Below is an abridged version of RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

ADMINISTRATION

ED released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on borrower defense and related matters. Related to borrower defense, the NPRM would establish a new process for borrowers to assert a defense to repayment in situations where misrepresentation, breach of contract or a favorable State or Federal court judgement against a school has taken place. In addition, the rule would establish new financial responsibility requirements, require the issuance of warnings by for-profit institutions that have low loan repayment rates and prohibit the use of mandatory arbitration in certain circumstances.

A staff report from ED has recommended the termination of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). This recommendation will be considered by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) next week and, as reported by Inside Higher Ed, NACIQI will have ten days to pass its decision back to Emma Vadehra, the Secretary’s Chief of Staff. Vadehra will then have 90 days to make a final decision. If a termination decision is made, ACICS will have 30 days to appeal this decision and schools that ACICS has accredited will have 18 months to gain accreditation from a different recognized accreditor in order to remain eligible for Federal student aid.

ED’s Offices for Civil Rights and Career and Technical Education released a Dear Colleague letter stating that all students, regardless of their sex, must have equal access to the full range of career and technical education (CTE) programs offered at a school or institution.

The White House announced over $20 million in new commitments from the private and non-profit sectors to the Let Girls Learn Initiative, an initiative to support adolescent girls in attaining a quality education worldwide.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

The government offers $130 billion to college students. Why aren’t more applying for it? [The Washington Post]

Southern accreditor puts five colleges on probation [Inside Higher Ed]

What Should the Standard of Proof be in Campus Rape Cases? [The Atlantic]

Federal Agencies Don’t Fund Big Gun-Violence Research. Can California? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Call to Shut Down a Controversial Accreditor Could Shake For-Profit Higher Ed [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Focusing on ‘high-demand’ fields is key to tuition assistance programs, Amazon says [Inside Higher Ed]

Budget pushes UC to limit non-resident enrollment, CSU to boost graduation rates [Education Week]

Op Ed: Obama’s student loan forgiveness proposal misses target [The Hill]

Colleges sued by students for negligence turn to ‘victim blaming’ in defense [Inside Higher Ed]

Georgetown survey: Three in 10 female undergrads experience sexual misconduct [The Washington Post]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

House Education and the Workforce Committee
June 23: Full Committee Hearing: “Next Steps in K-12 Education: Examining Recent Efforts to Implement the Every Student Succeeds Act” Witnesses: Honorable John B. King, Jr., Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Additional witnesses will be announced
9:00 a.m. in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building or webcast

Press Release: Scott, Wilson, Maloney and Schakowsky Introduce Legislation to Update the Family and Medical Leave Act

Press Release: Foxx Moves to Block Overtime Rule, Ensure Workplace Flexibility and Upward Mobility

Press Release: New GAO Report Outlines Weaknesses in Education Department’s Direct Loan Program

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Senate Dems Hail Dept of Ed Rule For Debt Relief As Victory For Student Rights In Higher Education

House Committee on the Budget
June 22: Full Committee Hearing: “Making Budget Enforcement More Effective”
Witnesses: G. William Hoagland, Senior Vice President, Bipartisan Policy Center; Barry Anderson, Independent Consultant; Richard Kogan, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
10:00 a.m. in 210 Cannon House Office Building

Documents and webcast of last week’s Hearing: “The Need for Fiscal Goals”

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House:

• Blog: Strengthening and Celebrating America’s Capacity for Innovation
• Blog: Today’s Victory on Net Neutrality
• Press Release: Fact Sheet: First Lady Michelle Obama Announces More than $20 Million in New Commitments to the U.S. Government’s Let Girls Learn Initiative at United State of Women Summit Dinner

Department of Education:

• Press Release: Education Secretary King Announces Winners in $200,000 Career and Technical Education Makeover Challenge
• Press Release: Education Department Announces New Data Showing FAFSA Completion by District, State
• Press Release: Statement of U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. on DACA Anniversary

Department of Labor:

• Blog: The Future of Work: Diving into the Data
• Blog: Breaking Down Barriers for Working Families
• Blog: DOL in Action

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.2578: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Sponsor: Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] (introduced 5/27/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Appropriations; Senate Appropriations
House Reports: 114-130; Senate Reports: 114-66
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2016 Senate floor actions. Status: Cloture motion on the McConnell motion to commit the bill to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 4750) presented in Senate.
Note: The measure is expected to be the vehicle in the Senate for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017.

H.R.5502: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide alternative identity verification procedures for individuals applying for Federal student assistance, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Veasey, Marc A. [TX-33] (introduced 6/16/2016) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2016 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Press Release: Veasey Introduces Pro-Immigrant Bills Amid Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric

H.R.5503: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education from denying students admission on the basis of immigration or naturalization status.
Sponsor: Rep Veasey, Marc A. [TX-33] (introduced 6/16/2016) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2016 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.5508: To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to remove certain restrictions on advertising and public relations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Aguilar, Pete [CA-31] (introduced 6/16/2016) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2016 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Aguilar Introduces Latest Jobs Bill to Increase Inland Empire Employment Opportunities

H.R.5518: To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate in or attend their children’s and grandchildren’s educational and extracurricular activities, and to clarify that leave may be taken for routine family medical needs and to assist elderly relatives, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-12] (introduced 6/16/2016) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2016 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Press Release: Rep. Maloney Introduces Bills to Modernize and Expand FMLA

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Grant Notice: American Overseas Research Centers Program. Applications due August 4, 2016.

ED Comment Request: Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act State Plan. Comments due August 16, 2016.

ED Comment Request: Guaranty Agency Financial Report. Comments due August 16, 2016.

DOL Grant Notice: America’s Promise Job-driven Grant Program. Applications due August 25, 2016.