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Student Protection and University Accountability Act
Introduced Jun 8, 2026 · Last action Jun 25, 2026 — Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
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Summary
This legislation is called the Student Protection and University Accountability Act. Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
Full bill text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9203 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9203
To increase the transparency of colleges and universities in carrying
out their civil rights responsibilities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 8, 2026
Ms. Stefanik (for herself and Ms. Gillen) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the transparency of colleges and universities in carrying
out their civil rights responsibilities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Student Protection and University
Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE AND TRANSPARENCY RELATED TO TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
(a) Program Participation Agreement Requirement.--Section 487 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (i) and (j) as subsections
(j) and (k), respectively;
(2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(30) The institution will comply with the provisions of
subsection (i) and provide to the Secretary an annual
attestation of such compliance.''; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (h) the following new
subsection:
``(i) Compliance and Transparency Related to Complaints Under Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.--
``(1) Compliance and transparency.--With respect to
complaints received by an institution related to alleged
violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42
U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), the institution shall take the following
actions:
``(A) Have in effect investigative processes
related to such complaints, which shall include each of
the elements listed in clauses (i) through (vi) of
subparagraph (B), and make publicly available
(including on the website of the institution), and
widely distribute to students and their families
(including in student orientation materials), a
description of such investigative processes.
``(B) Include in the investigative processes
described in subparagraph (A) at least the following:
``(i) The processes and factors used to
determine whether such complaints will be
investigated by the institution and how the
outcome of an investigation will be determined.
``(ii) A designation of at least one
employee to coordinate its efforts to comply
with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), including any
investigation of such complaints.
``(iii) A procedure to ensure that, for
each such complaint received by the
institution, the complainant will receive from
the institution--
``(I) not later than 30 days after
receipt of such complaint--
``(aa) notification of the
receipt of the complaint;
``(bb) notification of
whether or not an investigation
has been opened in response to
the complaint;
``(cc) in the case that an
investigation is not opened in
response to the complaint, an
explanation of why an
investigation was not opened,
including a summary of the
information that was used to
determine that an investigation
should not be opened; and
``(dd) in the case that an
investigation is opened,
notification that an
investigation of the complaint
will be carried out and that
the complainant will be
notified of the outcome of the
investigation; and
``(II) not later than 30 days after
an outcome of an investigation is
reached, notification of the outcome of
the investigation, including an
explanation of how the outcome was
reached, and any remedial actions taken
in response to the complaint.
``(iv) A system for keeping and maintaining
records of such complaints, including the
determination and reasoning for whether or not
an investigation into a complaint was opened by
the institution, notifications to and
communications with the complainant and, if
applicable, the respondent, a record of the
investigation (including the outcome thereof),
and a record of any remedial actions taken in
response to the complaint.
``(v) The contact information and necessary
steps for reporting such complaints to the
institution.
``(vi) The contact information and
necessary steps for reporting a complaint
related to an alleged violation of title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d
et seq.) to the Office for Civil Rights of the
Department of Education, including the
hyperlink to the electronic complaint form of
the Office for Civil Rights for an alleged
violation of such title; and
``(C) With respect to public awareness campaign
materials created and distributed by the Office for
Civil Rights of the Department of Education relating to
protections for individuals under title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), display
and publish such materials, as applicable--
``(i) not later than 30 days after such
materials are distributed;
``(ii) for not less than 1 year or until
new such materials are distributed, whichever
is later;
``(iii) in high traffic, public places on
the campus of the institution; and
``(iv) on a publicly available website of
the institution.
``(2) Enforcement.--An institution of higher education that
fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (a)(30) for
two consecutive award years shall be ineligible to participate
in the programs authorized by this title for a period of not
less than the first two subsequent award years. To regain
eligibility to participate in the programs authorized by this
title, an institution of higher education shall demonstrate
compliance with paragraph (1) prior to the completion of the
period during which the institution is ineligible due to
failure to comply with such paragraph.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on the first day of the first award year (as such term is
defined in section 481 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1088)) beginning after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Congressional Briefings.--
(1) In general.--Beginning not later than 30 days after the
date of enactment of this Act and ending 2 years after such
date of enactment, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of
the Department of Education (or the designee of such Assistant
Secretary) shall provide a briefing, on a bimonthly basis, to
the authorizing committees about complaints alleging
discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin
in violation of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42
U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) that have been received by the Office for
Civil Rights of the Department of Education in the preceding
month--
(A) in a manner that--
(i) protects personally identifiable
information; and
(ii) disaggregates information by the basis
of such alleged discrimination (including
shared ancestry); and
(B) that includes--
(i) the number of such complaints;
(ii) a description of--
(I) how the Office has addressed or
plans to address such complaints; and
(II) the investigations being
carried out in response to such
complaints, as applicable; and
(iii) data about the length of such
investigations.
(2) Report.--Not later than 48 hours prior to each briefing
required under paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights of the Department of Education (or the designee of such
Assistant Secretary) shall submit to the authorizing committees
a written report that contains the information that will be
presented at such briefing and that complies with the
requirements of paragraph (1)(A).
(3) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection:
(A) Authorizing committees.--The term ``authorizing
committees'' means the Committee on Education and
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate.
(B) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office
for Civil Rights of the Department of Education.
(b) OCR Process Reforms.--
(1) Dismissals.--The Office may not close or dismiss any
complaint regarding discrimination on the basis of race, color,
or national origin in violation of title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) due to the filing of a
complaint involving the same allegations against the same
recipient--
(A) by an individual other than the complainant
with another Federal, State, or local agency, a court,
or the recipient, unless the Office determines that--
(i) a court has certified a class action
with respect to the alleged violation of such
other individual's complaint;
(ii) such other individual is a member of
such class; and
(iii) the complainant is a member of such
class; or
(B) by the complainant with another Federal, State,
or local agency, a court, or the recipient.
(2) Investigations.--The Office may not delay an
investigation of a complaint due to the filing of a complaint
involving the same allegations against the same recipient with
another Federal, State, or local agency or the recipient.
(3) Recipient defined.--For purposes of this subsection,
the term ``recipient'' means an institution of higher education
(as such term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) that receives funds under an
applicable program (as such term is defined in section 400 of
the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221)).
<all>Official legislative text sourced from the public record (cached on CivicsHQ).
Official source
View the original bill, actions, and full legislative record on Congress.gov.
Status
In Committee
- 1Introduced
- 2Committee
- 3Floor
- 4Passed
- 5Signed
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