U.S. Congress legislation · 119th Congress
HB10661: Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026
Status: In committee, October 1, 2026
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process.
What the bill says
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process.
From the introduced text, October 1, 2026:
A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process. SECTION 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026 . SECTION 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) An estimated 70,000,000 Americans have some type of arrest or conviction record that would appear in a criminal SECTION 124. Beyond the box for higher education (a) Training and technical assistance (1) In general The Secretary, acting through the Office of Policy, Planning, and Innovation of the Office of Postsecondary Education of the Department and with consultation from the Department of Justice and relevant community stakeholders, shall issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process. (2) Guidance and recommendations The guidance and recommendations issued under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) If an institution of higher education collects criminal or juvenile justice information on applicants for admission, it is recommended that the institution determine whether this information is necessary to make an informed admission decision and whether it would be appropriate to remove these questions from the …
Sponsors
- Madeleine Dean (D, HD-PA-4) · primary sponsor
- Troy Carter (D, HD-LA-2)
Latest actions
- : Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- : Introduced in House
Subjects: Education
Common questions
- What is HB10661?
- HB10661 is a bill in Congress (119th Congress): Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026.
- What does HB10661 do?
- In its own words: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process.
- What is the status of HB10661?
- In committee as of October 1, 2026. Latest action: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. (October 1, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB10661?
- Madeleine Dean (D, HD-PA-4), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB10661?
- On the Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10661
Source: official Congress record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.