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

October 13, 2020

HOUSE and SENATE
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on improving grant application reviews and oversight of care facilities for unaccompanied children.

ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Labor issued a Frequently Asked Questions document last week to provide additional information on an Executive Order issued by President Trump regarding race and sex stereotyping.

The Trump Administration announced two interim final rules that would change requirements for the H-1B visa program.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance explaining how COVID-19 spreads.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began distributing supplies of cloth masks to schools nationwide to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Yale University, alleging that the institution discriminates against applicants based on race.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Amy Coney Barrett Says Courts Can’t Right Every Wrong in Public Life [Education Week]

COVID-19 forces college libraries to quarantine textbooks, hitting low-income students [Inside Higher Ed]

Virtual appointments and drive-through sessions: How college counselors are helping students complete the FAFSA [The Washington Post]

Proposal for New Federal Education Credit and Accountability System [Inside Higher Ed]

No Home, No Wi-Fi: Pandemic Adds to Strain on Poor College Students [The New York Times]

Colleges use freebies to encourage COVID-19 testing and screening [Inside Higher Ed]

Ed leaders say finances, politics remain hurdles in COVID-19 response [Education Dive]

The Digital Divide Starts With a Laptop Shortage [The New York Times]

Some Clarification, More Criticism of Trump’s Diversity Order [Inside Higher Ed]

How the Trump administration’s H-1B visa changes could affect colleges [Education Dive]

Trying to curb COVID-19 on campus is expensive, whether colleges’ plans work or not [Inside Higher Ed]

Universities finally begin to streamline college transfer credits [The Hechinger Report]

Aid Administrators Get More Requests During Pandemic [Inside Higher Ed]

The First Semester of College Has Never Been Stranger [The New York Times]

Many colleges publish COVID dashboards, but there’s no uniform standard for public reporting [Inside Higher Ed]

Report: Student Debt Flattening [Inside Higher Ed]
TICAS Report: “Student Debt and the Class of 2019”

How to build a dual-enrollment program that works for all students [Education Dive]

Trump: No More COVID-19 Aid, Including Billions for Schools, Until After I Win [Education Week]

California colleges tried to prepare for COVID-19 outbreaks. It didn’t work [Los Angeles Times]

$78 Billion Gap for Community Colleges [Inside Higher Ed]
Center for American Progress Report: “The $78 Billion Community College Funding Shortfall”

Even In COVID Hot Spots, Many Colleges Aren’t Aggressively Testing Students [NPR]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Dear Colleague on Trump Walking Away from Coronavirus Relief

Senate Majority Leader
Press Release: McConnell on ‘The Story with Martha MacCallum’

House Education and Labor Committee 
Press Release: Scott, Clyburn Request Answers on South Carolina’s Misuse of CARES Act Education Funding

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions  
Press Release: Senator Murray Stresses the Stakes of SCOTUS Fight for People with Disabilities: “We Cannot Roll Back Access, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity”

House Committee on Appropriations  
Press Release: Lowey Statement on President Trump Abandoning Coronavirus Relief Talks

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
DOL Press Release: U.S. Department Of Labor To Mark Sixth Annual National Apprenticeship Week, November 8-14, 2020

White House Press Release: The Trump Administration Is Taking Action to Tighten Foreign Worker Visa Requirements and Protect American Workers

IES WWC Evidence Snapshot: Research on Success Boston Coaching for College Students

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.8550 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, to add a work-study program for off-campus community service at selected after-school activities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7] (Introduced 10/09/2020) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 10/09/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.R.8552 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to establish record-management plans in order to be accredited or continue to be accredited, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8] (Introduced 10/09/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 10/09/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2021 Materials Update. Comments are due on or before November 12, 2020. 

ED Comment Request; Correction: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Third Party Perjury Form. The document contained an incorrect docket number.

ED Meeting Notice: National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE). The NACIE open teleconference meeting will be held on October 23, 2020 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. (EDT).

ED Notice: Membership of the Performance Review Board.

ED Comment Request: Student Assistance General Provision—Subpart I—Immigration Status Confirmation. Comments are due on or before December 7, 2020. 

HHS Grant Notice: Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals. Applications are due on January 21, 2021.

State Department Grant Notice: U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Grants Program. Applications are due on June 30, 2022.