,,ii  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #ejfd  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,july #bb1 #bjbf,mr4   
,s*iff introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0   
read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on  
,heal?1 ,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions  
,a ,,bill  ,to modify ! proc$ure = an   
in/itution ( high] education to *ange ! 
in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4     
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,high] ,education ,accr$itation         
,acc\ntability ,act4  #b4 ,accr$itation 
,section #dif ( ! ,high] ,education ,act
 ( #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajii;b7 is     
am5d$-- 7#a7 9 subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 9 !
 matt] prec$+ p>agraph 7#a7 by ins]t+   
7ref]r$ to 9 ?is section z recognition7 
aft] ,f$]al purposes2  7,b7 by          
r$esignat+ p>agraphs 7#b7 ?r\gh 7#h7 z  
p>agraphs 7#c7 ?r\gh 7#i71 respectively2
 &  7,c7 by ins]t+ aft] p>agraph 7#a7 ! 
foll[+3  7#b7 ! accr$it+ ag5cy or       
association %all demon/rate1 prior to   
submitt+ an application = recognition1 t

 ! ag5cy or association-- 7,a7 has      
effectively accr$it$ at lea/ "o         
in/itution ( high] education or program 
( an in/itution = n less ?an #b         
consecutive ye>s imm$iately prec$+ !    
application2  7,b7 is legally e/abli%$  
to op]ate 9 ! relevant jurisdiction :]e 
x is seek+ recognition2 &  7,c7 has     
e/abli%$ /&>ds & op]at+ proc$ures !     
ag5cy or association is capable ( en=c+ 
& t are consi/5t ) ! ,dep>tm5t's crit]ia
 = recognition2  2  7#b7 by /rik+       
subsection 7d7 & ins]t+ ! foll[+3  7d7  
,recognition proc$ures2 l5g? (          
recognition2 limitation  7#a7           
,recognition proc$ures ,! ,secret>y %all
 ensure t an application = recognition  
"u ?is section %all n be consid]$ by !  
,national ,advisory ,committee on       
,in/itutional ,quality & ,integrity     
until ! ,secret>y has det]m9$ t !       
accr$it+ ag5cy or association meets all 
crit]ia = recognition4  7#b7 ,l5g? (    
recognition  7,a7 ,initial recognition  
7i7 ,duration ,! ,secret>y %all n grant 

an initial recognition = ! fir/ "t = an 
ag5cy or association = a p]iod ( m ?an  
#c ye>s4  7ii7 ,docum5tation ,dur+ su*  
initial recognition p]iod1 an ag5cy or  
association %all provide to ! ,secret>y 
all docum5tation p]ta9+ to !            
accr$itation ( any new program or       
in/itution4  7,b7 ,subsequ5t recognition
 ,foll[+ an initial recognition "u      
subp>agraph 7,a71 an accr$it+ ag5cy or  
association may be recogniz$ by !       
,secret>y = ! purpose ( ?is ,act = a    
p]iod ( n m ?an #e ye>s4  2  7#c7 by    
/rik+ subsection 7h7 & ins]t+ ! foll[+3 
7h7 ,approval = *ang+ a prim>y accr$it+ 
ag5cy or association  7#a7 ,9 ,g5]al ,! 
,secret>y %all n recognize !            
accr$itation ( any o!rwise eligible     
in/itution ( high] education if !       
in/itution ( high] education *anges !   
in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association )\t an approv$ application  
to d s 9 accordance ) ?is subsection4   
7#b7 ,prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or          
association ,= purposes ( ?is subsection

 & subsection 7i71 ! t]m prim>y accr$it+
 ag5cy or association means ! accr$it+  
ag5cy or association t ! in/itution has 
designat$ z ! ag5cy or association      
provid+ ! accr$itation to be utiliz$ 9  
det]m9+ ! in/itution's eligibility =    
programs "u ?is ,act4  7#c7 ,application
 ,be=e an in/itution ( high] education  
*anges ! in/itution's prim>y accr$it+   
ag5cy or association1 an in/itution (   
high] education %all submit an          
application to ! ,secret>y conta9+ ea* (
 ! foll[+3 7,a7 ,a notification 9 writ+ 
( ! in/itution's int5t to *ange !       
in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association1 :i* %all include-- 7i7 ! "n
 ( ! in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy 
or association z ( ! date ( !           
application1 &1 if applicable1 ! "n ( ! 
in/itution's propos$ new prim>y accr$it+
 ag5cy or association2  7ii7 ! date t ! 
in/itution's curr5t accr$itation 7held z
 ( ! date ( ! application7 f ! prim>y   
accr$it+ ag5cy or association is set to 
expire2  7iii7 ! reason or reasons t !  

in/itution is seek+ to *ange !          
in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association2  7iv7 an explanation ( h[ !
 propos$ new prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association w ma9ta9 or /r5g!n          
in/itutional quality & protect /ud5ts2 &
  7v7 an explanation (-- 7,i7 h[ ! /&>ds
 ( ! propos$ new prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy  
or association are align$ ) !           
in/itution's mission2 &  7,,ii7 h[ su*  
mission alignm5t comp>es to !           
in/itution's mission alignm5t ) ! /&>ds 
( ! in/itution's curr5t prim>y accr$it+ 
ag5cy or association 7held z ( ! date ( 
! application74  7,b7 ,support+ mat]ials
 demon/rat+ reasonable cause = ! *ange1 
includ+ ea* ( ! foll[+3 7i7             
,docum5tation support+ ! in/itution's   
claim t ! in/itution has reasonable     
cause to *ange ! in/itution's prim>y    
accr$it+ ag5cy or association4  7ii7    
,mat]ials demon/rat+ reasonable cause to
 *ange ! in/itution's prim>y accr$it+   
ag5cy or association4  7iii7 ,! mo/     
rec5t accr$itation det]m9ation lett] f !

