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H.R. 3136

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to select up to 30 institutions of higher education (IHEs) or systems or consortia of IHEs to: (1) carry out, on a voluntary basis, competency-based education demonstration projects; and (2) receive waivers of certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise prevent such an entity from participating in federal student aid programs or inhibit the operation of competency-based education.

Requires the Secretary to provide outreach regarding such projects to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native American-serving, nontribal institutions, IHEs serving special needs students, and rural IHEs.

Defines "competency-based education" as an educational process or program that measures students' knowledge, skills, and experience through assessments instead of, or in addition to, measuring their credit or clock hours.

Includes in the waivers: (1) limitations on the provision of instruction through correspondence courses, (2) requirements that schools provide a minimum number of weeks of instruction, and (3) requirements that students enroll for at least a minimum number of credit or clock hours.

Requires each demonstration project to enroll a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 3,000 students.

Requires the Secretary to prioritize proposed demonstration projects that show promise in reducing the time or cost required to complete a degree, certificate, or credential.

Prohibits the Secretary from selecting an IHE or a system or consortium of IHEs to conduct a competency-based education demonstration project if such entity had, for one of the two preceding fiscal years: (1) a cohort default rate of 30% or greater, and (2) more than 50% of its students borrowing title IV loans.

Requires each entity carrying out a demonstration project to provide the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences with certain disaggregated information regarding the students participating in the project, including the average number of competencies a student acquires while participating in the project and the time it takes the student to acquire such competencies.

Requires the Director, annually, to: (1) evaluate each competency-based education demonstration project, and (2) submit a report to Congress that includes information on the evaluations and recommendations for enhancing those projects.

Allows a demonstration project that has undergone at least two evaluations by the Director to amend its application to seek the Secretary's approval to increase its student enrollment to up to 5,000 students.

Directs the Secretary, on a continuing basis, to: (1) oversee, and provide technical assistance to, the demonstration projects; and (2) consult with accrediting entities and state regulatory authorities for additional ways to improve the delivery of competency-based education.

Requires each IHE participating in a demonstration project under this Act to provide its students or the parents of its minor students with: (1) a disclosure letter that describes the personally identifiable student information that may be sold by a person with whom the IHE has an agreement to provide software applications for students, and (2) an option to block the sale of such information.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress every ten years on the needs of limited English proficient students using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Makes $1 million of the amount authorized to be appropriated for Department of Education salaries and expenses available to carry out this Act and its amendments.

Directs the Secretary to establish the Higher Education Regulatory Reform Task Force, to be composed of: (1) the Secretary or the Secretary's designee, (2) a representative of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, and (3) representatives from the higher education community.

Requires the Secretary, within six months after this Act's enactment, to submit to Congress and make available on a publicly available website a report prepared by the Task Force on the Department of Education's regulatory requirements for IHEs.

Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue (IRS), to study and report to Congress, within one year after this Act's enactment, on the feasibility and advantages and disadvantages of using individual income tax returns as the primary form of application for student aid under the HEA.

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5](R-AZ)Sponsor
10 cosponsors4 D6 R
10cosponsors2committees45actions11amendments2related bills7subjects
  • Referred in SenateJul 24, 2014
  • Engrossed in HouseJul 23, 2014
  • Reported in HouseJul 17, 2014
  • Introduced in HouseSep 19, 2013
  1. IntroReferral

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

  2. FloorH38310

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  3. FloorH37100

    On passage Passed by recorded vote: 414 - 0 (Roll no. 441).

  4. Floor8000

    Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 414 - 0 (Roll no. 441).

  5. FloorH8D000

    Subsequent to the announcement by the Chair that H.R. 3136 had passed by voice vote, Mr. Kline asked unanimous consent that it be in order to put the question of passage to a recorded vote. Agreed to without objection.

  6. FloorH8D000

    On passage Passed by voice vote.

  7. FloorH36110

    On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 194 - 221 (Roll no. 440).

