may be 
minimized; and 
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(8) the relevant research described in subsection 
(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 before 
enrolling in an institution of higher education; 
(3) whether the availability to students and their 
families of additional information on institutions of 
higher education will be beneficial or confusing; 
(4) results, if any, that are available from con-
sumer testing of Federal, State, institution of higher 
education, and private-sector transparency initiatives 
on postsecondary education that have been made pub-
licly 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 results 
described in paragraphs (1) and (4) relating to the 
types of information students seek before enrolling in 
an institution of higher education. 
(e) CONSULTATION.— 
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(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 interested 
parties in higher education, including appro-
priate researchers, representatives of secondary 
schools (including college and career counselors) 
and institutions of higher education from dif-
ferent sectors of such institutions (including un-
dergraduate and graduate education), State ad-
ministrators, and Federal officials. 
(2) CONSULTATION
WITH
THE
AUTHORIZING 
COMMITTEES.—The Advisory Committee shall consult 
on a regular basis with the authorizing committees in 
conducting the study under this Act. 
(f) REPORTS TO AUTHORIZING COMMITTEES.— 
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Advisory 
Committee shall prepare and submit to the author-
izing committees and the Secretary an interim report 
describing the progress made in conducting the study 
under this Act and any preliminary findings on the 
topics identified under subsection (c). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Advi-
sory 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 iden-
tified under subsection (c); and 
(ii) a summary of the research de-
scribed in subsection (d). 
(B) CONSULTATION WITH NCES.—The Ad-
visory Committee shall consult with the Commis-
sioner of Education Statistics prior to making 
recommendations under subparagraph (A)(i) 
with respect to improving the information being 
collected and reported by the Federal Govern-
ment on institutions of higher education. 
(g) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The amount necessary 
to conduct the study under this Act shall be made available 
from amounts available to the Secretary for administrative 
expenses of the Department of Education. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act: 
(1) AUTHORIZING COMMITTEES.—The term ‘‘au-
thorizing committees’’ has the meaning given the term 
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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. 
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Union Calendar No. 58 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1949 
[Report No. 113–83] 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to convene the 
Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary 
Education Data to conduct a study on improve-
ments to postsecondary education transparency 
at the Federal level. 
MAY 20, 2013 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:43 May 21, 2013
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS