H. Amdt. 953 - Amendment Prevents the Federal Government from Reinterpreting a State's Laws or Regulations to Require Credit-Hour Programs to Convert Back to Clock-Hour Programs.

Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act

H.R. 2117 — 112^th Congress (2011–2012)

Summary

To prohibit the Department of Education from overreaching into academic affairs and program eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. (by CRS)

Learn More

At OpenCongress

Title

To prohibit the Department of Education from overreaching into academic affairs and program eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Other Titles

• Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act

Sponsor

Virginia Foxx

Co-Sponsors

• Robert E. Andrews
• Steve Austria
• Spencer Bachus
• Lou Barletta
• Dan Benishek
• Judy Biggert
• Marsha Blackburn
• Jo Bonner
• Kevin Brady
• Mo Brooks
• Michael C. Burgess
• Dan Burton
• John R. Carter
• Jason Chaffetz
• Howard Coble
• Mike Coffman
• Steve Cohen
• K. Michael Conaway
• Scott DesJarlais
• Jeff Duncan
• Renee L. Ellmers
• Jo Ann Emerson
• Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann
• J. Randy Forbes
• Cory Gardner
• Jim Gerlach
• Trey Gowdy
• Kay Granger
• Sam Graves
• Frank C. Guinta
• Brett Guthrie
• Richard L. Hanna
• Wally Herger
• Randy Hultgren
• Lynn Jenkins
• Larry Kissell
• John Kline
• Doug Lamborn
• Blaine Luetkemeyer
• Kenny Marchant
• Tom Marino
• Michael T. McCaul
• Howard P. "Buck" McKeon
• John L. Mica
• Sue Wilkins Myrick
• Randy Neugebauer
• Pete Olson
• Ron Paul
• Thomas E. Petri
• Todd Russell Platts
• Tom Reed
• Martha Roby
• David P. Roe
• Mike Rogers
• Todd Rokita
• Peter J. Roskam
• Dennis A. Ross
• Aaron Schock
• Pete Sessions
• Bill Shuster
• Adrian Smith
• Christopher H. Smith
• Lamar Smith
• Steve Stivers
• Glenn Thompson
• Mac Thornberry
• Tim Walberg
• Allen B. West
• Ed Whitfield

Subjects

• Education
• Administrative law and regulatory procedures
• Department of Education
• Education programs funding
• Higher education
• Intergovernmental relations
• School administration
• State and local government operations
• Teaching, teachers, curricula
• Vocational and technical education

Related Bills

• H.Res. 563 (112^th) : Providing for Consideration of the Bill (H.R. 2117) to Prohibit the Department of Education from Overreaching into Academic Affairs and Program Eligibility Under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
• S. 1297 (112^th) : A Bill to Preserve State and Institutional Authority Relating to State Authorization and the Definition of Credit Hour.

Major Actions

Introduced	6/03/2011
Referred to Committee
Amendments (5 proposed)
Passed House	2/28/2012

Bill History

• All Votes
• All Actions
• Amendments

	Chamber/Committee	Motion	Date	Result
select this vote	House	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 1 to H R 2117	2/28/2012	This amendment DID NOT PASS the House 170 voted YES 247 voted NO 17 voted present/not voting
select this vote	House	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 4 to H R 2117	2/28/2012	This amendment DID NOT PASS the House 160 voted YES 255 voted NO 19 voted present/not voting
select this vote	House	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 5 to H R 2117	2/28/2012	This amendment DID NOT PASS the House 199 voted YES 217 voted NO 18 voted present/not voting
select this vote	House	On Motion to Recommit with Instructions: H R 2117 Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act	2/28/2012	This motion DID NOT PASS the House 176 voted YES 241 voted NO 17 voted present/not voting
select this vote	House	H.R. 2117 (112th): Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act	2/28/2012	This bill PASSED the House 303 voted YES 114 voted NO 17 voted present/not voting
currently selected	House	On agreeing to the Foxx amendment (A002) Agreed to by voice vote.	2/28/2012	PASSED by voice vote
select this vote	House	On agreeing to the Polis amendment (A003) Failed by voice vote.	2/28/2012	DID NOT PASS by voice vote

