RAMC WASHINGTON WRAP UP - JUNE 21, 2022

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

June 21, 2022

CONGRESS
A bipartisan group of senators announced that they have agreed to a framework for firearm-related legislation that includes provisions regarding school safety and mental health.

ADMINISTRATION
President Biden signed an executive order on “Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals,” which, in part, aims to address “harmful and discriminatory legislative attacks on LGBTQI+ children, youth, and families.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a statement on the tenth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the launch of the National Parents and Family Engagement Council.

The agenda and meeting access instructions were published for the July 19 through 22, 2022 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity in the Federal Register.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Support for Debt Forgiveness, But… [Inside Higher Ed]

PROOF POINTS: States and localities pump more money into community colleges than four-year campuses [The Hechinger Report]

What’s better for disadvantaged students, trades or college? [The Washington Post]

The ‘Pernicious’ Practice of Withholding Transcripts to Collect Debt [Inside Higher Ed]

Americans support student loan forgiveness, but would rather rein in college costs [NPR]

Students See COVID’s Impact on Professors [Inside Higher Ed]

Lawmakers Put Pressure on Ed Department for Student Debt Relief [Inside Higher Ed]

Duplicate stimulus grants accidentally awarded [Inside Higher Ed]
U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Report: “Duplicate Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Awards”

Second Chance Pell helps deliver degrees to over 9,000 incarcerated students [Higher Ed Dive]
Vera Institute of Justice Report: Second Chance Pell: Five Years of Expanding Higher Education Programs in Prisons

Men, women split on equity gains since Title IX, poll shows [The Associated Press]
Poll: The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research & The National Women’s History Museum: Fifty Years of Title IX: Where Are We Now?

After years of public service, some still can’t claim student loan forgiveness [NPR]

State Higher Ed Funding Rose in 2021 [Inside Higher Ed]
State Higher Education Finance Report: State funding to public colleges surpasses expectations amid historic declines in student enrollment and tuition revenue.

May inflation spike likely to prod Federal Reserve to more aggressive action [Higher Ed Dive]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Dear Colleague on Juneteenth

Press Release: Transcript of Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Weekly Press Conference

Press Release: Pelosi Announces Additional Committee Assignments

House Majority Leader
Press Release: Hoyer Statement on Juneteenth

Press Release: Hoyer Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of DACA

House Education & Labor Committee
Press Release: Foxx, Comer Raise Ethical Concerns About Indebted Biden Administration Officials Working on Student Loan Forgiveness

Press Release: Foxx Joins Republicans in Demanding Answers on Biden’s Voting Executive Order

Press Release: Foxx, Burr Demand Clarity on Biden’s Statutory Authority on Student Loan Repayment Freeze, Forgiveness

Press Release: Chairman Scott Opening Statement at DOL Oversight Hearing

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Amid Threat of New COVID Variants and a Fall Surge, Murray Urges Republicans to Support COVID Emergency Funding

Press Release: Senators Burr, Casey Introduce College Savings Recovery Act

House Committee on Oversight and Reform
Press Release: During Pride, Oversight Committee Passes Historic Legislation to Ensure Federal Data Inclusive of LBGTQI+ Communities

Press Release: Equality Caucus Commends Committee on Oversight and Reform for Advancing the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Fact Sheet: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration Advances Equity and Opportunity for Black Americans and Communities Across the Country

White House Press Release: Statement by President Joe Biden on Juneteenth

White House Press Release: Readout of Talent Pipeline Challenge Launch Event with Senior Administration Officials, Employers, Union Leaders, Training Providers, and Local Officials

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor Announces $11.7m Funding Availability of Susan Harwood Training Grants for Workplace Safety, Health Hazards Training

ED Press Release: Statement from Secretary Cardona on the 10th Anniversary of DACA

IES Letter: Letter from the Commissioner: Providing Clarity on NCER Funding and Fiscal Year 2023 Competitions

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Pregnancy Discrimination Investigation of Salt Lake Community College

HHS Press Release: HHS Voluntary Resolution Agreement with the University of Southern California Settles Title IX Discrimination Complaints

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.8140 — To enable high research activity status historically Black colleges or universities to increase capacity toward achieving very high research activity status, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (Introduced 06/17/2022) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Armed Services; Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 06/17/2022 Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 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…

H.R.8148 — To amend the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to support workers who are subject to an employment loss, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] (Introduced 06/17/2022) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 06/17/2022 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Congressman Tim Ryan Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Worker Protections

H.R.8098 — To limit eligibility for public service loan forgiveness to borrowers of Federal student loans with incomes below a certain maximum threshold, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Buck, Ken [R-CO-4] (Introduced 06/16/2022) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 06/16/2022 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.R.8112 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to treat all institutions of higher education equally for purposes of determining the Federal share under the Federal work-study programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Keller, Fred [R-PA-12] (Introduced 06/16/2022) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 06/16/2022 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

S.1098 — Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (Introduced 04/13/2021) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 06/16/2022 Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Press Release: Warner on Senate Passage of the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act of 2021
Press Release: Rubio, Warner Applaud Senate Passage of Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act

H.R.8076 — To prohibit the mass cancellation of student loans.
Sponsor: Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4] (Introduced 06/15/2022) Cosponsors: (3)
Latest Action: 06/15/2022 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on 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…

H.R. 8079 — To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to remove the exclusion of certain small business concerns from the disadvantaged business enterprise program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [D-GA-4] (Introduced 06/15/2022) Cosponsors: (13)
Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure; Small Business
Latest Action: House – 06/15/2022 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business, 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: Rep. Johnson, Sen. Ossoff Introduce Bill to Boost Opportunities for Disadvantaged Businesses

H.R.8086 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide direct hire authority for Job Corps graduates, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. O’Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] (Introduced 06/15/2022) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor; Oversight and Reform
Latest Action: House – 06/15/2022 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, 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.

S.4410 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for comprehensive student achievement information.
Sponsor: Sen. Romney, Mitt [R-UT] (Introduced 06/15/2022) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 06/15/2022 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

H.R.8064 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish demonstration and pilot projects to facilitate education and training programs in the field of advanced manufacturing.
Sponsor: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] (Introduced 06/14/2022)
Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 06/14/2022 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.R.7939 — Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act of 2022
Sponsor: Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (Introduced 06/03/2022) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Armed Services; Budget
Latest Action: House – 06/13/2022 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Comment Request: Loan Cancellation in the Federal Perkins Loan Program. Comments are due by or before July 21, 2022.

ED Comment Request: Part 601 Preferred Lender Arrangements. Comments are due by or before July 21, 2022.

ED Comment Request: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan Program) Promissory Notes and Related Forms. Comments are due by or before July 21, 2022.

ED Notice: Open Meeting; National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. Meetings will be held on July 19-22, 2022, from 10am-4:30pm ET.

ED Notice: Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Student Assistance General Provisions-Financial Assistance for Students With Intellectual Disabilities. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 18, 2022.

ED Notice: ED is proposing a revision of a currently approved collection; Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) Minimum Data Elements (MDEs). Interested people are invited to submit comments on or before August 16, 2022.

DOL Grant: FY 22 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance, Employment and Training Administration

ED Comment Request: Federal Perkins Loan Program Regulations. Comments due on or before August 15, 2022.

ED Comment Request: Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) Election Form. Comments due on or before August 15, 2022.

RAMC WASHINGTON WRAP UP – JUNE 21, 2022

RAMC WASHINGTON WRAP UP – JUNE 21, 2022