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Diploma Integrity Protection Act of 2007

Introduced: January 31, 2007 Introduced by: McCollum, Betty Democratic · Minnesota See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 18, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
Mar 1, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
Feb 2, 2007
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Jan 31, 2007
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, the Judiciary, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 31, 2007
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Diploma Integrity Protection Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make available to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of other appropriate federal agencies a list of: (1) accrediting agencies and associations recognized by the Secretary or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; (2) institutions of higher education eligible under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program; and (3) foreign institutions of higher education whose authority to issue degrees is accepted in their home country and that the Secretary deems to be academically equivalent to FFEL participants in this country.

Conditions a school's eligibility for student assistance funding under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 on its providing notice on its internet website of its recognition by the Secretary as a legitimate degree-granting institution for immigration and federal employment purposes. Requires an accreditation agency or association to be on such list for its authority to be recognized for any federal purpose.

Requires the Secretary to establish the Diploma Mill Task Force to develop: (1) guidelines for distinguishing between legitimate and fraudulent degree-granting institutions for federal purposes; (2) a strategic diploma integrity protection plan to address the sale and use of fraudulent degrees; and (3) legislative language to effectuate such plan.

Directs the Federal Trade Commission to define as an unfair and deceptive act or practice: (1) the offering of a degree by an entity that is not recognized as a legitimate degree-granting institution in accordance with the Task Force's guidelines; or (2) the issuing of any accreditation by an entity not recognized by the Secretary, any other appropriate federal agency, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or, in the case of a foreign entity, by the appropriate agency in its home country.

Requires the Secretary to study: (1) both legitimate and fraudulent degree-granting institutions that are not properly accredited; and (2) steps taken by the Secretary to repair vulnerabilities of the FFEL program to fraudulent degree-granting institutions.

What's happening now May 18, 2007

Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

 Committees of jurisdiction 8
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1