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Senate Bill 5573
119th Congress(2025-2026)
Religious Education Fairness Act
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on Sep 29, 2026
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Introduced in Senate 
Sep 29, 2026
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Introduced in Senate(Sep 29, 2026)
Sep 29, 2026
Not Scanned for Linkage
About Linkage
Multiple bills can contain the same text. This could be an identical bill in the opposite chamber or a smaller bill with a section embedded in a larger bill.
Bill Sponsor regularly scans bill texts to find sections that are contained in other bill texts. When a matching section is found, the bills containing that section can be viewed by clicking "View Bills" within the bill text section.
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S. 5573 (Introduced-in-Senate)


119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5573


To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that educational programs classified as Theology and Religious Vocations or Philosophy and Religious Studies at educational institutions that qualify for the religious exemption under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 are not subject to ineligibility for title IV assistance based on low earning outcomes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 29, 2026

Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that educational programs classified as Theology and Religious Vocations or Philosophy and Religious Studies at educational institutions that qualify for the religious exemption under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 are not subject to ineligibility for title IV assistance based on low earning outcomes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Religious Education Fairness Act”.

SEC. 2. Protection of religious exercise.

Section 454(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087d(c)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “An educational program” and inserting “Except as provided in paragraph (8), an educational program”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(8) PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS EXERCISE.—An educational program at an institution is not subject to this subsection if the program is classified under the ‘Theology and Religious Vocations’ or ‘Philosophy and Religious Studies’ under the Classification of Instructional Programs maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics at an institution that qualifies for the religious exemption provided under section 901(a)(3) of the Education Amendments of 1972 and section 106.12(c) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).”.