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

May 25, 2021

HOUSE and SENATE 
The Senate began debate on amendments to the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (also known as the Endless Frontier Act). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed a substitute amendment with debate and consideration of amendments on the bill scheduled to resume on Monday.

ADMINISTRATION 
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) opened registration to publicly testify at the virtual hearing kicking off the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order calling for a comprehensive review of ED’s existing regulations related to Title IX and other protections designed to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

ED formally turned down a request by Student Defense, a consumer organization focused on post-secondary students, to reverse the prior Administration’s decision to eliminate the gainful employment regulation.

ED’s Inspector General found that $1.2 million in Federal COVID-19 relief funding was allocated to institutions of higher education that were closed.

A Federal judge ruled that former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos must testify in a student loan forgiveness class-action lawsuit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that K-12 schools continue to use current COVID-19 prevention strategies for the 2020-2021 school year.

Education News Headlines 
[Click on the link to read the article online]
For Colleges, Vaccine Mandates Often Depend on Which Party Is in Power [The New York Times]

Declining birthrate means hard times ahead for colleges [The Washington Post]

Redistributing Large Private College Endowments [Inside Higher Ed]

Jill Biden To DACA College Graduates: ‘We Stand With You’ [Huffpost]

Judge rules DeVos must testify in lawsuit over student loan forgiveness [POLITICO]

Nontraditional students concentrated in underresourced institutions [Inside Higher Ed]
The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the University of Pennsylvania Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (PennAHEAD) Report: “Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States: 2021 Historical Trend Report”

Rep. Norcross (D- NJ) Op-Ed: Registered apprenticeships: The foundation America needs [The Hill]

How California college savings accounts sow the seeds of higher learning at a young age [EdSource]

Report: State Funding Closely Linked to Student Success [Inside Higher Ed]
State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) Report: “Investigating The Impacts Of State Higher Education Appropriations And Financial Aid”

Earmarks are making a comeback and higher education may benefit [Inside Higher Ed]

Student debt cancellation advocates encouraged by Biden, others remain skeptical [The Hill]

FTC Bars Businesses From Offering Student Loan Debt Relief Services [Inside Higher Ed]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House 
Press Release: Transcript of Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Bill Enrollment Photo Opportunity for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

House Education and Labor Committee 
May 27: Subcommittee Hearing: “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Reauthorization: Creating Employment Pathways for Dislocated Workers”
Witnesses: To Be Announced
12:00 pm via Zoom

Press Release: Secretary Walsh, House and Senate Democratic Leaders Stress Importance of Child Care Proposal in American Families Plan

House Committee on Financial Services 
Press Release: Waters Announces Auchincloss as Financial Services Committee Vice Chair

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation 
Press Release: Committee Approves Office of Science and Technology Policy Nomination

House Committee on Energy and Commerce 
May 26: Subcommittee Hearing: “A Shot At Normalcy: Building Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence”
Witnesses: to be announced
11:30 a.m. via Cisco Webex

Press Release: House Republicans Unveil the American Broadband Act to Close the Digital Divide

Blog Post: E&C Republicans are Closing the Digital Divide with the American Broadband Act

House Agriculture Committee 
May 26: Subcommittee Hearing: “The Future of SNAP: Moving Past the Pandemic”
Witnesses: to be announced
12:00 p.m. via webcast

Press Release: House Agriculture Republicans Introduce Broadband for Rural America Act

Blog Post: Middle Mile Infrastructure Provides New Opportunities for Rural Broadband Deployment

Online Events:
May 26: Education Commission of the States event— “FAFSA First: States Move to Update High School Graduation Requirements”
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, connects students with critical financial support for college, but many students — including those most in need — never fill it out. There are four states that currently, or will soon, require high school seniors to complete the FAFSA to graduate, in an effort to ensure they have access to grants and scholarships that can help them pay for college. In the 2021 legislative sessions, 13 more states are considering adding similar requirements. Join us for this webinar to learn more about how this policy change is playing out across the country and how states are adopting and implementing these new requirements.
Speaker: Sarah Pingel, senior policy analyst, Education Commission of the States
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Register here.

