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

HOUSE

A bipartisan group of House Members have formed the Task Force to End Sexual Violence, which will focus on issues including campus safety, data collection and law enforcement training.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing to examine Federal support for job training programs. The documents and webcast can be found here.

SENATE 

The Senate changed its rules, invoking the so called “nuclear option,” by reducing the threshold for a filibuster of Supreme Court nominations from 60 votes to a simple majority during the nomination process for Judge Neil Gorsuch. The Senate confirmed Judge Gorsuch by a vote of 54-45.

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement voicing her concerns about the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) decision to end the contracts of four companies that collect student loans on behalf of the Federal government.

Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Patty Murray and 32 other Senators sent a letter to ED Secretary Betsy DeVos expressing concern over announcements that borrowers may not be able to rely on notices they have previously received about their eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), along with Democrats in the House and Senate, introduced the College for All Act (S.806).

ADMINISTRATION  

President Trump announced his intent to nominate Carlos Muñiz to serve as General Counsel at ED.

The Washington Post reported that Candice Jackson announced that she has accepted an appointment by President Trump to serve as acting assistant secretary for civil rights in ED’s Office for Civil Rights.

Internal Revenue Service commissioner John Koskinen testified, before the Senate Finance Committee, that nearly 100,000 taxpayers may have had their personal information compromised by a security breach of the Internal Revenue Service’s Data Retrieval Tool .

Inside Higher Ed reported that ED will end four experimental sites, which are initiatives to test different Federal financial aid delivery methods on a limited basis.

ED announced that it will begin restoring Pell Grant eligibility to students who attended now-closed schools.

In a legal filing, ED signaled that certifications from an administrator utilized for eligibility determinations for PSLF may not be valid in all instances.

Education News Headlines

In Miami, DeVos visits first public university since becoming education secretary, faces protesters [Article 6 – The Washington Post]

Breach of Financial-Aid Tool May Have Compromised Data on 100,000 Taxpayers [Article 8 – The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Congress and White House appear to back return of year-round Pell in upcoming budget bill [Article 10 – Inside Higher Ed]

U.S. stance raises doubt about eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs [Article 9 – Inside Higher Ed]

Accreditor Proposes Ban on Paying Recruiters of International Students [Article 11 – The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Appeals court says lesbian former adjunct can sue Ivy Tech for bias based on sexual orientation [Article 12 – Inside Higher Ed]

George Mason, NOVA partnership could revolutionize the transfer experience [Article 8 – The Washington Post]

Trump Taps Former Jeb Bush Aide as Ed. Dept. General Counsel [Article 3 – Education Week]

Student Loan Forgiveness Program Approval Letters May Be Invalid, Education Dept. Says [Article 10 – The New York Times]

Private companies are funding public-university research [Article 12 – The Atlantic]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Senator Murray Statement on Pell Grant Eligibility Restoration

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration
U.S. Department of Education

• Media Advisory: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to Visit Royal Palm Elementary, Miami Dade College on Second Day in Miami

U.S. Department of Labor

• Press Release: $5.7M in grants available to improve workforce, education data collection

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.2045 — To require the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, to establish a program to provide for workforce training and education, at community colleges, in sustainable energy.
Sponsor: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (18)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

S.840 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow the Secretary of Education to award Early College Federal Pell Grants.
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] (Introduced 04/05/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: 04/05/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Portman, Warner Introduce Bill to Increase College Access for Low-Income Students

S.856 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual assault, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO] (Introduced 04/05/2017) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: 04/05/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.1989 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a high technology education pilot program.
Sponsor: Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-23] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (12)
Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.2007 — To prohibit the awarding of Federal Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Collins, Chris [R-NY-27] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.2015 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 simply the financial aid application process, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (62)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Rep. Lloyd Doggett Introduces Bill to Help Students Access Financial Aid

H.R.2071 — 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. [D-TX-33] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

S.862 — A bill to establish and strengthen projects that defray the cost of related instruction associated with pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 04/06/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: 04/06/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. Comments due June 2, 2017.

ED Comment Request: Job Corps Placement and Assistance Record. Comments due May 3, 2017.

ED Comment Request: 2008/18 Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B: 08/18) Field Test. Comments due May 5, 2017.