# 119-hr-6718: Professional Student Degree Act

119-hr-6718, Professional Student Degree Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6718
- As of: 2026-10-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-6718
- Congress: 119
- Title: Professional Student Degree Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-12-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY)
- Cosponsors: 28
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-24

## Summary

**Redefines which graduate programs count as "professional degrees" under the Higher Education Act.** The bill would replace the current regulatory cross‑reference with a two-part statutory test and an explicit list of degree types, and it lets the Secretary of Education add other degrees that meet that test.

## Cosponsors (28)

- Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3] (R-TN), 2026-10-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA), 2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2026-02-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] (R-MO), 2026-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2026-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large] (R-SD), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] (R-SC), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11] (D-VA), 2026-04-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6] (R-FL), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16] (R-IL), 2026-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19] (D-NY), 2026-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2026-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY), 2026-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11] (R-NC), 2026-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2026-08-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New professional-degree rules for students: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would change how federal law defines a “professional degree.” It would remove the old regulatory cross-reference and add a two-part statutory test: the degree must prepare you for beginning practice in a field where licensure is common and show more training than a bachelor’s d…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-2048: Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-9250: Great American Outdoors Act 250
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-6718 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6718)

## Related
- [119-hr-2048: Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2048)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-9250: Great American Outdoors Act 250](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9250)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1065)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6718 (as of 2026-10-24).