The U.S. Department of Education is moving ahead with new accreditation-focused draft regulations through its negotiated rulemaking process under the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) agenda. The proposals would change how accreditors review colleges and how the federal government reviews them, shifting responsibilities toward both institutions and accreditors. Among the most consequential provisions, USDE would require institutions to presume transferability of credits toward general-education requirements (not only as electives), and would push accreditors toward minimum student achievement standards tied to return-on-investment measures. The drafts also expand compliance monitoring by asking accreditors to oversee institutional compliance with civil rights laws, including Title IX. Regulators will review the drafts in sessions scheduled for April 13–17 and May 18–22 before proposed rules are issued for public comment and final rules are set to take effect July 1, 2027. Sector leaders are watching closely for how the rules redefine the relationship between accreditation and federal or state regulation, particularly for outcomes measurement and institutional autonomy.