Introduced:
Jan 15, 2025
Policy Area:
Education
Congress.gov:
Bill Statistics
3
Actions
6
Cosponsors
1
Summaries
4
Subjects
1
Text Versions
Yes
Full Text
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Latest Action
Jan 15, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Summaries (1)
Introduced in House
- Jan 15, 2025
00
<p><strong>Mel's Law</strong></p><p>This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs to establish policies for awarding posthumous degrees.</p><p>Specifically, the IHE must certify that it has a policy to award a posthumous degree to a deceased student who (1) was enrolled in a degree program at the IHE; (2) died prior to completing such program; and (3) at the time of death, was in academic standing consistent with the requirements for graduation from such program (as determined by the IHE).</p><p>The bill prohibits accrediting agencies from taking into consideration the number of posthumous degrees awarded to deceased students by the IHE. (Under current law, an IHE must be accredited by an accrediting agency to participate in federal student aid programs.)</p>
Actions (3)
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Type: IntroReferral
| Source: House floor actions
| Code: H11100
Jan 15, 2025
Introduced in House
Type: IntroReferral
| Source: Library of Congress
| Code: Intro-H
Jan 15, 2025
Introduced in House
Type: IntroReferral
| Source: Library of Congress
| Code: 1000
Jan 15, 2025
Subjects (4)
Education
(Policy Area)
Higher education
School administration
Student records
Cosponsors (6)
(R-PA)
Jul 2, 2025
Jul 2, 2025
(D-FL)
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
(D-NY)
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
(R-NY)
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
(D-NJ)
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
(D-NY)
Jan 15, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
Full Bill Text
Length: 2,664 characters
Version: Introduced in House
Version Date: Jan 15, 2025
Last Updated: Nov 15, 2025 6:17 AM
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 468 Introduced in House
(IH) ]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 468
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of
higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under
title IV of such Act, to establish a policy to award posthumous degrees
to certain deceased students, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2025
Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Tonko,
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, and Mrs. McIver) 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 require institutions of
higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under
title IV of such Act, to establish a policy to award posthumous degrees
to certain deceased students, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 468 Introduced in House
(IH) ]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 468
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of
higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under
title IV of such Act, to establish a policy to award posthumous degrees
to certain deceased students, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2025
Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Tonko,
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, and Mrs. McIver) 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 require institutions of
higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under
title IV of such Act, to establish a policy to award posthumous degrees
to certain deceased students, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1.
This Act may be cited as ``Mel's Law''.
SEC. 2.
(a) Posthumous Degrees.--
Section 487
(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.
(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094
(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``
(30) The institution certifies that the institution has
established a policy to award posthumous degrees to deceased
students who--
``
(A) had been enrolled in a degree program at the
institution;
``
(B) died prior to completing such program; and
``
(C) at the time of death, were in academic
standing consistent with the requirements for
graduation from such program, as determined by the
institution.''.
(b) Accreditation Criteria.--
Section 496
(a) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.
(a) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b
(a) ) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs
(6) through
(8) as
paragraphs
(7) through
(9) , respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph
(5) the following:
``
(6) the standards for accreditation of the agency or
association do not take into consideration the number of
posthumous degrees awarded by the institution to deceased
students;''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take
effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act.
<all>