	Action	Date	Description
	Introduced	6/03/2011
		6/03/2011	Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
		6/15/2011	Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
		7/22/2011	Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 112-177.
	Put on a legislative calendar	7/22/2011	Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 116.
		2/27/2012	Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 563 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2117 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill.
		2/28/2012	Rule H. Res. 563 passed House.
		2/28/2012	Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 563.
		2/28/2012	Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2117 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill.
		2/28/2012	House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 563 and Rule XVIII.
		2/28/2012	The Speaker designated the Honorable Candice S. Miller to act as Chairwoman of the Committee.
		2/28/2012	GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 2117.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 563, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Grijalva amendment No. 1.
		2/28/2012	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Grijalva amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Grijalva demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 563, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Foxx amendment No. 2.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 563, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Polis amendment No. 3.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 563, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bishop (NY) amendment No. 4.
		2/28/2012	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Bishop (NY) amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Bishop (NY) demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 563, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Polis amendment No. 5.
		2/28/2012	POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Polis amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Foxx demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
		2/28/2012	Ms. Foxx moved that the committee rise.
		2/28/2012	On motion that the committe rise Agreed to by voice vote.
		2/28/2012	Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 2117 as unfinished business.
		2/28/2012	Considered as unfinished business.
		2/28/2012	The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
		2/28/2012	UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
		2/28/2012	The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2117.
		2/28/2012	The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
		2/28/2012	Mrs. Capps moved to recommit with instructions to Education and the Workforce.
		2/28/2012	DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Capps motion to recommit. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment which adds a provision entitled "PROTECTING STUDENTS FROM HIGHER LOAN COSTS AND A DEVALUED EDUCATIONAL DEGREE".
		2/28/2012	Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
select this vote	Vote	2/28/2012	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 1 to H R 2117
select this vote	Vote	2/28/2012	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 4 to H R 2117
select this vote	Vote	2/28/2012	On Agreeing to the Amendment: Amendment 5 to H R 2117
select this vote	Vote	2/28/2012	On Motion to Recommit with Instructions: H R 2117 Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act
select this vote	House Vote on Passage	2/28/2012	H.R. 2117 (112th): Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act
		2/28/2012	Amendment (A001) offered by Mr. Grijalva.
		2/28/2012	Amendment (A002) offered by Ms. Foxx.
currently selected	Vote	2/28/2012	On agreeing to the Foxx amendment (A002) Agreed to by voice vote.
		2/28/2012	Amendment (A003) offered by Mr. Polis.
select this vote	Vote	2/28/2012	On agreeing to the Polis amendment (A003) Failed by voice vote.
		2/28/2012	Amendment (A004) offered by Mr. Bishop (NY).
		2/28/2012	Amendment (A005) offered by Mr. Polis.
		2/29/2012	Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

	Number	Sponsor	Date Offered	Status
select this vote	H. Amdt. 952	Grijalva, Raúl [D-AZ3]	February 28, 2012	Failed by roll call vote on February 28, 2012.
	Amendment sought to ensure that each State has a process in place to receive and review student complaints and to promote good practices and address abuses. Show amendment details
currently selected	H. Amdt. 953	Foxx, Virginia [R-NC5]	February 28, 2012	Passed by voice vote on February 28, 2012.
	Amendment prevents the Federal Government from reinterpreting a State's laws or regulations to require credit-hour programs to convert back to clock-hour programs. Actions February 28, 2012, 2:28 pm ET - Amendment (A002) offered by Ms. Foxx. February 28, 2012, 2:30 pm ET - On agreeing to the Foxx amendment (A002) Agreed to by voice vote. Full Text of this Amendment The text of this amendment is not available.
select this vote	H. Amdt. 954	Polis, Jared [D-CO2]	February 28, 2012	Failed by voice vote on February 28, 2012.
	Amendment sought to link state authorization regulations to student outcomes. Show amendment details
select this vote	H. Amdt. 955	Bishop, Timothy [D-NY1]	February 28, 2012	Failed by roll call vote on February 28, 2012.
	Amendment sought to strike the prohibition on the Secretary of Education from ever promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule defining the term "credit hour". Show amendment details
select this vote	H. Amdt. 956	Polis, Jared [D-CO2]	February 28, 2012	Failed by roll call vote on February 28, 2012.
	Amendment sought to require the Secretary to present a plan to prevent waste, fraud and abuse and to ensure effective use of taxpayer dollars. Show amendment details