  8. FloorH8A000

    The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H6701)

  9. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tierney motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a new section allowing the Secretary of Education to provide rebates equal to the rates that new borrowers had available to them from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Those rebates are equal to the amount that would be saved from the lower interest rates.

  10. FloorH36100

    Mr. Tierney moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. (consideration: CR H6700-6702; text:CR H6700)

  11. FloorH34400

    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. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H6690-6691)

  12. FloorH35000

    The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H6700)

  13. FloorH32600

    The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 3136.

  14. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Grayson amendment No. 11.

  15. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Gowdy amendment No. 10.

  16. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Polis amendment No. 9.

  17. FloorH8D000

    POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Gowdy amendment No. 8, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Polis demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the amendment until later in the legislative day.

  18. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Gowdy amendment No. 8.

  19. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Duffy amendment No. 7.

  20. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Langevin amendment No. 6.

  21. FloorH32050

    The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

  22. FloorH30000

    Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6695-6702)

  23. FloorH32700

    Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 3136 as unfinished business.

  24. FloorH32341

    On motion that the Committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

  25. FloorH32340

    Mr. Kline moved that the Committee rise.

  26. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Byrne amendment No. 5.

  27. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Polis amendment No. 4.

  28. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Walberg amendment No. 3.

  29. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Polis amendment No. 2.

  30. FloorH8D000

    DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 677, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Part A Kline amendment No. 1.

  31. FloorH8D000

    GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 3136.

  32. FloorH32400

    The Speaker designated the Honorable Mark E. Amodei to act as Chairman of the Committee.

  33. FloorH32020

    House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 677 and Rule XVIII.

  34. FloorH8D000

    The resolution provides a structured rule for H.R. 3136 and H.R. 4984. Both bills are debatable for one hour. The resolution provides for certain amendments to be in order. One motion to recommit with or without instructions is allowed for each bill.

  35. FloorH30000

    Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 677. (consideration: CR H6686-6695)

  36. FloorH1L210

    Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 677 Reported to House. The rules provides a structured rule for H.R. 3136 and H.R. 4984. Both bills are debatable for one hour with or without instructions.

  37. CalendarsH12410

    Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 395.

  38. CommitteeH12200

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-529.

  39. Committee5000

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-529.

  40. Committee

    Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

  41. Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  42. Committee

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

  43. IntroReferralH11100

    Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

  44. IntroReferralIntro-H

    Introduced in House

  45. IntroReferral1000

    Introduced in House

Jul 23, 201436

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to select up to 30 institutions of higher education (IHEs) or systems or consortia of IHEs to: (1) carry out, on a voluntary basis, competency-based education demonstration projects; and (2) receive waivers of certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise prevent such an entity from participating in federal student aid programs or inhibit the operation of competency-based education.

Requires the Secretary to provide outreach regarding such projects to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native American-serving, nontribal institutions, IHEs serving special needs students, and rural IHEs.

Defines "competency-based education" as an educational process or program that measures students' knowledge, skills, and experience through assessments instead of, or in addition to, measuring their credit or clock hours.

Includes in the waivers: (1) limitations on the provision of instruction through correspondence courses, (2) requirements that schools provide a minimum number of weeks of instruction, and (3) requirements that students enroll for at least a minimum number of credit or clock hours.

Requires each demonstration project to enroll a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 3,000 students.

Requires the Secretary to prioritize proposed demonstration projects that show promise in reducing the time or cost required to complete a degree, certificate, or credential.

Prohibits the Secretary from selecting an IHE or a system or consortium of IHEs to conduct a competency-based education demonstration project if such entity had, for one of the two preceding fiscal years: (1) a cohort default rate of 30% or greater, and (2) more than 50% of its students borrowing title IV loans.

Requires each entity carrying out a demonstration project to provide the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences with certain disaggregated information regarding the students participating in the project, including the average number of competencies a student acquires while participating in the project and the time it takes the student to acquire such competencies.

Requires the Director, annually, to: (1) evaluate each competency-based education demonstration project, and (2) submit a report to Congress that includes information on the evaluations and recommendations for enhancing those projects.

