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

HOUSE

The House is in recess and will return on Tuesday, July 5.

The House Education and Workforce Committee passed the following bills by voice vote: H.R. 5529, Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act; H.R. 5530, HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act; H.R. 5528, Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act; H.R. 3179, Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act; and H.R. 3178, Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. These bills now await consideration by the full House or Representatives.

SENATE

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Transportation will markup S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act on Wednesday, June 29.

ADMINISTRATION 

ED announced ten winners of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge. The challenge entailed high schools creating models for transforming classrooms and other available spaces into places where students have access to tools to design, build and innovate.

ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid updated its data center to include data on district-level Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates and the total fiscal year-to-date dollar amount recovered in defaulted student loans by guaranty agency and collection type.

JUDICIARY 

The Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas at Austin’s consideration of race and ethnicity in their college admissions process in a 4–3 ruling on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin.

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

Democratic Party’s Draft Platform Focuses on ZIP Codes, ‘School-to-Prison Pipeline’ [Education Week]

Education Issues That Might Get At Least a Tiny Bit of Traction in Congress [Education Week]

‘Brexit’ Vote Prompts Education Companies to Weigh the Consequences [Education Week]

Tutors See Stereotypes and Gender Bias in SAT. Testers See None of the Above. [The New York Times]

Critics say Oregon Promise lacks adequate funding and has overly strict eligibility requirements [Inside Higher Ed]

How to attract student workers? Bring the work to them [Inside Higher Ed]

How race-based affirmative action could return to UC [The Los Angeles Times]

Op Ed: Affirmative action is about the economic bottom line, not just racial diversity [The Washington Post]

A Family-Friendly Policy That’s Friendliest to Male Professors [The New York Times]

Federal advisory board votes to kick out the nation’s largest college accreditor [The Washington Post]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Sen. Murray: Fisher Decision A Ruling “In Favor of Fairness and Equity”

Press Release: Senate Dems: Time to Close For-Profit College Loophole Impacting Servicemembers, Veterans and Taxpayers

House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: Hoyer, Scott Hold Forum on the Working Families Agenda

Press Release: Scott, Hinojosa Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Affirmative Action Case

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation 
June 29: Committee Markup: “S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act”
10:00 a.m. in 253 Senate Russell Building or webcast

Press Release: Senate Science and Technology Leaders Introduce the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House:

• Press Release: Press Call on the First Lady’s Upcoming Let Girls Learn Trip to Liberia, Morocco and Spain
• Press Release: Fact Sheet: First Lady Announces New Let Girls Learn Commitment in Liberia
• Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Obama Announces New Actions to Reduce Recidivism and Promote Reintegration of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

Department of Education:

• Blog: A Second Chance for an Education
• Blog: Working to Prevent Discrimination Involving Religion at Schools and Universities
• Press Release: 12,000 Incarcerated Students to Enroll in Postsecondary Educational and Training Programs Through Education Department’s New Second Chance Pell Pilot Program

Department of Labor:

• Blog: DOL in Action
• Blog: Showcasing Innovation in Apprenticeship at SelectUSA
• Press Release: Job Corps Launches Ready-To-Work Pilot Program

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.5583: To streamline and harmonize Federal research regulations on institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] (introduced 6/24/2016) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Science, Space, and Technology; House Oversight and Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2016 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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: Lipinski Introduces Legislation to Reduce Excessive Federal Regulations on University Researchers While Still Protecting Taxpayers

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: 6/23/2016 Senate floor actions. Status: Motion to table the motion by Senator McConnell to commit to Senate Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report back forthwith with amendment SA 4858 rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 – 52. Record Vote Number: 109.
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.3178: Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act
Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (17)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/22/2016 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Press Release: Committee Approves Foxx’s Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Transparency in America’s Higher Education System

S.3084: A bill to invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the competitiveness of the United States.
Sponsor: Sen Gardner, Cory [CO] (introduced 6/22/2016) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Major Action: 6/22/2016 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

S.3093: A bill to amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 in order to improve career and technical education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Hirono, Mazie K. [HI] (introduced 6/23/2016) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/23/2016 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.RES.510: A resolution affirming the importance of title IX, applauding the increase in educational opportunities available to women and girls, and recognizing the tremendous amount of work left to be done to further increase such opportunities.
Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/23/2016) Cosponsors (37)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/23/2016 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Application for Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Form. Comments due August 26, 2016.

ED Comment Request: HEAL Program: Physician’s Certification of Borrower’s Total and Permanent Disability. Comments due August 26, 2016.

ED Comment Request: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-2019. Comments due July 25, 2016.

ED Grant Notice: Promoting Student Resilience. Applications due July 25, 2016.

ED Comment Request: Direct Loan, FFEL, Perkins and TEACH Grant Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Application and Related Forms. Comments due July 22, 2016.