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

April 24, 2018
 

HOUSE and SENATE
The Senate voted 55 to 43 to confirm Carlos Muñiz as the U.S. Department of Education (ED) General Counsel.

The White House has indicated that it hopes to formally propose a package of spending cuts to fiscal year (FY) 2018 appropriations and other unobligated spending to Congress in the “next couple of weeks,” possibly as early as May 1. This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined fellow Republican leaders in voicing his opposition to such a package.

The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations will accept written testimony from outside witnesses on FY2019 appropriations. The deadline to submit written testimony is Thursday, April 26, the same day as the public witness hearing.

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations will accept written testimony from outside witnesses on FY2019 appropriations. The deadline to submit written testimony is Friday, June 1.

ADMINISTRATION
ED partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify and inform disabled veterans that they may be eligible to have their federal student loans or Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant aid discharged.

ED approved the first program under its Educational Quality Through Innovative Partnerships (EQUIP) initiative. EQUIP was implemented to open Federal Student Aid for partnerships between non-Title IV providers, institutions and quality assurance entities (i.e. alternative accreditors).

The National Consumer Law Center and Public Citizen filed a lawsuit seeking communications between ED and for-profit school associations regarding the decision to postpone the implementation of the Borrower Defense to Repayment rule issued by the Obama Administration.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) posted a notice indicating that the Administration is considering a delay of the implementation of the State authorization rule pertaining to institutions of higher education. The notice does not indicate how long the delay is and still must be approved by OMB before it is officially published.

Education News Headlines
How Congress Could Give School Choice to Military Kids Without an Impact Aid Uproar [Education Week]

An Interview With DeVos’ New Special Ed. Chief [Education Week]

Education Dept takes steps to dismiss hundreds of civil rights complaints: report [The Hill]

Teachers Share Anger, Frustration Over Grants Turned Into Loans [National Public Radio]

Lawmakers question Gov. Brown’s plan to overhaul funding for California’s community colleges [EdSource]

They were young. And homeless. And moms. Now, they have college degrees. [The Washington Post]

Career training legislation seems stalled in Congress [Inside Higher Ed]

Interest in Tenn.’s tuition-free program for adult students exceeds expectations [Inside Higher Ed]

DOL Publishes New Fact Sheet Regarding Overtime Regulations for Higher Education Employees [The National Law Review]

Senate Confirms Nominee to Be Top Attorney at DeVos Education Department [Education Week]

100 Top Colleges Vow To Enroll More Low-Income Students [National Public Radio]

When Disadvantaged Students Overlook Elite Colleges [The Atlantic]

Democratic FCC Commissioner, Advocate For Net Neutrality and Lifeline, Resigns [Education Week]

Community Colleges, the PROSPER Act, & the Path to Student Success [Real Clear Education]

Federal experiment in nontraditional providers stumbles out of the gate [Inside Higher Ed]

Lawmakers discuss Latino education gap [The Hill]

Speakers at ASU GSV focus more on job training and less on disruption [Inside Higher Ed]

What Adult Learners Really Need (Hint: It’s Not Just Job Skills) [National Public Radio]

Trump administration streamlining student debt forgiveness for permanently disabled veterans [The Washington Post]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: Congressman Serrano Leads Joint Effort to Help Ensure Students With Disabilities Can Access Public Education

Blog: The PROSPER Act: “prepares students to achieve their life and career goals”

Press Release: Committee Democrats Stand Up to GOP Attacks on Community Service, Volunteers

Press Release: Bonamici Statement on Simplifying Student Loan Discharge for Disabled Veterans

Blog: The PROSPER Act: What People Are Saying

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Senator Murray on the Trump-Pence Ideological Approach to Teen Pregnancy: “Absolutely Wrong Direction”

Press Release: Murray on Department Of Education General Counsel Nominee: “I’m Afraid Mr. Muniz at the Department of Education Will Only Be More Of The Same”

Press Release: Murray Statement on Veterans with Disabilities Student Loan Relief

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Senate Appropriations Schedule for the Week of April 23, 2018

House Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Chairman Womack: “Tax reform is working”

Press Release: The Republican Tax Scam Revealed More and More

Press Release: Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform Holds First Public Hearing

House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Press Release: SST Committee Approves Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
DOL Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces $62 Million In Grants To Provide Employment Assistance and Workforce Development Services To Native Americans

ED Press Release: Secretary DeVos Statement on Senate Confirmation of Carlos G. Muñiz as the Department’s General Counsel

ED Blog: High School Students Take a Unique Approach to Financial Education

White House Press Release: Statement from the President on the Passing of Former First Lady Barbara Bush

IES Report: “Career and Technical Education Programs in Public School Districts: 2016-17”

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.5547 — To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to reauthorize the grant program for education, training, and enhanced services to end violence against and abuse of women with disabilities.
Sponsor: Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Judiciary
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
Press Release: Rep. Calvert Introduces Legislation To Protect Disabled Americans From Sexual Assault

H.R.5549 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve loans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce, Judiciary, Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
Press Release: Rep. Peter DeFazio Introduces Legislation To Improve Student Loan Assistance and Expand College Access

H.R.5550 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum Federal Pell Grant amount, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce, Agriculture
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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

H.R.5564 — To amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education that participate in programs under such title to distribute voter registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi And Senator Cory Booker Introduce The Help Students Vote Act To Increase Student Engagement In Our Democracy

H.R.5566 —To establish a technology-based job training and education program.
Sponsor: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Luján Introduces Workforce Development Bills To Spur Employment Opportunities

H.R.5567 — To enable projects that will aid in the development and delivery of related instruction associated with apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs that are focused on serving the skilled technical workforce at DOE National Laboratories and certain facilities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 04/18/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

S.2699 — A bill to amend title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education that participate in programs under such title to distribute voter registration forms to students enrolled at the institution, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 04/18/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 04/18/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Booker, Durbin, Krishnamoorthi Introduce Help Students Vote Act

S.2682 — A bill to establish a student loan forgiveness plan for certain borrowers who are employed at a qualified farm or ranch.
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (Introduced 04/17/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 04/17/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Murphy, Udall Introduce Student Loan Forgiveness Legislation To Help Beginning Farmers

S.2684 — A bill to establish a Federal student loan restructured repayment schedule for certain borrowers who are agricultural producers.
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] (Introduced 04/17/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 04/17/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Udall, Inhofe Introduce Bills to Strengthen Next Generation of Farmers & Ranchers

H.R.5516 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for employer-provided worker training.
Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (Introduced 04/13/2018) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: House – Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  04/16/2018 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure.

H.R.5523 — To direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education to develop and implement best practices for occupation-specific education for school resource officers.
Sponsor: Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (Introduced 04/16/2018) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce, Judiciary
Latest Action:  House – 04/16/2018 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: Campus Safety and Security Survey. Comments due May 23, 2018.

ED Proposed Rule: Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects: Proposed Six Month Delay of the General Compliance Date While Allowing the Use of Three Burden-Reducing Provisions During the Delay Period.

ED Comment Request: Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Program. Comments due May 21, 2018.

ED Grant Notice: Education Innovation and Research Program—Mid-phase Grants. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 9, 2018. Applications due June 5, 2018.

DOL Meeting Notice: Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The meeting will begin at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2018, and adjourn at approximately 3:00 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20210

ED Comment Request: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH Grant Program) Agreement to Serve. Comments due May 17, 2018.