Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 410 is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 410

FALSE ACADEMIC DEGREES OR CERTIFICATES

§10801.__Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

1.__Accreditation.__"Accreditation" means a formal status granted by an accrediting agency to an institution meeting or exceeding the educational quality criteria as stated in the accrediting agency's publication in order to assess and enhance the educational quality of an institution, ensure consistency in institutional operations, promote institutional improvement and provide for public accountability.

2.__Accreditation mill.__"Accreditation mill" means an entity that is created to give the appearance that certain substandard schools or institutions of higher education are legitimately accredited organizations, that is not recognized by any authorized state, professional or national agency and that has few, if any, standards for quality.

3.__Diploma mill.__"Diploma mill" means an institution of higher education operating without accreditation or supervision of a state or a nationally recognized professional agency and granting diplomas that are either fraudulent or, because of lack of proper standards, worthless.

4.__Degree mill.__"Degree mill" means a school or institution of higher education without accreditation that meets any one of the following conditions:

A.__Issues degrees without requiring any student academic work;

B.__Issues degrees based solely on the student's life experience or portfolio without requiring any college-level work submitted to and evaluated by faculty with appropriate academic degrees from standard accredited institutions; or

C.__Issues degrees basing more than 50% of required credits on the student's life experience.

5.__Duly authorized institution of higher learning.__"Duly authorized institution of higher learning" means an institution that: