Protecting Student Privacy Act

Protection of Privacy: The bill prohibits Federal student aid information from being shared with the Department of Homeland Security or local agencies for immigration enforcement purposes, which protects the personally identifiable information of students and contributors (Section 2(a)(1)).

Prevention of Coercion: The bill ensures that individuals cannot be pressured or coerced into consenting to the disclosure of their financial or personal information to immigration agencies (Section 2(b)(2) and Section 2(c)).

Accountability for Information Breaches: If the Secretary of Education learns of a disclosure that violates these rules, they must report the circumstances and the nature of the information to Congress (Section 2(d)).

Exceptions for Criminal Activity: The privacy protections do not apply if a court order is issued in connection with a Federal or State criminal offense allegedly committed by the student (Section 2(b)(1)).

Voluntary Disclosure: The protections do not apply if a student or contributor individual voluntarily and expressly consents to the disclosure of their information to an immigration agency (Section 2(b)(2)).