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 Education and the Workforce Committee marked up H.R. 4508, the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, and favorably reported it to the House, as amended, by a party-line vote of 23-17.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats released a statement opposing H.R. 4508.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) introduced a continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown and keep the government open until January 19, 2018. In addition to extending the existing CR, which expires on December 22, the bill would fund U.S. Department of Defense appropriations for the entire fiscal year at a higher level than presently permitted under budget caps, extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years and prohibit sequestration cuts from taking place. Press outlets have also reported that when the Senate considers the bill, the body may seek to strip the full year defense funding, add disaster relief aid and possibly establish new defense and non-defense spending caps, which would require that the legislation be sent back to the House.

SENATE

Congressional leaders have announced that an agreement on the tax bill has been reached. The agreement is expected to be voted on by the House and Senate this week.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved and sent to the Senate floor seven nominees for ED and the U.S. Department of Labor.

21 Democratic Senators sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to delay the proposed vote to repeal the net neutrality rules.

Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement opposing H.R. 4508.

Senators Patty Murray, Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to ED Secretary DeVos and Federal Student Aid (FSA) Chief Operating Officer A. Wayne Johnson requesting information on ED’s plans to change monitoring and enforcement tactics for Federal student aid programs and urging ED to maintain aggressive enforcement and monitoring of colleges.

ADMINISTRATION

The Office of Management and Budget released a revised unified regulatory agenda. At ED, the agenda indicated that proposed versions of new Borrower Defense to Repayment and Gainful Employment regulations would be out in the late spring/early summer of 2018.

The FCC voted to repeal the net neutrality rules by a vote of 3-2.

The Washington Post reported that the California Attorney General sued ED for allegedly failing to process debt relief claims submitted by former Corinthian Colleges students. The attorneys general of Massachusetts, New York and Illinois also sued ED alleging that the Trump Administration is violating Federal law by refusing to hand down decisions on pending claims.

ED Secretary DeVos hosted a Rethink School Summit to highlight innovation in higher education.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with a summary of the following event next week:

• POSTPONED: House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing: “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Education”

Education News Headlines

DeVos on GOP’s Higher Education Act Rewrite [Inside Higher Ed]

GOP bill scraps voter registration requirements for colleges [The Hill]

Repeal of Net-Neutrality Rules Disappoints Higher-Ed Associations [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

National College Completion Rate Rises Again [Inside Higher Ed]

Some tax-bill provisions opposed by higher ed dropped in conference negotiations [Inside Higher Ed]

House GOP pushes innovation and deregulation with Higher Education Act overhaul [Inside Higher Ed]

Growing Number of Borrowers Are in Default [Inside Higher Ed]

Colleges, universities targeted in GOP bills [The Hill]

Dems back away from brink on Dreamers [Politico]

As House panel prepares to debate Higher Ed Act, drafters add study on student-level data [Inside Higher Ed]

House GOP higher education overhaul would cap graduate lending and end loan-forgiveness benefit [Inside Higher Ed]

How The GOP Tax Bill Would Affect Community Colleges [National Public Radio]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: The PROSPER Act: What People Are Really Saying…

Press Release: The PROSPER Act: What People Are Really Saying (Continued)

Press Release: Bonamici, Scott, 45 Democrats Fight to Protect K-12, Higher Education in Tax Reform

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
Documents and webcast of yesterday’s Subcommittee Hearing: “Digital Decision-Making: The Building Blocks of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence”

Press Release: Thune: Now that FCC has acted, Congress Should Too

Press Release: Nelson Statement on FCC Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules

U.S. Department of  Education 

Press Release: Additional Funding to Support Schools and Students Impacted by Hurricanes

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.J.Res.123 — Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Frelinghuysen, Rodney P. [R-NJ-11] (Introduced 12/04/2017) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Appropriations
Latest Action:  12/08/2017 Became Public Law No: 115-90.

H.R.4632 — To count revenues from military and veteran education programs toward the limit on Federal revenues that certain proprietary institutions of higher education are allowed to receive for purposes of section 487 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 12/12/2017) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce, Armed Services, Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action:  House – 12/12/2017 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,

H.R.4633 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to permit individuals who are eligible for assistance under a Department of Defense educational assistance program or authority to use such tuition assistance for licensing and certification programs offered by entities other than an institution of higher education.
Sponsor: Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3] (Introduced 12/12/2017) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Armed Services Latest Action:  House – 12/12/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Press Release: House Lawmakers introduce the CERTIFY Heroes Act

H.R.1 — Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Sponsor: Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8] (Introduced 11/02/2017) Cosponsors: (24)
Committees: House – Ways and Means Committee Reports: H. Rept. 115-409
Latest Action:  12/13/2017 Conference held.

S.2224 — A bill to establish best practices for teaching financial literacy, and to establish an annual estimate of student borrowing costs.
Sponsor: Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN] (Introduced 12/13/2017) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Latest Action:  Senate – 12/13/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Donnelly, Johnson, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Empower Student Borrowers

S.2228 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for accreditation reform, to require institutions of higher education to publish information regarding student success, to provide for fiscal accountability, and to provide for school accountability for student loans.
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (Introduced 12/13/2017) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 12/13/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

H.R.4658 — To provide consumer protections for students.
Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (Introduced 12/14/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce, Armed Services, Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action:  House – 12/14/2017 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker
Press Release: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Introduces The Protecting Students From Worthless Degrees Act To Prevent Taxpayer Funds From Going To Predatory And Valueless Programs

S.2231 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for institutional ineligibility based on low cohort repayment rates and to require risk sharing payments of institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 12/14/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 12/14/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Notice: Members of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).

NSF Grant: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions

ED Comment Request: Work Colleges Application and Agreement. Comments due February 12, 2018.

ED Comment Request: Work Colleges Expenditure Report. Comments due February 12, 2018.