A bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation to ban legacy admissions, tying accreditation to institutions that do not give determinative preference to applicants based on alumni or donor relationships. The Merit-Based Educational Reforms and Institutional Transparency Act would still allow colleges to consider “demonstrated interest,” but lawmakers would require those criteria to be public and accessible. The bill’s framing reflects the current legal and political context, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on race-conscious admissions and heightened scrutiny across the admissions ecosystem after the Varsity Blues scandal. Sponsors said legacy admissions create unearned advantage, while supporters seek a mechanism to enforce compliance through accreditation standards. The proposal is likely to intensify debates among higher-ed leaders about transparency, institutional autonomy, and compliance risk.