12 2 STA T .3 32 4PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 31 5— AU G .14 , 200 8forlegis l at i v e , reg u lator y ,a nd ad m inistrative ch anges b ased on findings related to the to p ics identified under paragraph (2).’ ’. (b) CONF O RMI N GA M E N D MEN TS . —S ubsections (a)( 1 ), (b), and (d)( 6 ) of section 49 1(2 0U .S.C. 109 8 ) are each amended by stri k ing ‘ ‘Congress’’ and inserting ‘‘authori z ing committees’’. SEC.49 4 D . R E GIONALM EE T INGS AND NEGOTIATED R U LEMA K ING. (a) R EGION ALM EETINGS.—Section 492(a) (20 U.S.C. 1098a(a)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘State student grant agencies,’’ after ‘‘institutions of higher education,’’
and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘, as amended by the H igher E ducation Amendments of 1998’’. (b) N EGOTIATED R U LEMA K ING.—Section 492(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1098a(b)(1)) is amended— (1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘as amended by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998’’; and (2) in the third sentence— (A) by striking ‘‘ T othee x tent possible, the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’; and ( B ) by inserting ‘‘ w ith demonstrated expertise or experience in the relevant sub j ects under negotiation,’’ after ‘‘select individuals’’. SEC. 494E. Y EAR 20 00 RE Q UIREMENTS AT T H EDE P ARTMENT. Section 49 3 A (20 U.S.C. 1098c) is repealed. SEC. 494 F . TECHNICAL AMENDMENT OF INCOME -B ASED REPAYMENT. Section 493C(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1098e(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘or is already in default’’ and inserting ‘‘or had been in default’’. PARTH— PR OG RA MIN T E GRIT Y SEC. 49 5 . RECOGNITION OF ACCREDITING AGENCY OR ASSOCIATION. Section 496 (20 U.S.C. 1099b) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the fol - lowing
‘‘(4)(A) such agency or association consistently applies and enforces standards that respect the stated mission of the institution of higher education, including religious missions, and that ensure that the courses or programs of instruction, training, or study offered by the institution of higher education, including distance education or correspondence courses or pro- grams, are of sufficient q uality to achieve, for the duration of the accreditation period, the stated objective for which the courses or the programs are offered; and ‘‘(B) if such agency or association has or seeks to include within its scope of recognition the evaluation of the quality of institutions or programs offering distance education or cor- respondence education, such agency or association shall, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this subpart, demonstrate to the Secretary that— ‘‘(i) the agency or association’s standards effectively address the quality of an institution’s distance education
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