Senator Brian Schatz introduces S. 5614: Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026

We have received text from S. 5614: Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026. This bill was received on 2026-09-30, and currently has 7 cosponsors.

Here is a short summary of the bill:

This bill would direct the Department of Education to give guidance and recommendations to colleges and universities on how to reduce or eliminate questions about criminal and juvenile justice history from admissions applications.

What the bill would do

• It would ask the Secretary of Education to issue guidance for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from admissions forms.
• The guidance would encourage schools to consider whether asking about this information is actually necessary for making admissions decisions.
• If a school keeps asking these questions, the bill recommends that the questions be narrow, clearly worded, and asked in a way that explains how the information will be used.
• If schools ask about criminal or juvenile justice history outside the admissions process, they should tell applicants early, explain how to answer, and give applicants a chance to explain their background and readiness for college.
• If a school decides it must consider this information for admission, the bill recommends delaying the request until after an admissions decision is made when possible, and providing notice and an explanation within 30 days if admission is denied or rescinded based solely on that history.
• It would direct the Department of Education to provide training and technical assistance to colleges on these policies.
• That training would cover admissions staff, financial aid staff, registrars, academic counselors, housing and student life staff, and career counselors.
• The bill also says schools should avoid using proxy questions or other factors as substitutes for asking directly about criminal or juvenile justice history.
• The Department would also create a resource center to collect best practices and research related to students with criminal or juvenile justice histories.

What this means in practice

The bill would not ban colleges from ever asking about criminal or juvenile justice history. Instead, it would push schools to remove those questions from admissions applications where possible, or to limit them and handle them more carefully if the information is still needed for other parts of the enrollment process.

Relevant Companies

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Senator Brian Schatz Bill Proposals

Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Senator Brian Schatz:

• S.5664: A bill to provide for the retraining and support of workers displaced by automation technologies or artificial intelligence, to require Federal action during periods of elevated unemployment, and for other purposes.
• S.5614: Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026
• S.5537: Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act
• S.5482: PREP Act
• S.5414: Stop Child Labor Act
• S.5403: Debt-Free College Act of 2026

You can track bills proposed by Senator Brian Schatz on Investivoq's politician page for Schatz.

Senator Brian Schatz Net Worth

Investivoq estimates that Senator Brian Schatz is worth $4.8M, as of October 8th, 2026. This is the 175th highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.

Schatz has approximately $0 invested in publicly traded assets which Investivoq is able to track live.

You can track Senator Brian Schatz's net worth on Investivoq's politician page for Schatz.

2028 Hawaii US Senate Election

There has been approximately $2,422,370 of spending in Hawaii US Senate elections over the last two years, per our estimates.

You can track this election on our matchup page for the 2028 Hawaii US Senate election.

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