,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bhih ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #ah1 #bjad,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,mr4 ,harkin7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to provide consumer protections for students4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protecting ,students from ,worthless ,degrees ,act4 #b4 ,consumer protections for students 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,federal financial assistance program ,the term ,federal financial assistance program means a program authorized and funded by the ,federal ,government under any of the following provisions of law3 7,a7 ,title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj et seq474 7,b7 ,title ,i of the ,workforce ,investment ,act of #aiih 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #bhja et seq474 7,c7 ,the ,adult ,education and ,family ,literacy ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ibja et seq474 7,d7 ,chapter #cj1 #ca1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 or #ce of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4 7,e7 ,chapter #aja1 #aje1 #ajf;,a1 #afjf1 #afjg1 or #afjh of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7,f7 ,section #aghd;a1 #bjje1 or #bjjg of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education-- 7,a7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,a71 has the meaning given the term in section #ajb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb72 7,b7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,b71 has the meaning given the term postsecondary educational institution as defined in section #aja of the ,workforce ,investment ,act of #aiih 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #bhja72 7,c7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,c71 has the meaning given the term postsecondary educational institution as defined in section #bjc of the ,adult ,education and ,family ,literacy ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ibjb72 7,d7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,d71 has the meaning given the term educational institution under section #cdeb of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,e7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,e71 means an educational institution that awards a degree or certificate and is located in any ,state2 and 7,f7 with respect to a program authorized under paragraph 7#a77;,f71 means an educational institution that awards a degree or certificate and is located in any ,state4 7#c7 ,state 7,a7 ,state ,the term ,state includes1 in addition to the several ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 and the freely associated ,states4 7,b7 ,freely associated ,states ,the term freely associated ,states means the ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1 the ,federated ,states of ,micronesia1 and the ,republic of ,palau4 7b7 ,consumer protections ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 an institution of higher education is not eligible to participate in a ,federal financial assistance program with respect to any program of postsecondary education or training1 including a degree or certificate program1 that is designed to prepare students for entry into a recognized occupation or profession that requires licensing or other established requirements as a pre-condition for entry into such occupation or profession1 unless1 by not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act-- 7#a7 the successful completion of the program fully qualifies a student1 in the ,metropolitan ,statistical ,area and ,state in which the student resides 7and in any ,state in which the institution indicates1 through advertising or marketing activities or direct contact with potential students1 that a student will be prepared to work in the occupation or profession after successfully completing the program71 to-- 7,a7 take any examination required for entry into the recognized occupation or profession in the ,metropolitan ,statistical ,area and ,state in which the student resides1 including satisfying all ,federal1 ,state1 or professionally mandated programmatic and specialized accreditation requirements1 if any2 and 7,b7 be certified or licensed or meet any other academically related pre-conditions that are required for entry into the recognized occupation or profession in the ,state2 and 7#b7 the institution offering the program provides timely placement for all of the academically related pre-licensure requirements for entry into the recognized occupation or profession1 such as clinical placements1 internships1 or apprenticeships4 7c7 ,regulations on pre-,accredited programs ,the ,secretary of ,education shall promulgate regulations on requirements of an institution of higher education with respect to any program of the institution that is in a pre-accredited status1 including limitations on1 or requirements of1 advertisement of the program to students4 ,such regulations shall be consistent with the provisions of subsection 7b74 7d7 ,loan discharge ,the ,secretary of ,education shall promulgate regulations that condition eligibility for an institution of higher education to participate in any ,federal financial assistance program on the institution signing with each student enrolled in any program of the institution that is in a pre-accredited status1 a loan discharge agreement4