The bill would create an Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education within the Department of Education. The office would review and investigate reports from college applicants, students, and employees about possible race discrimination in admissions, financial aid, or academic programs at institutions that receive federal student aid or institutional aid. It could recommend corrective steps and changes to federal programs, and would report to Congress every three months. Separately, a college would become ineligible for federal student or institutional aid if the Secretary of Education determines that it violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause or Title VI through race discrimination. The office would end 12 years after the bill becomes law.
Applicants, enrolled students, and employees of covered colleges could submit allegations to the new office. The office would be required to protect the identity of people who provide information. A college's eligibility for federal aid could be affected if the Secretary makes the specified determination.
The bill authorizes $25 million for the new office. The money would remain available until spent.
The bill's findings state that colleges must follow the Constitution and federal civil-rights laws, and that the federal government has a duty to enforce them.
No publicly available information.