<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="billres.xsl"?>
<!DOCTYPE bill PUBLIC "-//US Congress//DTDs/bill.dtd//EN" "bill.dtd">
<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H8813D2973CA24BD8B206D5F9D6C67922" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>119 HR 2686 IH: University Accountability Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-04-07</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
</dublinCore>
</metadata>
<form>
<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">1st Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 2686</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20250407">April 7, 2025</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="M000317">Ms. Malliotakis</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="S001196">Ms. Stefanik</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="T000478">Ms. Tenney</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HWM00">Committee on Ways and Means</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose penalties with respect to civil rights violations by certain tax-exempt educational institutions.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H714C6F88D27149C99AB768AE88FAD8DD" style="OLC"> 
<section id="H348EE02EED81477AA380F93BBD21491D" section-type="section-one" commented="no"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>University Accountability Act</short-title></quote>. </text></section> <section id="H1572CE0CFFCA4C8BB4AE39527F6FA848" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>2.</enum><header>Penalties with respect to civil rights violations by certain tax-exempt educational institutions</header> <subsection id="H1BB736D8A34A43499CB65A2727FDD58A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Part I of subchapter B of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/26/68">chapter 68</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H18A722A03AC44D90B7297EE975E63DCF">
<section id="HFA4714350A6D4FCBBF27D602C61BCCE6"><enum>6720D.</enum><header>Civil rights violations by certain tax-exempt educational institutions</header>
<subsection id="H35303F8FD87C45579F6C3024A521683C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is hereby imposed a penalty equal to the applicable penalty amount on a specified tax-exempt educational institution with respect to each determination of civil rights violation with respect to such institution.</text></subsection> <subsection id="HFB7109CAF9364B3D86710D8F41A1B212"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Timing of liability</header> <paragraph id="H891D0C5C7FE94CFDBAEB77BA01C0FFFF"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A specified tax-exempt educational institution shall be liable for the penalty imposed under subsection (a) with respect to any determination of civil rights violation on the date of the judgment referred to in subsection (c).</text></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H1368CCD853324D95AFAE4AE6303A7944"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Reversal of determinations</header><text>In the event that any determination of civil rights violation is vacated, overturned, or otherwise reversed, the Secretary shall refund any penalty paid with respect to the determination of civil rights violation. The preceding sentence shall not be interpreted to prevent the application of this section with respect to any determination of civil rights violation that is reinstated or otherwise redetermined following any such reversal.</text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H0BD9FE051DA04E1C94A181D5788BA760"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Determination of civil rights violation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this section—</text>
<paragraph id="H69DE58C315434C81942AEE365B82D486"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <quote>determination of civil rights violation</quote> means, with respect to any specified tax-exempt educational institution, any civil judgment of a Federal court of competent jurisdiction that such institution violated any provision of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H20816CE9E5234EACAAE5F45A1E52D981"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authority to treat certain judgments as a single determination of civil rights violation</header><text>If the Secretary determines that two or more judgments are based on the same set of facts and circumstances, such judgments shall be treated as a single determination of civil rights violation for purposes of this section, section 501(s), and such provisions of section 6033(o) as the Secretary determines appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection>
<subsection id="H4B5DE6FF01824F36BE535A514BA7A495"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Applicable penalty amount</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text> <paragraph id="H9D782484D21141A7A01C949B7AA02ADB"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <quote>applicable penalty amount</quote> means, with respect to each determination of civil rights violation made with respect to any specified tax-exempt educational institution, the greater of—</text>
<subparagraph id="H233B53DAAFEF4883B7C663C58E5D67DC"><enum>(A)</enum><text>$100,000, or</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H05371820B4BB4304B2164461121D5B58"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in the case of an institution subject to the requirements of section 6033(a), 5 percent of the aggregate administrative compensation paid by such specified tax-exempt educational institution during the taxable year in which such violation occurred.</text></subparagraph></paragraph>
<paragraph id="H0CF6BB610609434D99B7DEFE992E3802"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Administrative compensation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>administrative compensation</quote> means, with respect to any specified tax-exempt educational institution, the compensation and other payments described in section 6033(b)(7) made by such institution. </text></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="H8E59FAAFF6BE4783AF1BA81FAD8EB285"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Specified tax-Exempt educational institution</header><text>For purposes of this section, the term <quote>specified tax-exempt educational institution</quote> means any eligible educational institution (as defined in section 25A(f)(2)) which is described in section 501(c) or section 511(a)(2)(B).</text></subsection>
