DATABASE OF STUDENT INFORMATION PROHIBITED.

SEC. 134. [20 U.S.C. 1015c] DATABASE OF STUDENT INFORMATION PROHIBITED. (a) Prohibition.—Except as described in subsection (b), nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the development, implementation, or maintenance of a Federal database of personally identifiable information on individuals receiving assistance under this Act, attending institutions receiving assistance under this Act, or otherwise involved in any studies or other collections of data under this Act, including a student unit record system, an education bar code system, or any other system that tracks individual students over time. (b) Exception.—The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to a system (or a successor system) that— (1) is necessary for the operation of programs authorized by title II, IV, or VII; and (2) was in use by the Secretary, directly or through a contractor, as of the day before the date of enactment of theHigher Education Opportunity Act. (c) State Databases.—Nothing in this Act shall prohibit a State or a consortium of States from developing, implementing, or maintaining State-developed databases that track individuals over time, including student unit record systems that contain information related to enrollment, attendance, graduation and retention rates, student financial assistance, and graduate employment outcomes.