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

July 21, 2020

HOUSE and SENATE
The House Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill on a 30 to 22 party-line vote. The bill funds the U.S. Department of Education (ED) at $73.5 billion, which is an increase of $716 million compared to its FY2020 enacted level of funding.

ADMINISTRATION
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) abandoned implementation of a recently announced temporary final rule that would have prohibited international students taking exclusively online classes from studying in the United States. Subsequently, ICE has issued an updated frequently asked questions document with respect to international students. This document states that ICE is “not encouraging any specific action regarding new students” at institutions offering online only instruction, but also states that if students have not yet arrived in the U.S. to attend such institutions that “they should remain in their home country.”

ED issued guidance on the use of increased professional judgement pertaining to financial aid awards.

ED was sued by 22 States and Washington, DC over its recent Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR) rule, which went into effect on July 1.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report examining the characteristics of school shootings.

The National Center for Education and Statistics (NCES) issued its annual report examining crime in schools and colleges.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Amid concerns about college affordability, a call to increase Pell [Inside Higher Ed]

Why some colleges embraced a virtual fall sooner than others [Education Dive]

California colleges, fearing enrollment loss this fall, are trying hard to bond with students this summer [EdSource]

For First-Generation Students, a Disappearing ‘College Experience’ Could Have Grave Consequences [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Judge Orders Full Restoration of DACA [Inside Higher Ed]

Republicans to make it harder to sue colleges for coronavirus [Inside Higher Ed]

International Students Can Study In The U.S. This Fall — If They Can Get Here [National Public Radio]

California’s top higher education officials urge voters to support affirmative action in hiring and admissions [EdSource]

Attorneys General Square Off on New Title IX Regulations [Inside Higher Ed]

Another Revenue Hit For Colleges: Canceled Summer Camps [National Public Radio]

23 AGs Challenge DeVos’s Borrower-Defense Rule [Inside Higher Ed]

U.S. Rescinds Plan to Strip Visas From International Students in Online Classes [The New York Times]

The next frontier for college programs for prisoners and ex-prisoners: teaching them entrepreneurship [The Hechinger Report]

Survey: Self Doubt is a Barrier to College [Inside Higher Ed]

White House campaign advocates new ‘pathways’ to jobs amid pandemic [The Hill]

Google will fund 100,000 career certification scholarships to help workers find jobs amid pandemic [The Hill]

Middle States agency will accredit colleges around the country, and the world [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: The changes in police education that can move us forward [The Hechinger Report]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Pelosi Remarks at Press Event Marking Two Months Since House Passage of The Heroes Act

House Education and Labor Committee 
July 23: Virtual Subcommittee Hearing: “Underfunded & Unprepared: Examining How to Overcome Obstacles to Safely Reopen Public Schools”
Witnesses: Mr. Michael Hinojosa, Ed.D., Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, TX; Ms. Leslie Boggs, President, National Parent Teacher Association, Alexandria, VA; Ms. Penny Schwinn, Ph.D., Commissioner of Education, Tennessee Department of Education, Nashville, TN; Mr. Sean O’Leary, M.D., M.P.H., Professor, Pediatrics-Infectious Diseases at University of Colorado School of Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, Aurora, CO
10:15 a.m. via WebEx

Press Release: Congressional Education Leaders to DeVos: Stop Robbing Vulnerable Students of Emergency Aid

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions  
Press Release: Senate Health Chairman Alexander Introduces Bill to Prepare for the Next Pandemic

House Committee on Appropriations  
Press Release: House to Consider Seven-Bill Appropriations Minibus Next Week

House Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Chairman Yarmuth on Russell Vought’s Confirmation as Director of OMB

Press Release: Womack Statement on Confirmation of OMB Director

Senate Judiciary Committee
July 22: Full Committee Hearing: “Protecting the Integrity of College Athletics”
Witnesses: Panel I: Mr. Dan Radakovich, Athletic Director, Clemson University, Clemson, SC; Professor Matt Mitten, Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI; Mr. George Wrighster, III, Former Member, National Football League Players Association Board of Representatives, Los Angeles, CA; Dr. Mark Emmert, President, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, IN; Mr. Ramogi Huma, Executive Director, National College Players Association, Norca, CA; Panel II:  Mr. Bill Miller, President and CEO, American Gaming Association, Washington, DC; Ms. Heather Lyke, Director of Athletics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2:30 p.m. via webcast

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: Readout from the Vice President’s Governors Briefing on COVID-19 Response & Best Practices

IES Report: “Ready for college and careers in Washington state? How secondary and postsecondary outcomes change for diverse populations when new graduation requirements take effect”

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.2 — Moving Forward Act
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (Introduced 06/11/2020) Cosponsors: (129)
Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-437
Latest Action:  Senate – 07/20/2020 Received in the Senate.

H.R.7027 — Child Care Is Essential Act
Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (Introduced 05/27/2020) Cosponsors: (130)
Committees: House – Budget; Appropriations
Latest Action:  House – 07/20/2020 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1053 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6395, H.R. 7027, H.R. 7327 and H.R. 1957. Provides for the consideration of H.R. 6395, H.R. 7027, H.R. 7327, and the Senate Amendments to H.R. 1957. Rule also…

H.R.7683 — To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to make projects that directly or indirectly increase the accessibility of affordable, quality child care eligible for certain grants, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Finkenauer, Abby [D-IA-1] (Introduced 07/20/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure; Financial Services
Latest Action:  House – 07/20/2020 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial 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…
Press Release: Finkenauer Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Federal Aid to Address America’s Childcare Crisis

H.R.7692 — To provide a grant program for elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education to help offset costs associated with complying with guidelines, recommendations, and other public health communications issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a State, Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or locality related to mitigating the hazards presented by COVID-19.
Sponsor: Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (Introduced 07/20/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 07/20/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Rep. Titus Introduces Bill To Provide K-12 Schools And Colleges $90 Billion In Pandemic Relief

H.R.7625 — To provide for the release of cosigners on private student loans in the case of the death of the student borrower.
Sponsor: Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (Introduced 07/16/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Financial Services
Latest Action: House – 07/16/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Press Release: Congresswoman Angie Craig Authors Bill to Forgive Private Student Loans Upon Death of Student

H.R.7584 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to receive work-study allowances for certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (Introduced 07/13/2020) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action:  House – 07/13/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Press Release: Defazio, Walden, Allred, Radewagen Introduce Congressional VA Work-Study Legislation

H.R.7591- To support the health and well-being of current and former foster care youth transitioning into adulthood
Sponsor: Rep. Lewis, John [D-GA-5] Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House- Ways and Means; Judiciary; Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor
Latest Action: House 07/13/2020 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Grant Notice; Correction: Education Stabilization Fund-Reimagine Workforce Preparation (ESF-RWP) Grants Program. The notice corrects the information regarding eligible entities for the ESF-RWP grant program to indicate that the applicant must be either a State Workforce Board that is a State agency or entity with the authority to apply for, receive, and administer ESF-RWP funds; or a State agency or entity that is designated by the State Workforce Board to apply for, receive, and administer ESF-RWP funds. All other information in the NIA, including the August 24, 2020, deadline for transmittal of applications, remains the same.

USCIS, DHS Comment Request: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Comments are due on September 18, 2020.

Executive Office of the President Executive Order: White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative

Department of State Grant Notice: STEAM and English in the Public School System. Applications are due on September 10, 2020.