H.R. 7894
Truman Scholarship Clean House Act
Sponsor: Elise M. Stefanik
1 cosponsor
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Truman Scholarship Clean House Act
This bill makes changes to the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, which awards scholarships to students who plan to attend graduate school in pursuit of a career in public service.
Specifically, the bill dissolves the current Board of Trustees (which oversees the foundation) and terminates all members of the board effective 90 days after the bill's enactment. New board members must be appointed as outlined by the bill.
Additionally, the bill (1) prohibits any board member (other than the Secretary of Education or the Secretary's designee) from serving more than two six-year terms, and (2) establishes a quorum as seven board members.
The board must appoint a new executive secretary of the foundation, who must (1) be appointed by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the board, and (2) serve a four-year term (but may be reappointed).
The bill establishes certain requirements for regional review panels, including that each panel must consist of at least five members appointed annually by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the board and no more than half of the panel may be affiliated with the same political party.
The bill establishes additional scholarship conditions, including by (1) stopping payments to scholarship recipients who commit certain actions (e.g., served as a leader in a student organization suspended for misconduct), and (2) requiring recipients who have their scholarship payments stopped or who are not employed in public service for a certain time period to repay their scholarship with 6% interest.
Text of the bill
Section 7 of the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act (20 U.S.C. 2006) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) by inserting the eligibility requirements described in subsection (c) and before minimum criteria; and
(B) by inserting in accordance with subsection (d)(4) before the period at the end;
(2) by adding at the end the following:
(c) A student is eligible to be nominated for a scholarship under this Act if such student—
(1) is—
(A) a full-time undergraduate student enrolled at an institution of higher education who will receive a bachelor’s degree in the academic year following the academic year in which the student is applying for a scholarship; or
(B) a full-time senior level student from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or from The Islands (as defined in section 1801.2(b) of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this subsection));
(2) is enrolled in a course of study that qualifies the student for admission to a graduate program leading to a career in public service;
(3) has a demonstrated record of academic excellence; and
(4) is a citizen or national of the United States or a permanent resident of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(d)
(1) The Foundation shall establish and maintain Regional Review Panels for purposes of carrying out subsection (a).
(2) Each Regional Review Panel shall be responsible for selecting scholarship recipients from one or more States assigned to the Panel by the Board.
(3)
(A) Each Regional Review Panel shall consist of not fewer than five members, each of whom shall be appointed on an annual basis by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the members of the Board.
(B) Not more than half of the members of a Regional Review Panel may be affiliated with the same political party at the time of appointment.
(4) In selecting students to be scholarship recipients under this Act, each Regional Review Panel—
(A) shall select students based on—
(i) the extent and quality of community service and government involvement of the student;
(ii) the leadership record of the student;
(iii) the academic performance of the student, including with respect to and writing and analytical skills; and
(iv) the suitability and appropriateness of the student’s proposed graduate program of study for a career in public service;
(B) shall not select any student who—
(i) served as a leader, officer, director, or organizer of a student organization recognized by the institution of higher education at which the student is enrolled at time of an incident or conduct that led to the suspension or expulsion of such organization from such institution;
(ii) has been suspended or expelled by an institution of higher education due to a violation of such institution’s code of conduct or other disciplinary action by such institution; or
(iii) has been convicted by any Federal, State, or local court of competent jurisdiction of a felony; and
(C) may not disfavor or otherwise apply adverse considerations to a student because the student intends to pursue a particular type of graduate degree, including with respect to a Master of Business Administration degree or Doctor of Medicine degree.