H.R. 9203 — Student Protection and University Accountability Act

This section requires institutions participating in federal student aid programs to maintain and publicly disclose investigative processes for complaints alleging violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, designate a compliance coordinator, provide complainants with 30-day notifications of receipt, investigation status, and outcomes, retain detailed records, and display Office for Civil Rights materials on campus and online for at least one year. Institutions must submit annual attestations of compliance; failure for two consecutive award years results in ineligibility for such programs for at least the next two award years.

This section requires institutions of higher education participating in federal student aid programs to maintain and publicly disclose investigative processes for complaints alleging violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The processes must designate a compliance coordinator, provide complainants with notifications and explanations within 30 days of receipt and of any outcome, maintain detailed records, and include contact information for reporting to the institution and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Institutions must also display Office for Civil Rights public awareness materials on campus and online for at least one year and submit annual attestations of compliance to the Secretary. An institution that fails to comply for two consecutive award years becomes ineligible to participate in the programs for at least the next two award years.

This section requires the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education to provide bimonthly briefings, and submit written reports 48 hours in advance, to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for 2 years beginning 30 days after enactment. The briefings must cover all Title VI complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin received in the prior month, disaggregated by basis including shared ancestry, while protecting personally identifiable information, and must include the number of complaints, descriptions of how they are addressed, ongoing investigations, and data on investigation length. It prohibits the Office from dismissing such complaints due to parallel filings by the complainant or another individual with other agencies, courts, or recipients, except in certified class actions where the complainant is a class member, and from delaying investigations due to parallel filings with other agencies or recipients. These rules apply to institutions of higher education receiving federal funds.

This section requires the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to deliver bimonthly briefings and written reports, beginning 30 days after enactment and continuing for 2 years, to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Title VI complaints alleging race, color, or national origin discrimination received in the prior month, including complaint volume, investigation status and duration, and planned resolutions, with data disaggregated by basis and shared ancestry while protecting personally identifiable information. It prohibits the Office for Civil Rights from dismissing such complaints filed against institutions of higher education due to parallel complaints by the same or other complainants with other agencies, courts, or the recipient, except when a court has certified a class action that includes the complainant, and from delaying investigations due to filings with other agencies or the recipient.