HouseH.R. 9881119th Congress
Higher Education Accreditation Accountability Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9881 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9881
To modify the procedure for an institution of higher education to
change the institution's primary accrediting agency or association, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 22, 2026
Mr. Takano introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To modify the procedure for an institution of higher education to
change the institution's primary accrediting agency or association, 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 ``Higher Education Accreditation
Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. ACCREDITATION.
Section 496 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by
inserting ``(referred to in this section as
`recognition')'' after ``Federal purposes'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as
paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) the accrediting agency or association shall
demonstrate, prior to submitting an application for
recognition, that the agency or association--
``(A) has effectively accredited at least one
institution of higher education or program of an
institution for not less than 2 consecutive years
immediately preceding the application;
``(B) is legally established to operate in the
relevant jurisdiction where it is seeking recognition;
and
``(C) has established standards and operating
procedures the agency or association is capable of
enforcing and that are consistent with the Department's
criteria for recognition;'';
(2) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) Recognition Procedures; Length of Recognition; Limitation.--
``(1) Recognition procedures.--The Secretary shall ensure
that an application for recognition under this section shall
not be considered by the National Advisory Committee on
Institutional Quality and Integrity until the Secretary has
determined that the accrediting agency or association meets all
criteria for recognition.
``(2) Length of recognition.--
``(A) Initial recognition.--
``(i) Duration.--The Secretary shall not
grant an initial recognition for the first time
for an agency or association for a period of
more than 3 years.
``(ii) Documentation.--During such initial
recognition period, an agency or association
shall provide to the Secretary all
documentation pertaining to the accreditation
of any new program or institution.
``(B) Subsequent recognition.--Following an initial
recognition under subparagraph (A), an accrediting
agency or association may be recognized by the
Secretary for the purpose of this Act for a period of
not more than 5 years.'';
(3) by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following:
``(h) Approval for Changing a Primary Accrediting Agency or
Association.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall not recognize the
accreditation of any otherwise eligible institution of higher
education if the institution of higher education changes the
institution's primary accrediting agency or association without
an approved application to do so in accordance with this
subsection.
``(2) Primary accrediting agency or association.--For
purposes of this subsection and subsection (i), the term
`primary accrediting agency or association' means the
accrediting agency or association that the institution has
designated as the agency or association providing the
accreditation to be utilized in determining the institution's
eligibility for programs under this Act.
``(3) Application.--Before an institution of higher
education changes the institution's primary accrediting agency
or association, an institution of higher education shall submit
an application to the Secretary containing each of the
following:
``(A) A notification in writing of the
institution's intent to change the institution's
primary accrediting agency or association, which shall
include--
``(i) the name of the institution's primary
accrediting agency or association as of the
date of the application, and, if applicable,
the name of the institution's proposed new
primary accrediting agency or association;
``(ii) the date that the institution's
current accreditation (held as of the date of
the application) from the primary accrediting
agency or association is set to expire;
``(iii) the reason or reasons that the
institution is seeking to change the
institution's primary accrediting agency or
association;
``(iv) an explanation of how the proposed
new primary accrediting agency or association
will maintain or strengthen institutional
quality and protect students; and
``(v) an explanation of--
``(I) how the standards of the
proposed new primary accrediting agency
or association are aligned with the
institution's mission; and
``(II) how such mission alignment
compares to the institution's mission
alignment with the standards of the
institution's current primary
accrediting agency or association (held
as of the date of the application).
``(B) Supporting materials demonstrating reasonable
cause for the change, including each of the following:
``(i) Documentation supporting the
institution's claim that the institution has
reasonable cause to change the institution's
primary accrediting agency or association.
``(ii) Materials demonstrating reasonable
cause to change the institution's primary
accrediting agency or association.
``(iii) The most recent accreditation
determination letter from the institution's
current primary accrediting agency or
association (held as of the date of the
application).
``(iv) Reports from visiting teams or other
feedback from that accrediting agency or
association, whether final or preliminary, from
the prior 3 years.
``(v) Information regarding pending student
complaints and investigations regarding the
institution by State or local licensing and law
enforcement agencies.
``(vi) Documentation from the institution's
primary accrediting agency or association
confirming whether, since the date of the
agency or association's most recent
accreditation determination letter to the
institution, the agency or association has
opened any inquiries, had substantive dialogue
regarding the institution's compliance with
agency standards, or taken any actions.
``(4) Public input, review, determination, and approval.--
``(A) Public input.--Upon receipt of an application
under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall--
``(i) publish a public notice in the
Federal Register regarding the institution's
request to change its primary accrediting
agency or association; and
``(ii) provide a period of not less than 30
days for the submission of public comments
regarding that request.
``(B) Review.--The Secretary shall undertake a
review of the application of an institution to change
the institution's primary accreditation agency or
association and shall not automatically approve any
such application. The Secretary shall evaluate whether
the application reflects--
``(i) an attempt by the institution to
avoid sanctions or discipline from the
institution's current primary accrediting
agency or association;
``(ii) an attempt by the institution to
lessen oversight or rigor from the
institution's current primary accrediting
agency or association;
``(iii) an attempt by the institution to
avoid scrutiny by State or local licensing and
law enforcement agencies regarding the ethical
treatment of students;
``(iv) whether the institution is seeking
to change its primary accrediting agency or
association because the institution's proposed
new primary agency or association has standards
more closely aligned with the institution's
mission than the current primary accrediting
agency or association; or
``(v) whether the application involves an
accrediting agency or association that has been
subject to Department action.
``(C) Determination.--The Secretary shall determine
that an institution does not have reasonable cause to
change the institution's primary accrediting agency or
association, and shall deny such an application, if the
institution--
``(i) has had its accreditation withdrawn,
revoked, or otherwise terminated (and such
withdrawal, revocation, or termination has not
been rescinded by that same agency or
association) during the preceding 24-month
period; or
``(ii) has been subject to a probation or
its equivalent, a show cause order, or a
suspension order during the preceding 24-month
period.
``(D) Approval.--The Secretary shall--
``(i) determine whether the institution has
reasonable cause to change the institution's
primary accreditation agency or association by
considering the factors described in
subparagraph (B); and
``(ii)(I) notify the institution in writing
of the Secretary's decision to approve or deny
the institution's application to change its
primary accrediting agency or association under
this subsection not later than 90 days after
the end of the period for public comment under
subparagraph (A)(ii); or
``(II) if needed to undertake a meaningful
review--
``(aa) notify the institution in
writing that the review period has been
extended; and
``(bb) approve or deny the
institution's application not later
than another 90 days after the deadline
described in clause (i).''.
SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY.
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall apply--
(1) to an accrediting agency or association that seeks
recognition under section 496 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b) through a determination by the Secretary
of Education that the agency or association is a reliable
authority as to the quality of education or training offered
for the purposes of that Act or for other Federal purposes, or
that seeks a renewal of such recognition, after the date of
enactment of this Act; and
(2) to an institution of higher education that seeks to
change its primary accrediting agency or association after the
date of enactment of this Act.
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