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

August 21, 2018

HOUSE and SENATE
The House was in recess last week and will return the week of September 4.

The Senate began debate on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 combined Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced that the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will begin on September 4.

ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) launched the “beta version” of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) mobile app, entitled myStudentAid. The full version of the app is expected to launch on October 1.

The Federal Commission on School Safety held a hearing on enhancing school security measures. At the hearing, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who sits on the Commission, announced that the Commission will have its last field visit in Las Vegas next week.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Transgender students asked Betsy DeVos for help. Here’s what happened. [Politico]

What will happen to DACA? Federal court cases could lead to an answer. [The Washington Post]

5 Key Questions About NYU’s Tuition-Free Policy for Medical School [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Federal appeals court rejects challenge to the Texas campus carry law [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: Should Teachers Share Their Political Views With Students? [The Huffington Post]

What the DeVos-Led School Safety Commission Did This Summer [Education Week]

Going mobile: The government’s most crucial financial aid form [The Washington Post]

The Future of For-Profit Colleges [National Public Radio]

Rutgers study: Pay doesn’t affect students’ major choice [Inside Higher Ed]

Why Does Publishing Higher-Ed Research Take So Long? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

How Tech Companies Are Transforming Classrooms [National Public Radio]

The Fate of Black Colleges Post-Omarosa [The Atlantic]

U.S. Banks Teach Financial Literacy With Hands-On Experience [The New York Times]

Senate returns to work on toughest ‘minibus’ yet [The Hill]

Accreditors pressured to apply more scrutiny as for-profits look to change tax status [Inside Higher Ed]

Community colleges try new ‘pathway’ to student success [EdSource]

Free college tuition for day care center workers — with strings attached [Inside Higher Ed]

America’s Education ‘Deserts’ Show Limits of Relaxing Regulations on Colleges [Education Week]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
The House is currently in recess and will return the week of September 4.

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Shelby: Senate Works to Rebuild America’s Military in Third Appropriations Minibus

House Education and the Workforce Committee
Blog: WATCH: Highlights from the Innovation Forum and Showcase

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
ED Press Release: Secretary DeVos Visits “She Can” STEM Summer Camp

ED Press Release: Secretary DeVos Announces New Federal Assistance for the Education of Displaced Students

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.6674 — Student Empowerment Act
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] (Introduced 08/17/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 08/17/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

S.3353 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary to provide for the use of data from the second preceding tax year to carry out the simplification of applications for the estimation and determination of financial aid eligibility, to increase the income threshold to qualify for zero expected family contribution, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 08/16/2018) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 08/16/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
NSF Meeting Notice: STEM Education Advisory Panel (#2624). The meeting will take place on September 12, 2018; 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314.

ED Comment Request: Program Integrity: Gainful Employment. Comments due September 13, 2018.

ED Comment Request: Temporary Expansion of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TE-PSLF). Comments due September 13, 2018.

NSF Comment Request: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposed continuing information collection. Comments due October 15, 2018.