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Committee approves bill limiting accreditors' use of ideological criteria in reviews
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Summary
The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2,516, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, which would prohibit accreditors from using certain ideological standards and clarify protections for religious institutions; the measure was reported to the House, 21–15.
Representative Burgess Owens introduced H.R. 2,516 as the Accreditation for College Excellence Act, arguing accreditors have used diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) criteria in ways he called ideological and that accreditors should focus on ‘‘producing workforce ready graduates’’ instead.
Opponents including Representative Bonamici and Representative Adams said the bill addresses a problem that the minority could not show exists and risks stripping accreditors of the ability to evaluate aspects of academic quality that bear on a program’s substance. Bonamici asked the sponsor for a definition of "woke standards" and argued the term is subjective.
The committee debated whether the bill would allow religious institutions to require adherence to statements of faith or codes of conduct, and whether prohibiting accreditors from assessing ideological viewpoints could prevent evaluation of clearly academic matters. The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the measure would protect academic freedom and codify policies advanced by the prior administration.
The amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted and the committee ordered H.R. 2,516 reported to the House by recorded vote, 21–15.