Allows a demonstration project that has undergone at least two evaluations by the Director to amend its application to seek the Secretary's approval to increase its student enrollment to up to 5,000 students.

Directs the Secretary, on a continuing basis, to: (1) oversee, and provide technical assistance to, the demonstration projects; and (2) consult with accrediting entities and state regulatory authorities for additional ways to improve the delivery of competency-based education.

Requires each IHE participating in a demonstration project under this Act to provide its students or the parents of its minor students with: (1) a disclosure letter that describes the personally identifiable student information that may be sold by a person with whom the IHE has an agreement to provide software applications for students, and (2) an option to block the sale of such information.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress every ten years on the needs of limited English proficient students using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Makes $1 million of the amount authorized to be appropriated for Department of Education salaries and expenses available to carry out this Act and its amendments.

Directs the Secretary to establish the Higher Education Regulatory Reform Task Force, to be composed of: (1) the Secretary or the Secretary's designee, (2) a representative of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, and (3) representatives from the higher education community.

Requires the Secretary, within six months after this Act's enactment, to submit to Congress and make available on a publicly available website a report prepared by the Task Force on the Department of Education's regulatory requirements for IHEs.

Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue (IRS), to study and report to Congress, within one year after this Act's enactment, on the feasibility and advantages and disadvantages of using individual income tax returns as the primary form of application for student aid under the HEA.

Jul 17, 201417

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to select up to 20 institutions of higher education (IHEs) or systems or consortia of IHEs to: (1) carry out, on a voluntary basis, competency-based education demonstration projects; and (2) receive waivers of certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise prevent such an entity from participating in federal student aid programs or inhibit the operation of competency-based education.

Defines "competency-based education" as an educational process or program that measures students' knowledge, skills, and experience through assessments instead of, or in addition to, measuring their credit or clock hours.

Includes in the waivers: (1) limitations on the provision of instruction through correspondence courses, (2) requirements that schools provide a minimum number of weeks of instruction, and (3) requirements that students enroll for at least a minimum number of credit or clock hours.

Requires each demonstration project to enroll a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 3,000 students.

Requires the Secretary to prioritize proposed demonstration projects that show promise in reducing the time or cost required to complete a degree, certificate, or credential.

Prohibits the Secretary from selecting an IHE or a system or consortium of IHEs to conduct a competency-based education demonstration project if such entity had, for one of the two preceding fiscal years: (1) a cohort default rate of 30% or greater, and (2) more than 50% of its students borrowing title IV loans.

Requires each entity carrying out a demonstration project to provide the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences with certain disaggregated information regarding the students participating in the project, including the average number of competencies a student acquires while participating in the project and the time it takes the student to acquire such competencies.

Requires the Director, annually, to: (1) evaluate each competency-based education demonstration project, and (2) submit a report to Congress that includes information on the evaluations and recommendations for enhancing those projects.

Directs the Secretary, on a continuing basis, to: (1) oversee, and provide technical assistance to, the demonstration projects; and (2) consult with accrediting entities and state regulatory authorities for additional ways to improve the delivery of competency-based education.

Makes $1 million of the amount authorized to be appropriated for Department of Education salaries and expenses available to carry out this Act and its amendments.

Sep 19, 2013

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to select institutions of higher education (IHEs) for voluntary participation in Competency-Based Education Demonstration Programs that provide participating IHEs with the ability to offer competency-based education that does not meet certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise prevent them from participating in federal student aid programs.

Defines "competency-based education" as an education process that is characterized by the direct assessment and measurement of student learning instead of, or in addition to, measuring students' credit or clock hours.

Deems IHEs to be eligible to participate in a Program if they are eligible to participate in title IV programs or have been approved by the Secretary to offer programs that measure student learning through direct assessments rather than credit or clock hours.

Requires Program applicants to provide the Secretary with a description of the statutory and regulatory requirements they would like waived and the reasons for seeking each waiver.

Directs the Secretary to conduct an annual evaluation of each of the up to 20 Programs authorized by this Act.

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 — Informed