,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfec  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #aa1        
#bjai,mrs4 ,lee of ,nevada 7for herself 
and ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was referred 
to the ,committee on ,education and     
,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,higher
 ,education ,act of #aife to prevent    
conflicts of interest on accreditation  
boards4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may
 be cited as the ,protecting            
,undergraduates with ,board ,limitations
 from ,influence and ,conflicts ,act or 
the ,,public ,act4  #b4 ,separate and   
independent defined ,section #dif of the
 ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj  
,u4,s4,c4 #ajii;b7 is amended--  7#a7 in
 subsection 7a77#c77;,a71 by inserting  
before the semicolon at the end the     
following3 1 and any institution        
described in subsection 7b72 and  7#b7  
by striking subsection 7b7 and          
inserting3  7b7 ,separate and           
independent defined ,for the purpose of 

subsection 7a77#c71 the term separate   
and independent means that-- 7#a7 the   
members of the postsecondary education  
governing body and any other            
decision-making body of the accrediting 
agency or association are not--  7,a7   
elected or selected by the board or     
chief executive officer of any related1 
associated1 or affiliated trade         
association or membership organization2 
or  7,b7 individuals 7such as executives
 and owners of an institution7 who      
exercise substantial control over an    
institution--  7i7 required to provide  
the ,secretary with satisfactory        
evidence of its financial responsibility
 in accordance with paragraph 7#c77;,a7 
of section #dih7;c7 because the         
institution fails to meet criteria under
 paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 of such       
section2  7ii7 that the ,secretary has  
placed on a reimbursement system of     
payment pursuant to section             
#dhg7;c77#a77;,b72  7iii7 against which 
the ,secretary has initiated an         

emergency action in accordance with     
section #dhg7;c77#a77;,g72  7iv7 against
 which the ,secretary has limited1      
suspended1 or terminated the            
institution's participation in any      
program under this title in accordance  
with section #dhg7;c77#a77;,f72 or  7v7 
that has been placed on probation1 show 
cause1 or had its accreditation         
withdrawn2  7#b7 among the membership of
 the board of the accrediting agency or 
association there shall be #a public    
member for each #c members of the board1
 with a minimum of #a such public       
member1 and guidelines are established  
for such members to avoid conflicts of  
interest1 including guidelines ensuring 
that each such public member--  7,a7 is 
selected to serve on such board in the  
same manner that other board members are
 selected for such service2  7,b7 has   
not served on such board as a nonpublic 
member in the preceding #aj years2  7,c7
 is not 7or has not been in the         
preceding #e-year period7 a full-time   

employee of1 or a member of the         
governing board1 an owner1 or           
shareholder of1 or consultant to1 an    
institution or program that--  7i7 is   
accredited or preaccredited by the      
agency or association2 or  7ii7 has     
applied for accreditation or            
preaccreditation from such agency or    
association2  7,d7 is not a member of   
any trade association or membership     
organization related to1 affiliated     
with1 or associated with the agency or  
association or an institution that is   
accredited by such agency or            
association2 and  7,e7 is not a spouse1 
parent1 child1 or sibling of an         
individual identified in subparagraph   
7,c7 or 7,d72  7#c7 dues to the         
accrediting agency or association are   
paid separately from any dues paid to   
any related1 associated1 or affiliated  
trade association or membership         
organization2 and  7#d7 the budget of   
the accrediting agency or association is
 developed and determined by the        

accrediting agency or association       
without review or resort to consultation
 with any other entity or organization4 
4