Truman Scholarship Clean House Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7894
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-07-02: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 633.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-11T18:26:19Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act to restructure the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation's governance, tighten eligibility and conduct rules for scholarship recipients, enhance transparency, and promote political balance in decision-making.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Adds a detailed definition of "affiliated with" a political party, covering registered members, elected officials, candidates, political appointees, staffers, and judicial appointees linked to a party.
- Board of Trustees: Dissolves the existing board 90 days after enactment and replaces it with a new 13-member board (four congressional appointees, eight presidential appointees with party balance limits, and the Secretary of Education ex officio). Sets six-year terms with reappointment limits and requires a quorum of seven members.
- Scholar Selection: Establishes Regional Review Panels with political balance requirements. Adds eligibility rules (U.S. citizen or permanent resident, full-time undergraduate status, public service career path) and disqualifiers (felony convictions, suspensions/expulsions, leadership in organizations later suspended). Panels must base selections on community service, leadership, academics, and program suitability, without penalizing certain graduate degrees like MBA or MD.
- Scholarship Termination: Expands reasons for stopping payments (failure to report, delayed use, conduct violations, felony convictions) and requires notice plus a hearing before termination. Mandates repayment with 6% interest for violations or failure to complete public service employment.
- Executive Secretary: Requires a two-thirds board vote for appointment, limits terms to three four-year periods, and provides transition rules for the current holder.
- Transparency: Requires the Foundation to post and preserve press releases, announcements, and recipient biographies on a public website without deletion or password protection; edits must be clearly marked with originals retained.
- Applicability: Changes apply only to new scholarships awarded after enactment; prior awards continue under existing terms.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces the prior board structure with one emphasizing congressional and presidential appointments plus explicit political party limits.
- Introduces conduct-based disqualifiers and termination triggers not previously in statute.
- Mandates new review panels and transparency obligations absent from the original act.
- Adds repayment and due-process requirements for scholarship termination.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Affects the Foundation's operations and the Department of Education (via ex officio membership); requires new appointment processes and website maintenance.
- Citizens: Alters access to scholarships by adding conduct and eligibility barriers for applicants and current recipients; may influence student behavior at colleges.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation and its Board of Trustees.
- Current and prospective Truman Scholars.
- Institutions of higher education.
- Congressional leadership and the President (via appointment powers).
- Department of Education.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Incorporates advice-and-consent requirements for presidential appointees, consistent with constitutional norms.
- Emphasizes political balance in appointments and panels to address perceived bias.
- Introduces due-process protections (notice and hearing) before terminating benefits.
- The "Clean House" title and board dissolution reflect an intent to reset governance structures.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-07-02: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 633.
- 2026-07-02: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-728.
- 2026-07-02: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-728.
- 2026-03-17: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 19 - 13.
- 2026-03-17: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-03-12: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2026-03-12: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Truman Scholarship Clean House Act — issued 2026-03-12 — PDF (14 pages)
- Truman Scholarship Clean House Act — issued 2026-07-02 — PDF (16 pages)