Postsecondary Education Consumer Protection Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Postsecondary Education Consumer Protection Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to provide protection for students, consumers, and legitimate postsecondary educational institutions against substandard or fraudulent practices. Defines the term federally recognized approving entity as an entity relied upon by any Federal officer or agency in connection with a program: (1) of Federal assistance to postsecondary educational institutions by way of grants or contracts, loans, or loan insurance or guarantee, (2) of Federal assistance to students at postsecondary educational institutions by way of grants, loans, loan insurance or guarantee, or work programs, or (3) under which continuation of Federal payment is conditioned on attendance at a postsecondary educational institution approved or accredited by an approving entity. Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, through the Advisory Committee on Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility, to conduct a study of the operation and effectiveness of the various federally recognized approving entities. Requires the Secretary to make such interim reports of his activities, findings, and recommendations as he may deem appropriate and to make a final report to the President and the Congress not later than December 31, 1975. States that upon completion of the study conducted under this Act, the Secretary shall revise the criteria to be met by federally recognized approving entities. Stipulates that whenever an officer or agency of the United States receives notification from the Secretary that a federally recognized approving entity fails to meet the criteria set by the Secretary, he shall discontinue reliance on such entity's approval or accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions or programs. Directs the Secretary to publish biannually in the Federal Register a list showing the following: (1) the approving entities which currently meet the criteria established by the Secretary pursuant to this Act; (2) the postsecondary educational institutions which are approved or accredited by such approving entities including a particularization of the departments or courses of study which are approved or accredited at the institutions; and (3) the institutions which have lost approval or accreditation and those whose applications for approval or accreditation were not accepted.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on December 12, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 12, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ALPHONZO BELL (R-CA) introduced it on December 12, 1973, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on December 12, 1973, 19265 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19265 days ago, on December 12, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers