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

June 23, 2020

COVID-19 Updates 
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published an interim final rule regarding the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for emergency grant aid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136). Relatedly, Federal district courts in Washington State and in California have issued orders preventing ED from enforcing, in Washington and California respectively, aspects of the rule.

HOUSE and SENATE
The House is scheduled to consider a veto override of H.J.Res.76, a Congressional Review Act resolution which would repeal the Administration’s final Borrower Defense to Repayment rule, on Friday, June 26.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) released a legislative framework for broadband connectivity and digital equity.

ADMINISTRATION
ED reportedly told stakeholders that the two 2009 guidance documents on professional judgement are no longer in effect, and removed references to the guidance in its Federal Student Aid Handbook.

ED approved the career and technical education (CTE) State plans for Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Utah. To date, 31 CTE State plans have been approved.

SUPREME COURT
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Administration could not move forward with its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by a 5 to 4 vote.

The Supreme Court ruled that protections against employment discrimination based on sex, as prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, apply to issues of discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation by a 6 to 3 vote.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
A Supreme Court Ruling Keeps DACA In Place For Now — But What’s Next? [Education Dive]

Working Paper Models COVID Spread At University [Inside Higher Ed]

‘We Can’t Ignore This Issue’: How To Talk With Students About Racism [The Chronicle Of Higher Education]

Amid Rising Interest From Students, HBCUs Must Face Pandemic’s Toll [Atlantic Journal-Constitution]

Education Dept. Is Making It Harder For Colleges To Boost Student Aid During Crisis [National Public Radio]

‘U.S. News’ Will Start Ranking Test-Blind Colleges. But Will It Adjust Methodology for Test-Optional Ones? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Colleges acknowledge Juneteenth holiday [Inside Higher Ed]

California moves toward requiring CSU students to take ethnic studies to graduate [EdSource]

Setback for DeVos in Emergency Aid Suit [Inside Higher Ed]

Covid Obstacles Abound, but Colleges Can Successfully Recruit for Fall 2021 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

For profit colleges are promoting their online courses to boost enrollment [The Hechinger Report]

College programs in prisons adapt to COVID [Inside Higher Ed]

Pandemic coincides with boom in projects to re-enroll college students [Inside Higher Ed]

King: US faces ‘pivot point’ in getting students access to internet, devices [Education Dive]

The pandemic has worsened equity gaps in higher education and work [Inside Higher Ed]

California community colleges not bound by Ed Dept’s coronavirus aid rule, judge says [Education Dive]

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings donates $120 million to support historically Black colleges and universities [The Los Angeles Times]

Landmark Supreme Court ruling could redefine Title IX [Inside Higher Ed]

CARES Act Formula Hurt Hispanic-Serving Colleges [Inside Higher Ed]

Can Faculty Be Forced Back on Campus? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on DACA

House Education And Labor Committee 
Press Release: Committee Holds Virtual Briefing on Relaunching America’s Public Workforce System After COVID-19

Senate Committee On Health, Education, Labor & Pensions  
June 23: Full Committee Hearing: “Covid-19: Lessons Learned To Prepare For The Next Pandemic”
Witnesses: William Frist, MD, Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Nashville, TN; Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, Chief Medical Executive And Chief Deputy Director For Health, Michigan Department Of Health And Human Services, Lansing, MI; Julie L. Gerberding, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President And Chief Patient Officer, Merck & Co., Inc., Co-Chair, CSIS Commission On Strengthening America’s Health Security, Kenilworth, NJ; Governor Michael O. Leavitt, Former U.S. Secretary Of Health And Human Services, Salt Lake City, UT
10:00 A.M. In 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building Or Webcast

June 30: Full Committee Hearing: “COVID-19: Update On Progress Toward Safely Getting Back To Work And Back To School”
Witnesses: Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases, National Institutes Of Health, Bethesda, MD; Robert Redfield, MD, Director, United States Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Atlanta, GA; ADM Brett Giroir, MD, Assistant Secretary For Health, United States Department Of Health And Human Services, Washington, DC; Stephen Hahn, MD, Commissioner Of Food And Drugs, United States Food And Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD
10:00 A.M. In G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building Or Webcast

Press Release: Murray: Trump Administration’s Latest Demographic Data Report ‘Incomplete’ and ‘Inadequate’

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
ED Press Release: Secretary Devos Approves Six Additional Perkins Career And Technical Education State Plans

ED Press Release: Secretary Devos Launches New Student-Centered Grant Competition To Spur Short-Term Education Opportunities, Entrepreneurship And Economic Growth As America Reopens

ED Press Release: 2020 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars Announced

White House Press Release: Building the Movement: America’s Youth Celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

IES Report: “How States and Districts Support Evidence Use in School Improvement”

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.4091 — ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (Introduced 07/30/2019) Cosponsors: (72)
Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology
Latest Action:  House – 06/18/2020 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 346.

H.J.Res.76 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability”.
Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3] (Introduced 09/26/2019) Cosponsors: (162)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 06/18/2020 The Chair announced that without objection, nothwithstanding section 3 of H.Res. 981, further consideration of the veto message and the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 76, is postponed until legislative day of June 26, 2020, and on that legislative day, the House shall…

S.4004 — A bill to ensure that college athletes, and not institutions of higher education, are able to profit from their name, image, and likeness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 06/18/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Action:  Senate – 06/18/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Press Release: Rubio Introduces Legislation to Address Name, Image, Likeness in College Sports

S.3987 — A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement recruits to attend schools or academics if the recruits agree to serve in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (Introduced 06/17/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Judiciary
Latest Action:  Senate – 06/17/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Press Release: Peters Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Incentivize Community Policing

H.R.7198 — To establish a scholarship program to diversify the national security workforce through partnership with historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor; Armed Services
Latest Action:  House – 06/15/2020 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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…
Press Release: Sen. Coons, Reps. Brown, Blunt Rochester introduce bipartisan FLIGHT Act to expand diversity in military, support HBCUs

H.R.7227 — To protect certain whistleblowers seeking to ensure accountability and oversight of the Nation’s COVID-19 pandemic response, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 06/15/2020) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 06/15/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Speier, Raskin, Harris Introduce Legislation Ensuring Protection for Those Who Expose Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Federal COVID-19 Relief Effort

S.939 — CONFUCIUS Act
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (Introduced 03/28/2019) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  House – 06/15/2020 Held at the desk.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Grant Notice: Out-Of-School Time Career Pathway Program. Applications Are Due On September 21, 2020.

ED Comment Request: Eligibility of Students at Institutions of Higher Education for Funds Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Comments are due on or before July 17, 2020. 

DOL Comment Request: Job Corps Placement and Assistance Record. Comments are due on or before July 16, 2020.