A bill to prohibit postsecondary educational institutions from requiring the purchase of goods and services from on-campus businesses, intentionally withholding course information from off-campus businesses, or preventing students from obtaining course information or materials from off-campus businesses.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 17, 1998

Directs the Secretary of Education to ensure that each Federal department or agency, and each State or private entity that receives Federal education funds, does not provide any financial aid to a postsecondary educational institution, or to a student attending such an institution, if the institution directly or indirectly: (1) requires the purchase of goods and services from an on-campus business; (2) permits more favorable treatment of, or more favorable promotional opportunities for, an on-campus business than for an off-campus business; (3) withholds, or unreasonably delays the provision of, any accurate or complete course-related information, including textbook requirements, from or to an off-campus business; or (4) impedes a student's access to course-related information or course materials at an off-campus business.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Faircloth, Lauch [R-NC] · R–NC

Committees

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Sep 17, 1998
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Sep 17, 1998
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10520)
Sep 17, 1998
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Sep 17, 1998 Formatted Text PDF

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Apr 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.2490 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.2490, 105th Congress: A bill to prohibit postsecondary educational institutions from requiring the purchase of goods and services from on-campus businesses, intentionally withholding course information from off-campus businesses, or preventing students from obtaining course information or materials from off-campus businesses.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/2490

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1998-09-17.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s2490/BILLS-105s2490is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-21T12:26:16Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.2490 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.2490 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.2490, 105th Congress: A bill to prohibit postsecondary educational institutions from requiring the purchase of goods and services from on-campus businesses, intentionally withholding course information from off-campus businesses, or preventing students from obtaining course information or materials from off-campus businesses.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/2490

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1998-09-17.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s2490/BILLS-105s2490is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-21T12:26:16Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.2490 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.2490 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.2490, 105th Congress: A bill to prohibit postsecondary educational institutions from requiring the purchase of goods and services from on-campus businesses, intentionally withholding course information from off-campus businesses, or preventing students from obtaining course information or materials from off-campus businesses.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/2490

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1998-09-17.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s2490/BILLS-105s2490is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-21T12:26:16Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.2490 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.2490 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.2490, 105th Congress: A bill to prohibit postsecondary educational institutions from requiring the purchase of goods and services from on-campus businesses, intentionally withholding course information from off-campus businesses, or preventing students from obtaining course information or materials from off-campus businesses.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/2490

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1998-09-17.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s2490/BILLS-105s2490is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-21T12:26:16Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.2490 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.