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. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen sent Congress a follow-up letter to her May 1 letter on the U.S. debt limit.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published new regulatory proposals for Gainful Employment, Financial Responsibility, Administrative Capability, Certification Procedures and Ability to Benefit in the Federal Register for public comment. The submission includes a proposal for information collection on higher education costs at all institutions of higher education. The deadline for public comments is June 20.

ED issued updated guidance on prayer and religious expression in public schools.

The Biden Administration announced three new initiatives to support schools in delivering health care to students.

THE COURTS
The Biden Administration filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against ED by SoFi Bank that would require the Administration to end the current pause on Federal student loan payments, interest and collections.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Workforce Pathways for Youth Grant Program Summary
Application Deadline: May 19, 2023
Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

US default could hamper colleges’ financial aid and research funding, ACE says [Higher Ed Dive]

Why Colleges Didn’t Rein in Their Police [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Op-Ed: ChatGPT Is a Plagiarism Machine [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Colleges face new responsibilities as states require abortion medication access on campus [Higher Ed Dive]

About 75% of students want to attend college — but far fewer expect to actually go [Higher Ed Dive]

A Bridge Between HBCUs and High Schools [Inside Higher Ed]

Op Ed: President Speaks: Despite shrinking numbers, women’s colleges are more important than ever [Higher Ed Dive]

Non-elite colleges should consider radical steps to improve their financial future, report says [Higher Ed Dive]

America’s Semiconductor Boom Faces a Challenge: Not Enough Workers [The New York Times]

‘So Catastrophic’: How a Debt Ceiling Breach Would Hurt Schools [Education Week]

3 trends that are shaking up higher education companies [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Reasonable Republicans and Default Democrats

House Majority Leader

Press Release: Speaker McCarthy’s Reaction to Today’s White House Meeting

Press Release: The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Thursday, May 18, 2023

House Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Jeffries: “We Find Ourselves In The Midst Of A Gop-Manufactured Default Crisis”

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Foxx Readout on OSHA Roundtable

May 24: Subcommittee Hearing: “Breaking the System Part II: Examining Implications of Biden’s Student Loan Policies For Students and Taxpayers”

Witnesses: TBA

2175 Rayburn

10:15 a.m.

House Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Need For Bipartisan Comprehensive AI Legislation

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Urgent Need To Avoid Catastrophic Default With Bipartisan Legislation

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Statements and webcast from yesterday’s Subcommittee hearing on “A Crisis in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care: Closing Gaps in Access by Bringing Care and Prevention to Communities.”

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Tackle Nation’s Mental Health Crisis

ED Notice: President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Open meetings are scheduled for June 21, 2023 and September 27, 2023.

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor asks judge to force federal contractor to provide documents, info needed for equal employment opportunity evaluation

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor welcomes 98 new Apprenticeship Ambassadors to promote, expand, diversify Registered Apprenticeship

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.3411 — A bill to increase access to higher education by providing public transit grants.

Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1] (Introduced 05/17/2023) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Action: House – 05/18/2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Press Release: Fitzpatrick Introduces Bipartisan PATH to College Act

H.R.3434 — To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that include the history of peoples of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent in the settling and founding of America, the social, economic, and political environments that led to the development of discriminatory laws targeting Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and their relation to current events, and the impact and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the development and enhancement of American life, United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws, and culture, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Meng, Grace [Rep.-D-NY-6] (Introduced 05/17/2023) Cosponsors: (49)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/17/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.3451 — To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Trone, David J. [Rep.-D-MD-6] (Introduced 05/17/2023) Cosponsors: (10)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/17/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.3505 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public institutions of higher education, as a condition of participating in programs under title IV of such Act, to provide a written statement and educational programming to new students on the rights of students under the first amendment to the Constitution.

Sponsor: Kiley, Kevin [Rep.-R-CA-3] (Introduced 05/18/2023)

Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/18/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Press Release: Kiley Introduces Landmark Free Speech Legislation

S.1665 — A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA] (Introduced 05/17/2023) Cosponsors: (11)

Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Action: Senate – 05/17/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

DOL Comment Request: Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Program Year (PY) 2023 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 167, National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Grantee Allotments. Comments due on or before May 30, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Loan Rehabilitation: Reasonable and Affordable Payments. Comments due on or before June 14, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Prison Education Program Application. Comments due on or before June 16, 2023.

FNS & USDA Comment Request: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) National Disqualified List. Comments due on or before June 27, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Comment Request; HEERF No Cost Extension (NCE) Request Form. Comments due on or before June 30, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Application and Employment Certification for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Comments are due on or before July 11, 2023.

ED Notice: Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities-Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions.  Applications due on or before July 14, 2023.

ED Notice: Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education