Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Fair Access to Education Act of 2015”.
Fair Access to Education Act of 2015
A BILL
To amend the section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to exclude certain marijuana-related offenses from the drug-related offenses that result in students being barred from receiving Federal educational loans, grants, and work assistance, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Exclusion of misdemeanor marijuana possession offenses from drug-related offenses resulting in suspension of eligibility for financial assistance for higher education
Paragraph (1) of section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)(1)) is amended by inserting after “controlled substance” the following: “, but not including any misdemeanor offense for possession of marihuana (as such term is defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)),”.
Sec. 3 Applicability; resumption of eligibility
Applicability— The amendment made by section 2 shall apply to convictions for offenses described in the matter inserted by such amendment occurring before, on, and after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Resumption of eligibility— Any student whose eligibility for grants, loans, and work assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) was suspended under paragraph (1) of section 484(r) of such Act by reason of a conviction, before the enactment of this Act, for an offense described in the matter inserted by the amendment made by section 2 of this Act shall, unless otherwise ineligible for such assistance, resume eligibility upon such date of enactment.