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

CONGRESS
U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced the introduction of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval that would terminate the Biden Administration’s pause on Federal student loan repayment, interest and collections and the Administration’s proposed loan forgiveness initiative.

ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid (FSA) office released a draft version of its 2024-2025 Federal student aid application for public comment, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

ED issued a memo on the “End of the Public Health Emergency and Impact on Student Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).”

ED sent its proposed rule on “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Athletics Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance” to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for its statutorily-required review.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement on the recently announced introduction of a CRA resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness efforts.

ED sent a letter to governors, chief State school officers, school district and school leaders on ending corporal punishment.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

Stuck in the Closet [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Spring Enrollment Steady, but Not for All Institutions [Inside Higher Ed]

College applicants still aren’t submitting SAT, ACT scores at pre-pandemic levels [Higher Ed Dive]

Republicans Face Setbacks in Push to Tighten Voting Laws on College Campuses [The New York Times]

How ‘swatting’ calls spread as schools face real threats [The Associated Press]

Funding Student Success: Housing Scholarships for Underrepresented Commuter Students [Inside Higher Ed]

Federal Outsourcing Guidance Prompts Concern of Unintended Consequences [Inside Higher Ed]

Majority of Americans Lack Confidence in Value of 4-Year Degree [Inside Higher Ed]

The reckoning is here’: More than a third of community college students have vanished [The Hechinger Report]

Number of Hispanic-serving institutions climbs to 571 [Higher Ed Dive]

The New Accountability: How accreditors are measuring college’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Turnitin unveils AI writing detection tool [Higher Ed Dive]

Yeshiva University’s Ban on L.G.B.T.Q. Club Leads to Scrutiny of Funding [The New York Times]

College applicants still aren’t submitting SAT, ACT scores at pre-pandemic levels [K-12 Dive]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:

Senate Majority Leader:
Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Statement Following Meeting With Labor Secretary Nominee Julie Su

House Minority Leader
Press Release: Leader Jeffries Statement on District Court Decision To Strike Down ACA Preventative Care Mandate

House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Webcast and statements from the Full Committee Hearing: “Unleashing America’s Opportunities for Hiring and Employment”

Webcast and statements from the Full Committee hearing on Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses.

Press Release: Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development to Hold Hearing on “Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses”

Press Release: Ranking Member Opening Statement at Campus Free Speech Hearing

Press Release: Foxx, Good Blast Department of Commerce for Big Labor Favoritism that Hurts Workers and Taxpayers

Press Release: Foxx, Owens Denounce Stanford Law School’s Culture of Illiberalism

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Press Release: IDC Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis Opening Statement on Exploring NIL Dealmaking Rights

Press Release: Pallone Opening Remarks at Hearing on Name, Image, Likeness Dealmaking Rights for College Athletes

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Five Press-Worthy Moments from Ways and Means Hearing with HHS Secretary Becerra

Press Release: Work and Welfare Subcommittee Chairman LaHood Opening Statement: Welfare is Broken – Restoring Work Requirements to Lift Americans Out of Poverty

House Committee on Appropriations
Webcast and statements from the Subcommittee hearing on Rural Issues.

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Launches Global Initiatives on the Economic Empowerment of Women, Totaling over $1 Billion

White House Press Release: President Biden Continues “Investing in America” Tour with Visit to Minnesota

White House Press Release: Remarks by President Biden on Investing in America

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Resolves Investigation Addressing the University of Vermont’s Responses to Allegations of Antisemitic Incidents

ED Press Release: Statement by Secretary Cardona in Response to Congressional Review Act on One-Time Student Debt Relief

GAO Report: Child Care: Subsidy Eligibility and Use in Fiscal Year 2019 and State Program Changes During the Pandemic

Legislative Movement in Congress:
H.R.1842 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate origination fees on Federal Direct loans.
Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11] (Introduced 03/28/2023)
Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 03/28/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Press Release: Smucker Introduces Student Loan Tax Elimination Act

H.R.2401- A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide students with disabilities and their families with access to critical information needed to select the right college and succeed once enrolled.
Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1] (Introduced 03/30/2023) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 03/30/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Bonamici, Bucshon, Rodgers, Courtney, Schrier, Molinaro Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make College Support Services More Accessible for Students with Disabilities

H.R.2451 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for certain freedom of association protections, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Stefanik, Elise M. [Rep.-R-NY-21] (Introduced 03/30/2023) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 03/30/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.2470 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize additional grant activities for Hispanic-serving institutions.
Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25] (Introduced 04/03/2023)
Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 04/03/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

S.1070 — A bill to address the needs of individuals with disabilities within the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA] (Introduced 03/30/2023) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 03/30/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Casey Introduces Legislation to Make K-12, Post-Secondary Schools Safer, More Inclusive for Students with Disabilities

S.1092 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make college affordable and accessible by expanding access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school programs.
Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI] (Introduced 03/30/2023)
Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 03/30/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Notice: Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Public Hearings; Correction. ED is correcting the deadline for written comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal to April 24, 2023.