<subsection id="H3B2D068F2F3A49F591C4F236B1C2B3D3"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Waiver of limitations on assessment and refund</header><text>Sections 6501 and 6511 shall not apply to any penalty imposed under subsection (a) or refund made under subsection (b)(2).</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection> <subsection id="HA54007A28B714515A0226D797D1828F6"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Mandatory review of exempt status upon repeated civil rights violations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 501 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9185FFCD0A534232A155B468428C97B8">
<subsection id="H3AA7E9E5D32C49EE8D2C8A4B8CB21EE1"><enum>(s)</enum><header>Mandatory review of exempt status of certain educational institutions with repeated civil rights violations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Upon any determination of civil right violation (as defined in section 6720D(c)) with respect to any specified tax-exempt educational institution (as defined in section 6720D(e)), if such determination is not one of the first 2 such determinations (made after the date of the enactment of this subsection) with respect to such institution, the Secretary shall conduct a review to determine if such institution remains an organization described in subsection (c) which is entitled to exemption from tax under subsection (a). Any determination which is vacated, overturned, or otherwise reversed shall not be taken into account under the preceding sentence (unless subsequently reinstated or otherwise redetermined).</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection> <subsection id="HB7261E3CD1C34C13A2578B5194C5BE0E"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Reporting by specified tax-Exempt educational institutions of determinations of civil rights violation</header><text>Section 6033 of such Code is amended by redesignating subsection (o) as subsection (p) and by inserting after subsection (n) the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H1AEFE112F2544455A3D20109B0B331E1" display-inline="no-display-inline">
<subsection id="H9D259C1C57604B6C86FA2E5AF35B25AA"><enum>(o)</enum><header>Additional provisions relating to specified tax-Exempt educational institutions</header>
<paragraph id="HD0BB5034342443E684A303CBD5C8AB61"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Every specified tax-exempt educational institution (as defined in section 6720D(c)) which is subject to the requirements of subsection (a) shall, on the return required under subsection (a) for the taxable year, include the following:</text> <subparagraph id="HA256A9117E5842338E48D619BF61201C"><enum>(A)</enum><text>With respect to each determination of civil rights violation (as defined in section 6720D(c)) made with respect to such institution during such taxable year:</text>
<clause id="H2B43E28D0ACA45358BDD974E2B51F565"><enum>(i)</enum><text>A description of such determination (including the date of such determination) and of the civil rights violation to which such determination relates.</text></clause> <clause id="HE8822792A1B24201961EF95D4141E2CE"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>The number of determinations of civil rights violation (determined by disregarding determinations not taken into account under the last sentence of section 501(s)) made with respect to such institution before such determination (and after the date of the enactment of this subsection).</text></clause>
<clause id="HA8AF4117819D4D6D91A1A61A8170B685"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Such other information as the Secretary may require.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HA4A5F0BC61524C1C8A7890A7B97EF3B9"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">With respect to each determination of civil rights violation (as defined in section 6720D(c)) which is vacated, overturned, or otherwise reversed during such taxable year:</text>
<clause id="H1C1B46C196AC4AC1BA0B8CFDAC8D29D9"><enum>(i)</enum><text>A description of the order or judgment which so reversed such determination, including the date of such order or judgment.</text></clause> <clause id="H980B4B5EB80343138BED69404AC11835"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>The information described in subparagraph (A)(i) with respect to the determination so reversed.</text></clause>
<clause id="H3C14388F52B449E189B99AC5B8A9DC72"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Such other information as the Secretary may require.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H96D3F998D45F4163A9EEE3DEC050BCCC"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Application to State colleges and universities</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Every specified tax-exempt educational institution (as defined in section 6720D(c)) which is described in section 511(a)(2)(B) shall, for any taxable year with respect to which there is a determination of civil rights violation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) with respect to such institution, file an annual return that contains the information described in such subparagraphs. The penalties applicable to returns required under subsection (a) shall apply to returns required under this paragraph.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection>
<subsection id="H9A408C61702245D19092E6849C745BDF"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections for part I of subchapter B of chapter 68 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H1B5458666DB242CFAC164C556C338020" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <toc container-level="quoted-block-container" quoted-block="no-quoted-block" lowest-level="section" idref="H18A722A03AC44D90B7297EE975E63DCF" regeneration="yes-regeneration" lowest-bolded-level="division-lowest-bolded"> <toc-entry idref="HFA4714350A6D4FCBBF27D602C61BCCE6" level="section">Sec. 6720D. Civil rights violations by certain tax-exempt educational institutions.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection> <subsection id="HCE13BC87FCDE43C5BE2E39EF617A5654"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The amendments made by this subsection shall apply with respect to determinations of civil rights violation made after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></subsection></section> 
</legis-body></bill>

