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

May 19, 2020

COVID-19 Updates 
On Friday, May 15^th, the House passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the House Democrats’ proposal for the next COVID-19 relief package. The bill as introduced was modified by a Manager’s Amendment that, among other aspects, limited the bill’s $10,000 Federal student loan principle forgiveness to individuals deemed economically distressed and changed the application of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L.116-136) equitable participation requirements.

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) Office for Civil Rights issued guidance for institutions of higher education regarding fulfilling their obligations under Federal civil rights laws during the COVID-19 crisis.

ED published notices on the waivers it has granted under authority provided by the CARES Act.

ADMINISTRATION
In a court filing, ED admitted that, as of May 7, approximately 54,000 student loan borrowers were having their wages garnished despite the CARES Act requiring the suspension of such activities through September 30. However, yesterday, in an updated court filing, ED said the total number of borrowers having their wages garnished fell to fewer than 12,000 in the past week.

The interest rates for new Federal student loans in the 2020-2021 award year fell by nearly 2 percent.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
House Passes COVID-19 Bill With Aid for Schools. It Has Slim Chances in Senate [Education Week]

Congress Gave Colleges A $14 Billion Lifeline. Here’s Where It’s Going  [National Public Radio]

How has the pandemic affected college instructors’ view of online learning? [Education Dive]

CDC releases scaled-back guidance on reopening after White House blocked earlier release [Politico]

Betsy DeVos: My COVID-19 Competitive Grants Aren’t Like Race to the Top at All [Education Week]

ACLU Sues DeVos Over Title IX Rules on Sexual Assault, Harassment Investigations [Education Week]

What’s Next: Will the pandemic dampen interest in tuition benefit programs? [Education Dive]

Pence, DeVos Hold Call With 14 College Presidents [Inside Higher Ed]

Biden-Sanders ‘Unity’ Task Force Taps AFT and NEA Leaders, Ed. Committee Boss [Education Week]

How Betsy DeVos’s handling of relief funds hurt some of the country’s neediest schools, students [The Washington Post]

COVID-19 Testing Key to Reopening Schools, Health Officials Tell Senators [Education Week]

CSU plans to cancel most in-person classes and go online this fall, chancellor says [The Los Angeles Times]

Calif. Community Colleges Sue DeVos Over DACA Exclusion [Inside Higher Ed]

Coronavirus, Economic Crisis Cloud Resurgence of Career Tech Ed. [Education Week]

Living expenses are larger barrier for students than tuition, report finds  [Inside Higher Ed]
American Enterprise Institute Report: “Evidence Against the Free-College Agenda: An Analysis of Prices, Financial Aid and Affordability at Public Universities”

How to survey college students about the shift online [Education Dive]

Trump administration is still garnishing the wages of 54,000 student loan borrowers [The Washington Post]

Education Department’s new $120 million in grants for short-term career programs [Inside Higher Ed]

Former Governor Recruits Stuck-at-Home College Students to Combat K-12’s ‘COVID Slide’ [Education Week]

Covid-19 Has Worsened the Student Mental-Health Crisis. Can Resilience Training Fix It? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Pelosi Statement on One Year Anniversary of House Passage of the Equality Act

Senate Majority Leader
Press Release: McConnell on ‘Special Report’ with Bret Baier

House Education and Labor Committee 
Press Release: Chairman Scott Statement on 66th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions  
Press Release: Alexander on NPR: The Question Is Not Whether We Go Back To School, But How We Go Back To School Safely

House Committee on Energy & Commerce
Press Release: Communications and Technology Subcommittee Announces Teleconference Forum With FCC Chairman Pai On May 19

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Documents and webcast of last week’s Full Committee Hearing: “The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic”

House Committee on Appropriations 
Press Release: House Passes The Heroes Act

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Leahy, Tester Urge FEMA To Increase Efforts To Deliver Food To Those In Need

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: New Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force Announced

DOL Press Release: U.S. Department Of Labor Launches Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program Standards Recognition Entity Application Portal

ED Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Honors Two Educators with Inaugural Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award

IES Tables: A Look at Postsecondary Certificates and Associate’s Degrees in Occupational Fields of Study

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.6800 — HEROES Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17] (Introduced 05/12/2020) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: House – Appropriations; Budget; Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 05/15/2020 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Press Release: Lowey Leads House Passage Of Heroes Act, Historic Covid-19 Relief To Deliver More Than $100 Billion For New Yorkers

