,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ccga ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #bc1 #bjah,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,mr4 ,durbin7 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 ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caaa et seq47 and 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#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cbga 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-- 7i7 a program authorized under title ,i of the ,workforce ,investment ,act of #aiih 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #bhja et seq471 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 #bhja71 on the day before the date of enactment of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7,public ,law #aac-abh72 and 7ii7 a program authorized under title ,i of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caaa et seq471 has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb72 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#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cbgb72 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 #c4 ,certification requirements for gainful employment programs ,section #dhg of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajid7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a71 by adding at the end the following3 7#cj7 ,the institution will provide to the ,secretary not later than the first ,december #ca following the date of enactment of ,protecting ,students from ,worthless ,degrees ,act1 in accordance with procedures established by the ,secretary1 a certification signed by the most senior executive officer of the institution that each of the eligible gainful employment programs included on the eligibility and certification approval report of the institution meets the requirements of subsection 7k74 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7k7 ,certification requirements for ,,ge programs ,each of the eligible gainful employment programs included on the eligibility and certification approval report of an institution of higher education shall comply with each of the following3 7#a7 ,the gainful employment program is approved by a recognized accrediting agency or is otherwise included in the institution's accreditation by its recognized accrediting agency1 or1 if the institution is a public postsecondary vocational institution1 the program is approved by a recognized ,state agency for the approval of public postsecondary vocational education in lieu of accreditation4 7#b7 ,the gainful employment program is programmatically accredited1 if such accreditation is required by a ,federal governmental entity or by a governmental entity in the ,state in which the institution is located or in which the institution is otherwise required to obtain ,state approval pursuant to section #fjj4i of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or a similar successor regulation4 7#c7 ,the gainful employment program satisfies the applicable educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification requirements in the ,state in which the institution is located or in which the institution is otherwise required to obtain ,state approval pursuant to section #fjj4i of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or a similar successor regulation1 so that a student who completes the program and seeks employment in such a ,state qualifies to take any licensure or certification exam that is needed for the student to practice or find employment in an occupation that the program prepares students to enter4 7#d7 ,the gainful employment program is not substantially similar to a program offered by the institution that1 in any of the #c years prior to the date of the determination1 became ineligible for funding under this title due to the debt to earning rates measure or was failing1 or in the zone with respect to1 the debt to earning rates measure and was voluntarily discontinued by the institution4 ,the institution shall include with its certification an explanation of how the gainful employment program is not substantially similar to any such ineligible or discontinued program4 4