(iv) number of students receiving financial assistance described in each of subclauses (I), (II), and (III) of clause (iii);

(B) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, report the definitions to each institution of higher education and within a reasonable period of time thereafter inform the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives of those definitions; and

(C) collect information regarding the data elements described in subparagraph (A) with respect to at least all institutions of higher education participating in programs under title IV, beginning with the information from academic year 2000-2001 and annually thereafter.

(b) DATA DISSEMINATION.-The Secretary shall make available the data collected pursuant to subsection (a). Such data shall be available in a form that permits the review and comparison of the data submissions of individual institutions of higher education. Such data shall be presented in a form that is easily understandable and allows parents and students to make informed decisions based on the costs for typical full-time undergraduate students. (c) STUDY.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The Commissioner of Education Statistics shall conduct a national study of expenditures at institutions of higher education. Such study shall include information with respect to

of

(A) the change in tuition and fees compared with the consumer price index and other appropriate measures of inflation;

(B) faculty salaries and benefits;

(C) administrative salaries, benefits and expenses;

(D) academic support services;

(E) research;

(F) operations and maintenance; and

(G) institutional expenditures for construction and technology and the potential cost of replacing instructional buildings and equipment.

(2) EVALUATION. The study shall include an evaluation

(A) changes over time in the expenditures identified in paragraph (1);

(B) the relationship of the expenditures identified in paragraph (1) to college costs; and

(C) the extent to which increases in institutional financial aid and tuition discounting practices affect tuition increases, including the demographics of students receiving such discounts, the extent to which financial aid is provided to students with limited need in order to attract a student to a particular institution, and the extent to which Federal financial aid, including loan aid, has been used to offset the costs of such practices.

(3) FINAL REPORT.-The Commissioner of Education Statistics shall submit a report regarding the findings of the study

required by paragraph (1) to the appropriate committees of Congress not later than September 30, 2002.

(4) HIGHER EDUCATION MARKET BASKET.-The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education Statistics, shall develop a higher education market basket that identifies the items that comprise the costs of higher education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shall provide a report on the market basket to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives not later than September 30, 2002.

(5) FINES.-In addition to actions authorized in section 487(c), the Secretary may impose a fine in an amount not to exceed $25,000 on an institution of higher education for failing to provide the information described in paragraph (1) in a timely and accurate manner, or for failing to otherwise cooperate with the National Center for Education Statistics regarding efforts to obtain data on the cost of higher education under this section and pursuant to the program participation agreement entered into under section 487.

(d) STUDENT AID RECIPIENT SURVEY.-(1) The Secretary shall survey student aid recipients on a regular cycle, but not less than once every 3 years—

(A) to identify the population of students receiving Federal student aid;

(B) to determine the income distribution and other socioeconomic characteristics of federally aided students;

(C) to describe the combinations of aid from State, Federal, and private sources received by students from all income groups;

(D) to describe the debt burden of loan recipients and their capacity to repay their education debts; and

(E) to disseminate such information in both published and machine readable form.

(2) The survey shall be representative of full-time and parttime, undergraduate, graduate, and professional and current and former students in all types of institutions, and should be designed and administered in consultation with the Congress and the postsecondary education community.

PART D-ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS FOR DELIVERY OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

SEC. 141. [20 U.S.C. 1018] PERFORMANCE-BASED ORGANIZATION FOR THE DELIVERY OF FEDERAL STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is established in the Department a Performance-Based Organization (hereafter referred to as the "PBO") which shall be a discrete management unit responsible for managing the operational functions supporting the programs authorized under title IV of this Act, as specified in subsection (b).

(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the PBO are

(A) to improve service to students and other participants in the student financial assistance programs authorized under title IV, including making those programs more understandable to students and their parents;

(B) to reduce the costs of administering those programs;

(C) to increase the accountability of the officials responsible for administering the operational aspects of these programs;

(D) to provide greater flexibility in the management of the operational functions of the Federal student financial assistance programs;

(E) to integrate the information systems supporting the Federal student financial assistance programs;

(F) to implement an open, common, integrated system for the delivery of student financial assistance under title IV; and

(G) to develop and maintain a student financial assistance system that contains complete, accurate, and timely data to ensure program integrity.

(b) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—

(1) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY.-Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the Secretary shall maintain responsibility for the development and promulgation of policy and regulations relating to the programs of student financial assistance under title IV. In the exercise of its functions, the PBO shall be subject to the direction of the Secretary. The Secretary shall

(A) request the advice of, and work in cooperation with, the Chief Operating Officer in developing regulations, policies, administrative guidance, or procedures affecting the information systems administered by the PBO, and other functions performed by the PBO;

(B) request cost estimates from the Chief Operating Officer for system changes required by specific policies proposed by the Secretary; and

(C) assist the Chief Operating Officer in identifying goals for the administration and modernization of the delivery system for student financial assistance under title IV.

