CSPEN Encourages All Clock Hour Programs Leading to Licensure Contact Your Members of Congress Immediately To Request They Cosponsor This Important Student Access Bill
Overview
Rep. Lloyd Smucker is set to reintroduce legislation (The Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act) seeking to undo revisions to the regulations which harm students by limiting their access to education based upon a minimum number of hours prescribed by a state for programs leading to licensure or certification. The bill is presented as it will be introduced below and can also be downloaded from CSPEN’s website.
Next Tuesday, in conjunction with the beginning of CSPEN 7^th Annual Higher Education Policy Meeting, Congressman Smucker intends to file the bill and has asked CSPEN to assist in efforts to obtain cosponsors for the bill prior to next Tuesday.
We realize that this is a very shorty turnaround, but Reo, Smucker has already reached out to the cosponsors who supported the bill in the 118th Congress in the hopes that they will once again sponsor the same legislation.
These efforts have already resulted in lead co-sponsorship from House Committee On Education and Workforce, Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burges Owens (R-UT) and we anticipate more will be added today and Monday.
Call to Action
This is where the Congressmen are requesting our community’s assistance. Outreach to institutions with programs impacted by the regulatory revision are asked to reach out directly to your elected House of Representatives members with a direct request that they cosponsor the legislation.
Members of Congress who are interested in being original cosponsors should immediately contact Chaston Pfingston, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Smucker at Chaston.Pfingston@mail.house.gov (mailto:Chaston.Pfingston@mail.house.gov) .
In addition, CSPEN also encourages you to reach out to the employers who depend upon the education leading to licensure or certification that you provide to enable them to successfully pass the examination and enter the workforce as their employees.
Letters of support from our community, both your institutions and your employers, should be shared with Eric Reath, Communications Director for Rep. Smucker at Eric.Reath@mail.house.gov (mailto:Eric.Reath@mail.house.gov) .
Please take action immediately in support of the important student protection bill!
The Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act
119TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R.
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to clarify the clock hour requirements for certain eligible programs under title IV of such Act.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. SMUCKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to clarify the clock hour requirements for certain eligible programs under title IV of such Act.
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 ‘‘Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act’’.
SEC. 2. CLOCK HOUR REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS OF TRAINING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 481(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(5) An otherwise eligible program that provides a program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized profession in a State, and for which the number of clock hours of instruction exceeds the minimum number of clock hours of instruction required by such State for training in the recognized profession for which the otherwise eligible program prepares students, shall be determined to be an eligible program under this subsection if the number of clock hours of instruction provided by such otherwise eligible program does not exceed the greater of—
(A) 150 percent of the minimum number of clock hours required by such State for training in the recognized profession for which the otherwise eligible program prepares students; or
(B) 150 percent of the minimum number of clock hours required by a Federal agency for such training.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to award year 2024–2025, and each succeeding award year.
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