Title: Higher Education Standards Improvement Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Higher Education Standards Improvement Act
This bill requires states to take certain actions related to their oversight of institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Specifically, states must (1) evaluate each IHE to determine if it meets standards for facilities, equipment, program length, and other relevant factors for a student to receive a professional license from the state; (2) accept and report student complaints that present consistent allegations with respect to an IHE; and (3) establish policies and procedures to anticipate and respond to the closure of an IHE. Such policies and procedures shall include maintaining sufficient cash reserves to ensure the repayment of any required refunds, a plan to ensure custodial record-keeping of institutional records and student transcripts, and the maintenance of contact information to ensure direct communication between the state and each student in the event of an IHE closure.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5148 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5148

 To improve program integrity through State evaluation of institutions 
 of higher education, requirements for student complaint submissions, 
and the establishment of policies and procedures to address closure of 
       institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2019

 Mr. Levin of California (for himself, Ms. Brownley of California, and 
Mr. Cisneros) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve program integrity through State evaluation of institutions 
 of higher education, requirements for student complaint submissions, 
and the establishment of policies and procedures to address closure of 
       institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Higher Education Standards 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES.

    Section 495(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1099a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and the accrediting agency or 
                association involved'' after ``Secretary'';
                    (B) by striking ``revokes a license'' and inserting 
                ``takes a negative action, or revokes a license,''; and
                    (C) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) evaluate each institution of higher education located 
        in the State or seeking authorization to operate in the State 
        to determine if such institution of higher education meets the 
        applicable standards of the State relating to--
                    ``(A) facilities, equipment, and supplies; and
                    ``(B) measures of program length and other factors 
                relevant for a student or graduate to receive a 
                professional license from the State;
            ``(5) certify to the Secretary that the State shall--
                    ``(A) accept student complaints from--
                            ``(i) all students attending an institution 
                        of higher education located in the State; and
                            ``(ii) all students who are residents of 
                        the State and attend an institution of higher 
                        education not located in the State through 
                        correspondence or distance education; and
                    ``(B) report to the Secretary and accrediting 
                bodies--
                            ``(i) relevant student complaints received 
                        by the State, including multiple student 
                        complaints that present consistent allegations 
                        with respect to an institution of higher 
                        education in the State; and
                            ``(ii) such other complaints the Secretary 
                        determines necessary; and
            ``(6) establish policies and procedures to anticipate and 
        respond to the closure of an institution of higher education, 
        which shall include--
                    ``(A) the maintenance of sufficient cash reserves 
                (or an equivalent alternative) in accordance with 
                regulations issued pursuant to section 498(c)(6)(A) to 
                ensure repayment of any required refunds;
                    ``(B) a plan to address ensuring custodial record-
                keeping of institutional records and student 
                transcripts in the case of such a closure;
                    ``(C) the maintenance of contact information 
                adequate to ensure communication directly between the 
                State and each student in the case of such a closure; 
                and
                    ``(D) in the case of an institution of higher 
                education located in the State, to develop a process to 
                identify when a campus of such institution of higher 
                education closes in any State.''.
                                 <all>