,i  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bbcd  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,june #d1 #bjac ,mr4  
,bi%op ( ,new ,york introduc$ ! foll[+  
bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on   
,education & ! ,work=ce1 & 9 addition to
 ! ,committees on ,ov]sight & ,gov]nm5t 
,re=m1 ,en]gy & ,comm]ce1 & ! ,judici>y1
 = a p]iod to be subsequ5tly det]m9$ by 
! ,speak]1 9 ea* case = consid]ation (  
su* provisions z fall )9 ! jurisdiction 
( ! committee conc]n$  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
r$uce & prev5t ! sale & use ( fraudul5t 
degrees 9 ord] to protect ! integrity ( 
valid high] education degrees t are us$ 
= ,f$]al employm5t purposes4  #a4 ,%ort 
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,diploma
 & ,accr$itation ,integrity ,protection 
,act4  #b4 ,purpose2 ,def9itions  7a7   
,purpose ,! purpose ( ?is ,act is to    
protect in/itutions ( high] education1  
bus9esses & o!r employ]s1 pr(essional   
lic5s+ bo>ds1 pati5ts & cli5ts ( degree 
hold]s1 taxpay]s1 & o!r individuals f   
any p]son claim+ to possess a legitimate

 academic degree t 9 fact 0 issu$ by a  
fraudul5t or nonexi/5t s*ool1 by a      
non-educational entity pos+ z a s*ool1  
or by any entity 9 violation ( ,f$]al or
 ,/ate law4  7b7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is     
,act3  7#a7 ,accr$itation mill ,! t]m   
accr$itation mill means an education or 
corporate organization t (f]s a =m (    
educational recognition or accr$itation1
 = a fee or free ( *>ge1 t--  7,a7 ext5d
 a p]man5t recognition or accr$itation  
/atus to an in/itution ) few or no      
requirem5ts = subsequ5t p]iodic reviews2
  7,b7 publi% a li/ ( in/itutions &     
programs recogniz$ or accr$it$ by su*   
organization t includes in/itutions &   
programs t did n apply = or o!rwise     
reque/ su* recognition or accr$itation  
by ! organization2 or  7,c7 lack        
national recognition by ! ,secret>y (   
,education or ! ,c\ncil = ,high]        
,education ,accr$itation4  7#b7         
,degree-grant+ in/itution ,! t]m        
degree-grant+ in/itution means any      
entity t (f]s or conf]s an academic1    

pr(essional1 or occupational degree1    
diploma1 or c]tificate1 if su* degree1  
diploma1 or c]tificate may be us$ to    
repres5t to ! g5]al public t !          
individual possess+ su* degree1 diploma1
 or c]tificate has complet$ a program ( 
education or tra9+ beyond second>y      
education4  7#c7 ,diploma mill ,! t]m   
diploma mill means any entity t--  7,a7 
lacks valid accr$itation by an ag5cy    
recogniz$ by a ,f$]al ag5cy1 a ,/ate    
gov]nm5t1 or ! ,c\ncil = ,high]         
,education ,accr$itation z a valid      
accr$it+ ag5cy ( in/itutions ( high]    
education2 &  7,b7 (f]s degrees1        
diplomas1 or c]tifications1 = a fee1 t  
may be us$ to repres5t to ! g5]al public
 t ! individual possess+ su* a degree1  
diploma1 or c]tification has complet$ a 
program ( education or tra9+ beyond     
second>y education1 b little or no      
education or c\rse "w is requir$ to     
obta9 su* a degree1 diploma1 or         
c]tification4  7#d7 ,in/itution ( high] 
education ,! t]m in/itution ( high]     

education has ! mean+ giv5 su* t]m 9    
section #ajb ( ! ,high] ,education ,act 
( #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb74  #c4     
,accr$it+ ag5cies ,no accr$it+ ag5cy or 
association may be consid]$ to be a     
reliable au?ority z to ! quality (      
education or tra9+ (f]$ by a            
degree-grant+ in/itution = any purpose  
relat$ to immigration1 ,f$]al employm5t 
& hir+ practices1 or = any o!r ,f$]al   
purposes1 unless ! ag5cy or association 
is a nationally recogniz$ accr$it+ ag5cy
 or association recogniz$ by ! ,secret>y
 ( ,education pursuant to "p ,h ( title 
,,iv ( ! ,high] ,education ,act ( #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajii;a et seq474  #d4   
,f$]al employm5t ,= purposes ( apply+   
any civil s]vice law1 rule1 or          
regulation t requires or takes into     
consid]ation a degree f an in/itution ( 
high] education = purposes ( appo9tm5t  
or promotion (1 or improv$ pay =1 a     
,f$]al employee1 only a degree f a      
degree-grant+ in/itution t is accr$it$  
by a nationally recogniz$ accr$it+ ag5cy