 in/itution's curr5t prim>y accr$it+    
ag5cy or association 7held z ( ! date ( 
! application74  7iv7 ,reports f visit+ 
teams or o!r fe$back f t accr$it+ ag5cy 
or association1 :e!r f9al or prelim9>y1 
f ! prior #c ye>s4  7v7 ,in=mation      
reg>d+ p5d+ /ud5t compla9ts &           
inve/igations reg>d+ ! in/itution by    
,/ate or local lic5s+ & law en=cem5t    
ag5cies4  7vi7 ,docum5tation f !        
in/itution's prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or   
association confirm+ :e!r1 s9ce ! date (
 ! ag5cy or association's mo/ rec5t     
accr$itation det]m9ation lett] to !     
in/itution1 ! ag5cy or association has  
op5$ any inquiries1 _h sub/antive       
dialogue reg>d+ ! in/itution's          
compliance ) ag5cy /&>ds1 or tak5 any   
actions4  7#d7 ,public input1 review1   
det]m9ation1 & approval  7,a7 ,public   
input ,^u receipt ( an application "u   
p>agraph 7#c71 ! ,secret>y %all-- 7i7   
publi% a public notice 9 ! ,f$]al       
,regi/] reg>d+ ! in/itution's reque/ to 
*ange its prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or      

association2 &  7ii7 provide a p]iod ( n
 less ?an #cj days = ! submission (     
public comm5ts reg>d+ t reque/4  7,b7   
,review ,! ,secret>y %all und]take a    
review ( ! application ( an in/itution  
to *ange ! in/itution's prim>y          
accr$itation ag5cy or association & %all
 n automatically approve any su*        
application4 ,! ,secret>y %all evaluate 
:e!r ! application reflects-- 7i7 an    
attempt by ! in/itution to avoid        
sanctions or discipl9e f ! in/itution's 
curr5t prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or         
association2  7ii7 an attempt by !      
in/itution to less5 ov]sight or rigor f 
! in/itution's curr5t prim>y accr$it+   
ag5cy or association2  7iii7 an attempt 
by ! in/itution to avoid scrut9y by     
,/ate or local lic5s+ & law en=cem5t    
ag5cies reg>d+ ! e?ical treatm5t (      
/ud5ts2  7iv7 :e!r ! in/itution is seek+
 to *ange its prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or  
association because ! in/itution's      
propos$ new prim>y ag5cy or association 
has /&>ds m closely align$ ) !          

in/itution's mission ?an ! curr5t prim>y
 accr$it+ ag5cy or association2 or  7v7 
:e!r ! application involves an accr$it+ 
ag5cy or association t has be5 subject  
to ,dep>tm5t action4  7,c7 ,det]m9ation 
,! ,secret>y %all det]m9e t an          
in/itution does n h reasonable cause to 
*ange ! in/itution's prim>y accr$it+    
ag5cy or association1 & %all d5y su* an 
application1 if ! in/itution-- 7i7 has  
_h its accr$itation )drawn1 revok$1 or  
o!rwise t]m9at$ 7& su* )drawal1         
revocation1 or t]m9ation has n be5      
resc9d$ by t same ag5cy or association7 
dur+ ! prec$+ #bd-mon? p]iod2 or  7ii7  
has be5 subject to a probation or its   
equival5t1 a %[ cause ord]1 or a        
susp5sion ord] dur+ ! prec$+ #bd-mon?   
p]iod4  7,d7 ,approval ,! ,secret>y     
%all-- 7i7 det]m9e :e!r ! in/itution has
 reasonable cause to *ange !            
in/itution's prim>y accr$itation ag5cy  
or association by consid]+ ! factors    
describ$ 9 subp>agraph 7,b72 &  7ii7    
7,i7 notify ! in/itution 9 writ+ ( !    

,secret>y's decision to approve or d5y !
 in/itution's application to *ange its  
prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or association "u 
?is subsection n lat] ?an #ij days aft] 
! end ( ! p]iod = public comm5t "u      
subp>agraph 7,a77ii72 or  7,,ii7 if ne$$
 to und]take a mean+ful review-- 7aa7   
notify ! in/itution 9 writ+ t ! review  
p]iod has be5 ext5d$2 &  7bb7 approve or
 d5y ! in/itution's application n lat]  
?an ano!r #ij days aft] ! deadl9e       
describ$ 9 clause 7i74  4  #c4          
,applicability ,?is ,act1 & ! am5dm5ts  
made by ?is ,act1 %all apply-- 7#a7 to  
an accr$it+ ag5cy or association t seeks
 recognition "u section #dif ( ! ,high] 
,education ,act ( #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4  
#ajii;b7 ?r\gh a det]m9ation by !       
,secret>y ( ,education t ! ag5cy or     
association is a reliable au?ority z to 
! quality ( education or tra9+ (f]$ = ! 
purposes ( t ,act or = o!r ,f$]al       
purposes1 or t seeks a r5ewal ( su*     
recognition1 aft] ! date ( enactm5t (   
?is ,act2 &  7#b7 to an in/itution (    

high] education t seeks to *ange its    
prim>y accr$it+ ag5cy or association    
aft] ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is ,act4