Title: HARVARD Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Helping Applicants Receive Valid and Reasonable Decisions Act or the HARVARD Act
This bill requires an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs and considers personality traits of applicants in making admission determinations to publicly disclose specified information related to personality traits. Personality traits refer to the patterns of an individual with respect to behaviors, thoughts, and emotions and may include patterns relating to humor, sensitivity, grit, leadership, integrity, helpfulness, courage, and kindness.
Specifically, the IHE must make available on its public website and application materials (1) a statement informing applicants of the use of personality traits in making admission determinations, (2) the rationale for such use of personality traits, (3) a description of the process under which personality traits are considered, and (4) the standards and criteria used for rating personality traits.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7607 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7607

To direct institutions of higher education to improve transparency with 
 respect to the use of personality traits in admissions, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2022

  Mrs. Steel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct institutions of higher education to improve transparency with 
 respect to the use of personality traits in admissions, 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 ``Helping Applicants Receive Valid and 
Reasonable Decisions Act'' or the ``HARVARD Act''.

SEC. 2. USE OF PERSONALITY TRAITS IN ADMISSIONS.

    Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(30)(A) In the case of an institution that considers the 
        personality traits of applicants in making admission 
        determinations, the institution shall make available on the 
        public website and application materials of such institution--
                    ``(i) a statement informing applicants of the use 
                of personality traits in making admission 
                determinations;
                    ``(ii) the rationale for such use of personality 
                traits;
                    ``(iii) a description of the process under which 
                personality traits are considered; and
                    ``(iv) the standards and criteria used for rating 
                personality traits.
            ``(B) In this paragraph, the term `personality traits' 
        means, with respect to an individual, the patterns of such 
        individual with respect to behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, 
        and may include patterns relating to humor, sensitivity, grit, 
        leadership, integrity, helpfulness, courage, and kindness.''.
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