 or association recogniz$ by ! ,secret>y
 ( ,education pursuant to "p ,h ( title 
,,iv ( ! ,high] ,education ,act ( #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajii;a et seq47 %all be 
acceptable4  #e4 ,unfair & deceptive    
acts & practices reg>d+ diplomas &      
pr(essional c]tifications  7a7 ,conduct 
prohibit$ ,n lat] ?an #ahj days aft] !  
date ( enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 ! ,f$]al    
,trade ,commission %all initiate a      
rulemak+ to def9e z an unfair &         
deceptive act or practice "u section #ah
 ( ,f$]al ,trade ,commission ,act 7#ae  
,u4,s4,c4 #eg;a7 ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,!     
issu+ ( a degree1 diploma1 c]tificate1  
or any simil> docum5t by an entity t is 
n recogniz$ z a legitimate po/second>y  
degree-grant+ in/itution by ! ,secret>y 
( ,education1 if su* degree1 diploma1   
c]tificate1 or simil> docum5t           
misrepres5ts1 directly or indirectly1 ! 
subject matt]1 sub/ance1 or cont5t ( !  
c\rse ( /udy or any o!r mat]ial fact    
conc]n+ ! c\rse ( /udy = :i* su* degree1
 diploma1 c]tificate1 or simil> docum5t 

0 aw>d$4  7#b7 ,! (f]+ or conf]r+ ( an  
academic1 pr(essional1 or occupational  
degree if ! entity (f]+ or conf]r+ !    
degree--  7,a7 is n an in/itution (     
high] education2 or  7,b7 is n accr$it$ 
by--  7i7 a nationally recogniz$        
accr$it+ ag5cy or association recogniz$ 
by ! ,secret>y ( ,education pursuant to 
"p ,h ( title ,,iv ( ! ,high] ,education
 ,act ( #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajii;a et 
seq472 or  7ii7 an accr$it+ ag5cy or    
association t is recogniz$ z a          
legitimate accr$it+ ag5cy or association
 = any purpose by any appropriate ,f$]al
 ag5cy or by ! ,c\ncil = ,high]         
,education ,accr$itation1  unless !     
entity (f]+ or conf]r+ su* a degree     
cle>ly & conspicu\sly discloses1 9 all  
adv]tis+ & promotional mat]ials t conta9
 a ref]5ce to su* a degree1 t ! aw>d+ ( 
! degree has n be5 s au?oriz$ or t !    
entity (f]+ or conf]r+ ! degree has n   
be5 s approv$ or recogniz$4  7#c7 ,!    
claim+ or ass]t+ 9 any adv]tisem5ts or  
promotional mat]ial ( an entity (f]+ or 

conf]r+ an academic1 pr(essional1 or    
occupational degree1 t su* entity has-- 
7,a7 an accr$it$ /atus unless x holds   
accr$itation f an accr$it+ ag5cy t is   
recogniz$ by ! ,secret>y ( ,education or
 ! ,c\ncil = ,high] ,education          
,accr$itation1 or is recogniz$ = any    
purpose by any appropriate ,f$]al ag5cy2
 or  7,b7 an unaccr$it$1 b approv$ /atus
 t misrepres5ts1 directly or indirectly1
 ! nature1 ext5t1 or cr$ibility ( su*   
approval4  7#d7 ,! issu+ ( any          
accr$itation1 includ+ in/itutional1     
programmatic1 or specializ$             
accr$itation1 to any degree-grant+      
in/itution by any entity t is n         
recogniz$ = accr$itation purposes by !  
,secret>y ( ,education1 any o!r         
appropriate ,f$]al ag5cy1 or ! ,c\ncil =
 ,high] ,education ,accr$itation4  7b7  
,f9al ,rule ,! ,commission %all issue   
f9al rules "u ?is section n lat] ?an #ah
 mon?s aft] ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is     
,act4  7c7 ,report+ requirem5t  7#a7    
,f$]al ,trade ,commission ,9 adm9i/]+ & 

en=c+ ! rule requir$ "u subsection 7a71 
! ,f$]al ,trade ,commission %all report 
regul>ly to ! ,secret>y ( ,education any
 in=mation reg>d+ entities :i* !        
,commission kn[s or suspects to be 9    
violation ( su* rule4  7#b7 ,secret>y ( 
,education ,! ,secret>y ( ,education    
%all make available to ! g5]al public1 9
 pap] & electronic =ms1 ! in=mation     
report$ to ! ,secret>y 9 accordance )   
p>agraph 7#a74