June 7 – 11: U.S. Department of Education event— “Title IX Public Hearing”
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announces a virtual public hearing to gather information for the purpose of improving enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
At the hearing, members of the public may comment on steps the Department can take to ensure that schools are providing students with educational environments free from discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence. Members of the public may also comment on how the Department can continue to ensure that schools have grievance procedures that provide for the fair, prompt, and equitable resolution of reports of sexual harassment and other sex discrimination, cognizant of the sensitive issues that are often involved.  OCR also seeks the public’s comments on the Department’s role in addressing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in educational environments.
Register here.

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration: 
White House Press Release: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: The American Jobs Plan Will Bolster Cybersecurity

White House Press Release: Statement of President Joe Biden on American Rescue Plan Oversight

ED Press Release: Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Virtual Public Hearing to Gather Information for the Purpose of Improving Enforcement of Title IX

IES Report: Understanding Access to and Participation in Dual Enrollment by Locale and Income Level

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week: 
H.R.2167 — GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act
Sponsor: Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11] (Introduced 03/23/2021) Cosponsors: (5)
Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs | Senate – Veterans’ Affairs Committee Report: H. Rept. 117-34
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/19/2021 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

S.1719 — A bill to increase rates of college completion and reduce college costs by accelerating time to degree, aligning secondary and postsecondary education, and improving postsecondary credit transfer.
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (Introduced 05/19/2021) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/19/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.1719 — A bill to increase rates of college completion and reduce college costs by accelerating time to degree, aligning secondary and postsecondary education, and improving postsecondary credit transfer.
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (Introduced 05/19/2021) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/19/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

H.R.3365 – To require the Secretary of Education to disclose information about career and technical education and funding under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, and require FAFSA applications to include a career and technical education acknowledgment.
Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/20/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Rep. Williams Supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) Jobs

H.R.3366 – To amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to graduates of career and technical education programs or programs of study for small business development centers and women’s business centers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]
Committees: House – Small Business; Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/20/2021 Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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 concerned.
Press Release: Rep. Williams Supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) Jobs

H.R.3428 – To strengthen the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) categorical eligibility for applicants who already receive supplemental assistance elsewhere and for those with assets high enough to not require assistance; and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Gregory [R-NC-3]
Committees: House – Agriculture; Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 05/20/2021 Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Press Release: Murphy Introduces SNAP Reform Act of 2021

H.R.3445 – To amend the National Apprenticeship Act in order to increase and expand the national apprenticeship system to include the immediate recruitment, employment, and on-the-job earn as you learn training of young African Americans, and to promote the development of equitable hiring standards necessary to safeguard the diversity of apprentices, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/20/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Reps. David Scott, Emanuel Cleaver Unveil Effort to Increase Access to Apprenticeships for Young African Americans

S.1780 – A bill to remove college cost as a barrier to every student having access to a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 05/20/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Senator Booker, Reps. García and Hayes Re-Introduce the DIVERSIFY Act

H.R.2547 — Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (Introduced 04/15/2021) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: House – Financial Services | Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Report: H. Rept. 117-23
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/17/2021 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

H.R.2695 — Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (Introduced 04/20/2021) Cosponsors: (17)
Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology
Latest Action:  House – 05/17/2021 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

H.R.2878 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program.
Sponsor: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7] (Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
Latest Action:  House – 05/17/2021 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices: 
ED Meeting Notice: Public Hearing on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The public hearing will be held on the following dates and times: June 7, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time; June 8, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time; June 9, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern time; June 10, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern time; June 11, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. Individuals may (1) register to provide a live comment during the hearing; (2) submit a written comment; and (3) attend the hearing to listen to comments from others. To request to provide a live comment of three minutes or less during the June 7, 2021 to June 11, 2021 hearing, please use the registration link (https://cvent.me/ 1w5YWo) to register to provide a live comment on a particular day. 

ED Comment Request: U.S. Department of Education Grant Performance Report Form (ED 524B). Comments due on or before June 21, 2021. 

VA Notice: Increase in Maximum Tuition and Fee Amounts Payable Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.