A roundup of bills introduced this week that may be of interest to the higher education community:
S. 216: A bill to prevent harassment at institutions of higher education. (Also known as the Clementi Act)
Sponsor: Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Introduced: 2/4/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Cosponsors: 5 (including Patty Murray) Lautenberg Press Release
House version: H.R. 482 (Introduced by Rush Holt [D-NJ], 22 Cosponsors including Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott) Holt Press Release
H.R. 459: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to promote innovation, investment and research in the United States, to eliminate the diversity immigrant program. This would allocate 55,000 visas per year for foreign students receiving advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Sponsor: Darrell Issa (R-CA) Introduced: 2/4/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Judiciary Committee Cosponsors: None Issa Press Release
H.R. 487: A bill to provide for a Medicare primary care Graduate Medical Education pilot project in order to improve access to the primary care workforce.
Sponsor: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Introduced: 2/4/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce. Cosponsors: 1 McMorris Rodgers Press Release
H.R. 521: A bill to award grants to encourage state educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools to utilize technology to improve student achievement and college-and-career readiness, the skills of teachers and school leaders, and the efficiency and productivity of education systems at all levels.
Sponsor: George Miller (D-CA) Introduced: 2/6/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Committee on Education and the Workforce Cosponsors: None Press Release
H.R. 532: A bill to amend Title II of the United States Code to modify the dischargeability of debts for certain educational payments and loans. The bill would require privately issued student loans to be treated the same as other types of private debt in bankruptcy. Sponsor: Steve Cohen (D-TN) Introduced: 2/6/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Judiciary Committee Cosponsors: 14 Cohen Press Release
H.R. 536: Amend the ESEA of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants for recruiting, training, and retaining individuals, with a preference for individuals from underrepresented groups, as teachers at public elementary and secondary schools.
Sponsor: Susan Davis (D-CA) Introduced: 2/6/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Committee on Education and the Workforce Cosponsors: 3 Davis Press Release
H.R. 551: A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support early college high schools and other dual enrollment programs.
Sponsor: Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) Introduced: 2/6/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Committee on Education and the Workforce Cosponsors: 1 Hinojosa Press Release
H.R. 561: A bill to amend the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to provide further clarity for institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Patrick Meehan (R-PA) Introduced: 2/6/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to House Committee on Education and the Workforce Cosponsors: 6
S. 257: Amend Title 38, United States Code, to require courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education that are approved for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to charge veterans tuition and fees at the in-State tuition rate.
Sponsor: John Boozman (R-AR) Introduced: 2/7/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs Cosponsors: 2 Boozman Press Release
S. 262: Amend Title 38, United States Code, to provide equity for tuition and fees for individuals entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs who are pursuing programs of education at institutions of higher learning.
Sponsor: Dick Durbin Introduced: 2/7/2013 Last Major Action: Referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs Cosponsors: None
The full text of these bills can be found by searching for their respective bill number at thomas.loc.gov