What does Preamble of HR 7894 do?

This bill is formally titled 'To make improvements to the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act, and for other purposes.'

What does SHORT TITLE. of HR 7894 do?

This bill is formally titled the Truman Scholarship Clean House Act.

What does DEFINITIONS. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends Section 3 of the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act. The amendment redesignates paragraphs (1) through (6) of Section 3 as paragraphs (2) through (7). A new paragraph (1) is inserted defining 'affiliated with' in relation to an individual's connection to a political party. The definition of 'affiliated with' includes individuals who are registered members, former or current elected officials, candidates, political appointees, staff, or judicial appointees associated with a political party.

What does HARRY S TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends Section 5 of the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act (20 U.S.C. 2004) to revise the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation. The Board will now consist of 13 members: one each appointed by the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the Senate majority leader, and the Senate minority leader; eight members appointed by the President with Senate consent, with limits on party affiliation; and the Secretary of Education or their designee serving ex officio. The terms of office for most board members are set at six years, with staggered initial terms of two, four, and six years for the first eight members appointed. A quorum for the Board will be seven members. The existing Board of Trustees is dissolved 90 days after the enactment of this Act. New members will be appointed as soon as practicable after the dissolution, following the amended provisions of Section 5.

What does SELECTION OF TRUMAN SCHOLARS. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act to modify the selection of Truman Scholars. Eligibility requirements now include the requirements described in subsection (c). A student is eligible if they are a full-time undergraduate student or a full-time senior from Puerto Rico or The Islands, enrolled in a course of study qualifying them for a graduate program in public service, and demonstrating academic excellence. Eligible students must also be a citizen or national of the United States or a permanent resident of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Foundation establishes Regional Review Panels to select scholarship recipients. Each Regional Review Panel must have at least five members appointed by the Board with at least a two-thirds affirmative vote. No more than half of the panel members can be affiliated with the same political party. Panels select students based on community service, government involvement, leadership, academic performance, and the suitability of their proposed graduate program. Students are ineligible if they were involved in the suspension or expulsion of a student organization, were suspended or expelled from an institution of higher education, or have been convicted of a felony. Review panels may not disfavor students pursuing specific graduate degrees, including MBAs or MDs.

What does TERMINATION OF SCHOLARSHIP. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act to establish conditions under which a scholarship recipient may have payments terminated. Scholarship payments may be stopped if a student fails to submit required reports, provides false information, doesn't use the scholarship within four years (without an extension), or engages in conduct leading to the suspension or expulsion of a student organization. Termination of payments may also occur if a student is expelled from their institution or convicted of a felony. Before stopping payments, the Foundation must provide the student with reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing. If a student's payments are stopped, or if they fail to work in public service for three out of the first seven years after graduate school, they must repay the scholarship amount plus interest. The Foundation is required to notify recipients of the conditions for receiving payments before the first payment.

What does EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF FOUNDATION. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends Section 12 of the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act. The appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Foundation now requires an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the Board. The Executive Secretary will serve a term of four years and may be reappointed for up to two additional terms. The Board must appoint a new Executive Secretary within 90 days of a quorum being appointed. The current Executive Secretary can continue serving until a new one is appointed or 90 days after a quorum is appointed, whichever comes first.

What does TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS. of HR 7894 do?

This section amends Section 13 of the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act. The Foundation is required to preserve and make available certain materials on a publicly accessible website. These materials include press releases, program announcements, and biographies of scholarship recipients. The Foundation is prohibited from deleting, hiding, or password-protecting these materials. Any edits made to these materials after initial publication must be clearly identified, and the original, unaltered materials must remain publicly available. These requirements apply to materials published before, on, or after the enactment of this subsection.

What does EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICABILITY. of HR 7894 do?

This Act applies only to scholarships awarded under the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act (20 U.S.C. 2002) on or after the date of enactment. The Act does not invalidate, revoke, or alter the terms and conditions of scholarships awarded before the date of enactment. The Harry S Truman Foundation is responsible for continuing to fund and administer previously awarded scholarships.

Back to bills

Truman Scholarship Clean House Act — HR. 7894

Last updated: 3/12/2026 · Introduced: 3/12/2026

Author: Elise Stefanik (R-NY)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill revises the definition of 'affiliated with' a political party to include registered members, elected officials, candidates, political appointees, staff, and judicial appointees.
The bill modifies the composition of the Truman Scholarship Foundation’s Board of Trustees, allocating appointments between the Speaker of the House, House minority leader, Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader, the President, and limiting party affiliation among presidential appointees.
Eligibility requirements for Truman Scholars are updated to include students from Puerto Rico and The Islands, enrolled in public service-related graduate programs, and demonstrating academic excellence.
The bill establishes conditions under which a Truman Scholarship recipient’s payments may be terminated, including failure to submit reports, providing false information, or engaging in conduct leading to suspension or expulsion.
The Foundation must publicly disclose press releases, program announcements, and biographies of scholarship recipients on a publicly accessible website, preventing deletion or password protection of these materials.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

Verified Votes

No verified votes yet.

Community Votes

No community votes yet. Be the first!

Voting as guest · Sign in for verified votes

Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 7 more.

9 sections

Click "Show details" to explore individual sections. Use the community vote above or visit All Sections to vote per section.

Read official text

Want the full experience?

Create a free account to cast verified votes on each section, get a personalized summary, and track your voting history.

Create Free Account