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S 1569119th CongressIntroduced
Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act
Introduced: Oct 29, 2025
Civil Rights & JusticeEducation
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
This legislation amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to mandate that accrediting agencies ensure free inquiry protections defined as First Amendment compliance for public institutions and institutional policy adherence for private institutions while prohibiting consideration of race sex or national origin in accreditation decisions with specific religious institution exemptions.
Key Points
- 1Requires accrediting agencies to verify institutions uphold free inquiry through First Amendment compliance for public schools and written policies for private institutions excluding religiously affiliated entities.
- 2Explicitly bans accrediting bodies from imposing standards or investigating race color sex or national origin composition across student bodies faculty staff and leadership roles.
- 3Establishes civil litigation rights for colleges facing accreditation threats due to agencies violating new prohibitions against considering protected characteristics in evaluation processes.
Impact Areas
Higher education accrediting agenciesPublic and private universitiesReligious educational institutionsStudents and faculty regarding speech rights
Generated by legislative-analyst-v1 on Nov 7, 2025