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

September 11, 2018

HOUSE and SENATE
The House passed the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act (H.R. 1635) by a vote of 406 to 4.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Former Republican Senator Jon Kyl was selected to fill the late Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) vacant Senate seat.

The House and Senate announced the members of the House-Senate Conference Committee on the Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.

ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) proposed Title IX regulations were sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

A Federal judge declined to order that the Federal government end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos attended the first ever G20 meeting between Education Ministers in Argentina.

Secretary DeVos, in a letter to House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and other Congressional Democrats, stated that ED would not provide direction to States on whether Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act could be used to purchase firearms or firearms training for school staff.

The deadlines for commenting on ED’s proposed rescission of the gainful employment rules and intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee on a number of higher education issues are September 13 and 14, respectively.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
If Democrats Take the House, Here’s What Awaits Betsy DeVos, Civil Rights, and ESSA [Education Week]

Democrats Seek Ban on Funding for Guns at Schools Through Spending Bill [Education Week]

Trump slams Jealous’s plan for free community college for ‘dreamers’ [The Washington Post]

‘U.S. News’ says it has shifted rankings to focus on social mobility, but has it? [Inside Higher Ed]

Private colleges are trying to attract students by matching public prices [Inside Higher Ed]

Perspective | States’ decision to reduce support for higher education comes at a cost [The Washington Post]

U.S. Can Learn From Other G-20 Countries on Workforce Prep, DeVos Says [Education Week]

California Reverses Decision On Veterans’ Benefits [Inside Higher Ed]

Do Chief Diversity Officers Help Diversify a University’s Faculty? This Study Found No Evidence [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Raucous First Day of Kavanaugh Hearing Includes Some Key Education Moments [Education Week]

Teaching In The Age of School Shootings [The New York Times]

State Supreme Court Ruling Jolts Arizona Midterm Election [Education Week]

A Push to Make ‘Computer Science for All’ Accessible to Students With Disabilities [Education Week]

Analysis finds benefits to attending a selective college and penalties for attending a for-profit [Inside Higher Ed]

New reports show free tuition programs may not help low-income students as much as expected [Inside Higher Ed]

Study suggests admissions officers are more responsive to black applicants who aren’t engaged in black activism [Inside Higher Ed]

Senior executives at Education Department may be pushed into new jobs [The Washington Post]

The Controversial Couple Heading Trump’s Hispanic Education Efforts [Education Week]

A Q&A on the uncertain future of accreditation [Inside Higher Ed]

5 Big Tech Trends Worth Watching This School Year [Education Week]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: Scott, Bonamici to Congressional Leadership: Stop Secretary DeVos from Wrongly Spending Education Money on Guns

Press Release: Subcommittee Explores the Success of Apprenticeship Programs

Press Release: Democrats Promote Benefits of Registered Apprenticeships, Increase Economic Mobility for American Workers

Press Release: Foxx, Scott Praise House Passage of Bipartisan Financial Aid Legislation

Blog: “We have entered an age of more accountability…”

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Conferees Named for Third Package of Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations Bills

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Senate Names Conferees for Next Two Minibus Appropriations Bills

Press Release: Statement Of Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On FY 2019 Appropriations Bills – A Path Forward

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation 
Press Release: Committee Approves Four Bills, Nominations

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
ED Press Release: Readout of School Safety Meeting on Creating a Citadel of Learning: New Tools to Secure our Schools, Inside and Out

ED Speeches: Prepared Remarks by Secretary DeVos at Meeting of G20 Education Ministers

White House Fact Sheet: The Trump Administration is Equipping American Students and Workers with the Skills They Need to Succeed

DOL Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Protects American Workers with H-2B Education and Enforcement Initiative

ED Blog: 7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the 2019–20 FAFSA® Form

IES News: Changes Are Coming to Research Competitions

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.6157 — Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Granger, Kay [R-TX-12] (Introduced 06/20/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Appropriations Committee Reports: H. Rept. 115-769
Latest Action:  Senate – 09/07/2018 Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R.6744 — To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize Federal assistance to State adult protective services programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17] (Introduced 09/07/2018) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 09/07/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6713 — To promote the creation of State anonymous school threat reporting programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] (Introduced 09/06/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Judiciary
Latest Action:  House – 09/06/2018 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.6722 — To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish the Stronger Together Program.
Sponsor: Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11] (Introduced 09/06/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 09/06/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge and Sen. Chris Murphy Introduce Legislation to Increase Diversity in Schools

H.R.6728 — To protect Native children and promote public safety in Indian country.
Sponsor: Rep. O’Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] (Introduced 09/06/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce
Latest Action:  House – 09/06/2018 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within…
Press Release: O’Halleran, Cole Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Protect Children, Law Enforcement Officers

S.3413 — A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish the Strength in Diversity Program.
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (Introduced 09/06/2018) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 09/06/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Murphy, Fudge Introduce Legislation To Increase Diversity In Schools

S.3423 — A bill to revise the amounts for discretionary Federal Pell Grant funding, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] (Introduced 09/06/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Latest Action:  Senate – 09/06/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.1635 — Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act
Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] (Introduced 03/20/2017) Cosponsors: (24)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 09/05/2018 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Press Release: House Passes Guthrie, Bonamici Student Loan Bill

H.Res.1049 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1635) to amend the loan counseling requirements under the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4606) to provide that applications under the Natural Gas Act for the importation or exportation of small volumes of natural gas shall be granted without modification or delay.
Sponsor: Rep. Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] (Introduced 09/04/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Rules Committee Reports: H. Rept. 115-919
Latest Action:  House – 09/05/2018 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

S.3408 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants for teaching English learners to institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (Introduced 09/05/2018) Cosponsors: (8)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 09/05/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Cortez Masto Introduces Reaching English Language Learners Act

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: Policy Statement on Student Achievement Levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Comments due September 30, 2018.

ED Notice: Notice Inviting Publishers To Submit Tests for a Determination of Suitability for Use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education. Applications due October 1, 2018.