(2) PBO FUNCTIONS. Subject to paragraph (1), the PBO shall be responsible for administration of the information and financial systems that support student financial assistance programs authorized under this title, excluding the development of policy relating to such programs but including the following: (A) The administrative, accounting, and financial management functions of the delivery system for Federal student assistance, including—

(i) the collection, processing and transmission of applicant data to students, institutions and authorized third parties, as provided for in section 483;

(ii) design and technical specifications for software development and systems supporting the delivery of student financial assistance under title IV;

(iii) all software and hardware acquisitions and all information technology contracts related to the delivery and management of student financial assistance under title IV;

(iv) all aspects of contracting for the information and financial systems supporting student financial assistance programs under this title; and

(v) providing all customer service, training, and user support related to systems that support those programs.

(B) Annual development of a budget for the operations and services of the PBO, in consultation with the Secretary, and for consideration and inclusion in the Department's annual budget submission.

(3) ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary may allocate to the PBO such additional functions as the Secretary and the Chief Operating Officer determine are necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of the PBO.

(4) INDEPENDENCE.-Subject to paragraph (1), in carrying out its functions, the PBO shall exercise independent control of its budget allocations and expenditures, personnel decisions and processes, procurements, and other administrative and management functions.

(5) AUDITS AND REVIEW.-The PBO shall be subject to the usual and customary Federal audit procedures and to review by the Inspector General of the Department.

(6) CHANGES.

(A) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary and the Chief Operating Officer shall consult concerning the effects of policy, market, or other changes on the ability of the PBO to achieve the goals and objectives established in the performance plan described in subsection (c).

(B) REVISIONS TO AGREEMENT.-The Secretary and the Chief Operating Officer may revise the annual performance agreement described in subsection (d)(4) in light of policy, market, or other changes that occur after the Secretary and the Chief Operating Officer enter into the agreement.

(c) PERFORMANCE PLAN AND REPORT.—

(1) PERFORMANCE PLAN.

(A) IN GENERAL.-Each year, the Secretary and Chief Operating Officer shall agree on, and make available to the public, a performance plan for the PBO for the succeeding 5 years that establishes measurable goals and objectives for the organization.

(B) CONSULTATION.-In developing the 5-year perform ance plan and any revision to the plan, the Secretary and the Chief Operating Officer shall consult with students, institutions of higher education, Congress, lenders, the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, and

other interested parties not less than 30 days prior to the implementation of the performance plan or revision.

(C) AREAS.-The plan shall include a concise statement of the goals for a modernized system for the delivery of student financial assistance under title IV and identify action steps necessary to achieve such goals. The plan shall address the PBO's responsibilities in the following

areas:

(i) IMPROVING SERVICE.-Improving service to students and other participants in student financial aid programs authorized under this title, including making those programs more understandable to students and their parents.

(ii) REDUCING COSTS.-Reducing the costs of administering those programs.

(iii) IMPROVEMENT AND INTEGRATION OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS.-Improving and integrating the information and delivery systems that support those programs.

(iv) DELIVERY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM.Developing an open, common, and integrated delivery and information system for programs authorized under this title.

(v) OTHER AREAS.-Any other areas identified by the Secretary.

(2) ANNUAL REPORT.-Each year, the Chief Operating Officer shall prepare and submit to Congress, through the Secretary, an annual report on the performance of the PBO, including an evaluation of the extent to which the PBO met the goals and objectives contained in the 5-year performance plan described in paragraph (1) for the preceding year. The annual report shall include the following:

(A) An independent financial audit of the expenditures of both the PBO and programs administered by the PBO. (B) Financial and performance requirements applicable to the PBO under the Chief Financial Officer Act of 1990 and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.

(C) The results achieved by the PBO during the year relative to the goals established in the organization's performance plan.

(D) The evaluation rating of the performance of the Chief Operating Officer and senior managers under subsections (d)(4) and (e)(2), including the amounts of bonus compensation awarded to these individuals.

(E) Recommendations for legislative and regulatory changes to improve service to students and their families, and to improve program efficiency and integrity.

(F) Other such information as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prescribe for performance based organizations.

(3) CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS.-The Chief Operating Officer, in preparing the report described in paragraph (2), shall establish appropriate means to consult with borrowers, institutions, lenders, guaranty agencies, secondary mar