Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act

# Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act Summary **What the bill does:** This bill would legally establish the "150% rule" for career training programs that prepare students for licensed occupations (like cosmetology, HVAC work, or nursing). Currently, these programs can receive federal student aid if they operate up to 150% of their state's minimum required hours for a license. The Department of Education had proposed eliminating this rule and capping programs at 100% of state requirements instead, but a court blocked that change.

This bill would lock the 150% rule into law, preventing the Department of Education from changing it unilaterally. **Who it affects:** Career and vocational training programs, their students, and schools that offer clock-hour-based instruction in licensed fields. Students attending longer programs would retain access to federal student loans and grants. Schools offering these extended programs would maintain their federal funding eligibility. **Current status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Pennsylvania Republican Lloyd Smucker and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't advanced to a full vote yet.