Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act

This bill changes the rules the federal government uses to recognize college accrediting agencies. Accreditors would have to judge whether colleges protect free inquiry, meaning public colleges follow the First Amendment and their own academic freedom policies, and private colleges follow their own written free speech and academic freedom policies; certain religious colleges would be exempt from this standard. Accreditors could not set requirements, standards, investigations, or recommendations about the race, color, sex, or national origin makeup of students, faculty, staff, leaders, or honor recipients, and could not consider these factors when accrediting. Accreditors would have to let colleges adopt any lawful policy on these factors. Colleges facing loss of accreditation because an accreditor broke this rule could sue.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Elise M. Stefanik Republican sponsor
• 2 cosponsors