H.R.6902 — To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that include the history of peoples of African descent in the settling and founding of America, the economic and political environments that led to the development, institutionalization, and abolition of slavery and its impact on all Americans, the exploration and expansion of America, impact on and contributions to the development and enhancement of American life, United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws, and culture, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11] (Introduced 05/15/2020) Cosponsors: (47)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 05/15/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Rep. Fudge Introduces the Black History is American History Act

H.R.6912 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for youth sports, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rose, Max [D-NY-11] (Introduced 05/15/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Ways and Means; Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce
Latest Action:  House – 05/15/2020 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, 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 the…
Press Release: Rose Introduces Legislation to Provide Necessary Relief to Youth Sports Leagues and Activity Groups, Working Families

H.R.6862 — To provide funding to States, localities, and community-based organizations for emergency aid and services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] (Introduced 05/14/2020) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 05/14/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Press Release: House Democrats Propose $10 Billion for Vulnerable Families

S.3745 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to provide relief to borrowers of student loans for whom the Department of Education found misrepresentation by the institution of higher education or a State attorney general has asserted a right to borrower defense discharge.
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (Introduced 05/14/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/14/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.3746 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include certain employment as a health care practitioner as eligible for public service loan forgiveness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] (Introduced 05/14/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/14/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Feinstein, Cornyn, Harris Bill Makes California, Texas Doctors Eligible for Loan Forgiveness

S.3747 — A bill to help charitable nonprofit organizations provide services to meet the increasing demand in community needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic, preserve and create jobs in the nonprofit sector, reduce unemployment, and promote economic recovery.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 05/14/2020) Cosponsors: (9)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/14/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Klobuchar, Schatz, Wyden, Brown Introduce Legislation to Help Nonprofits Hire Workers During Pandemic

H.R.943 — Never Again Education Act
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12] (Introduced 01/31/2019) Cosponsors: (302)
Committees: House – Education and Labor | Senate – Energy and Natural Resources
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/13/2020 Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
Press Release: Senate Unanimously Passes Maloney Holocaust Education Bill

H.R.6800 — HEROES Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17] (Introduced 05/12/2020) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: House – Appropriations; Budget; Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 05/12/2020 Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, 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…
Press Release: Lowey Introduces Heroes Act To Deliver More Than An Estimated $100 Billion In Historic Covid-19 Relief For New York’s Heroes, Workers And Families

H.R.6801 — To provide reimbursements for the emergency operational costs of school food authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (Introduced 05/12/2020) Cosponsors: (20)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 05/12/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Adams’ Bill Addresses School Nutrition and Student Hunger During COVID-19

S.3690 — A bill to provide for E-Rate support for Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and connected devices during emergency periods relating to COVID-19, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 05/12/2020) Cosponsors: (44)
Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/12/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Press Release: Senators Markey, Schumer, Cantwell, Van Hollen, Bennet, Schatz, and Hassan Lead Colleagues on Legislation to Ensure All Students Have Access to Internet During Coronavirus Pandemic

S.3701 — A bill to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to promulgate regulations to provide support to institutions of higher education for the provision of certain equipment and services to students of those institutions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 05/12/2020) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/12/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Klobuchar, Hirono, Peters, Rosen, Eshoo, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Help Ensure College Students in Need Have Access to High-Speed Internet

S.3678 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for payment of work-study allowances during a public health emergency relating to COVID-19 and for allowances to veterans enrolled in educational institutions closed for emergency situations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (Introduced 05/11/2020) Cosponsors: (13)
Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/11/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

S.Res.568 — A resolution recognizing the roles and contributions of the teachers of the United States in building and enhancing the civic, cultural, and economic well-being of the United States.
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (Introduced 05/11/2020) Cosponsors: (36)
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/11/2020 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
Press Release: Collins, Brown Lead Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Our Nation’s Teachers

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: Fiscal Year 2020 Application for Grants under the International Research and Studies Program. Comments due on or before June 17, 2020.

ED Grant Notice: 2020 for the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to apply by June 17, 2020. Applications due: July 2, 2020.

ED Notice: Waivers Granted Under Section 3511 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

ED Grant Notice; Extension: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program—Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling competition. The NIA established a deadline date of May 14, 2020, for the transmittal of applications. This notice extends the deadline date for transmittal of applications until June 15, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.