Below is RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up from yesterday. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

June 20, 2024

CONGRESS  
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a markup of H.R. 8606, The Never Again Education Reauthorization and Study Act Of 2024; H.R. 8648, The Civil Rights Protection Act of 2024; H.J. Res. 165, Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Education Relating to “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance”; H.R. 6816, The Promoting Responsible Oversight to Eliminate Communist Teachings (PROTECT) for Our Kids Act; H.R. 5567, The Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act; H.R. 8649, The Transparency in Reporting Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act; H.R. 7227, The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act; and H.R. 8534, The Protecting Student Athlete’s Economic Freedom Act. The Committee favorably reported H.R. 8606 by a unanimous vote, H.R. 8648 by a 24 to 15 vote, H.J. Res.165 by a 24 to 16 vote, H.R. 6816 by a 25 to 15 vote, H.R. 5567 by a 23 to 16 vote, H.R. 8649 by a 23 to 16 vote, H.R. 7227 by a 34 to 4 vote and H.R. 8543 by a 23 to 16 vote.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) wrote a letter to the Northwestern University President and Board of Trustees Chair asserting that the Committee may compel the production of documents and testimony from the University if it fails to comply with previous document requests.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats published a report titled “Fighting Summer Hunger Pangs: How Summer Feeding Programs Bridge the Nutrition Gap.”

ADMINISTRATION      
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) shared that, compared to the same time last year, students submitted 9.4 percent fewer Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) applications and there have been 10.8 million submissions to date.

ED reported that it has addressed the most common issues with FAFSA submission and reprocessed 1.8 million Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) with errors.

A Federal judge ruled in favor of three States continuing their challenge against the Biden Administration’s income-driven loan repayment plan, the SAVE plan, while dismissing eight others.

The New York Times reported that the Biden Administration has not finished calculating payments for all borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan, and it will not be requiring these borrowers to make payments for the month of July, when the SAVE plan was supposed to go fully into effect.

A Federal District Judge in Louisiana blocked the Administration’s recently promulgated Title IX rule. The order halts the rule from taking effect in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho.

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]

College Board President Will Oversee FAFSA Launch [Inside Higher Ed]

An AI Boost for Academic Advising [Inside Higher Ed]

U of Michigan, CUNY mishandled shared ancestry complaints, Education Department finds [Higher Ed Dive]

Are Students Who Protested Losing Out on Job Opportunities? [Inside Higher Ed]

Almost 1 in 5 say student loan debt will have major influence on their vote: Survey [The Hill]

House education committee advances resolution to repeal Title IX final rule [K-12 Dive]

UNC Fires Professor They Secretly Recorded [Inside Higher Ed]

Judge Blocks Biden Administration’s Title IX Changes [The 74]

GOP lawsuits could wipe out Biden’s education agenda [Politico]

Even as women outpace men in graduating from college, their earnings remain stuck [The Hechinger Report]

House Republicans Advance Resolution to Block New Title IX Regs [Inside Higher Ed]

Should financial aid be based on family wealth, rather than income alone? [The Hechinger Report]

Farm Bill Proposals Boost Research Facilities and HBCUs [Inside Higher Ed]

Data Security Best Practices for AI Tools in Higher Education [EdTech Higher Education]

Despite Affirmative Action Ban, ‘Business as Usual’ for Applicants [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: Can a College ‘Rating’ — Instead of a Ranking — Really Work? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy, Hyde-Smith, Colleagues Introduce CRA to Stop Biden’s Radical Title IX Rule, Protect Women & Girls

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Delivers Remarks During Hearing on WIOA Reauthorization

June 20: Full Committee Hearing on “The Immediate and Long-Term Challenges Facing Public School Teachers: Low Pay, Teacher Shortages, and Underfunded Public Schools”
Witnesses: Mr. John Arthur, Teacher, Meadowlark Elementary, Holladay, UT; Mr. Gemayel Keyes, Teacher, Gilbert Spruance Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA; Dr. William E. Kirwan, Vice-Chair, Maryland’s Accountability and Implementation Board, Rockville, MD; Mr. Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Medusa, NY; Ms. Nicole Neily, President and Founder, Parents Defending Education, Arlington, VA
562 Dirksen and via Webcast
9:00 a.m. ET

House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Press Release: Chair Foxx Requests Text Messages Sent by Columbia University Administrators

Press Release: Foxx Demands Additional Information from Minnesota Education Department on $250 Million Fraud Scheme

Press Release: Chairwoman Foxx Delivers Opening Remarks at Markup to Enhance Safety, Security, and Rights of Students, Parents, and Workers

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte Advances Bills to Strengthen Academic Freedom and Bolster the Workforce

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Markup of 9 Bills

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte’s Markup Enhances Safety, Security, and Rights of Students, Parents, and Workers — Tomorrow at 10:45 AM

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Chairman Smith Opening Statement – Hearing on the Crisis on Campus: Antisemitism, Radical Faculty, and the Failure of University Leadership

Press Release: Neal Opening Statement at Committee Hearing on Antisemitism

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration
ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Announces Jeremy Singer as FAFSA Executive Advisor in the Office of Federal Student Aid

ED Media Advisory: U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to Travel to Puerto Rico to Highlight Priorities and Host Local Meetings

IES Blog: Evidence on CTE: A Convening of Consequence ED

Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Announces 2024 Engage Every Student Recognition Program Champions

IES Notice: IES Announces FY 2025 Special Education Research and Training Competitions

IES Notice: IES Announces Research Grant Competition in Statistical and Research Methodology in Education

Legislative Movement in Congress:
H.R.8770 — To establish a grant program carried out by the Department of Homeland Security to fund university-based cybersecurity clinics at junior or community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and other minority-serving institutions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Veasey, Marc A. [Rep.-D-TX-33] (Introduced 06/14/2024) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Homeland Security; Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/14/2024 Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.

H.R.8761 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that non-Federal revenue generated through certain distance education programs may be counted purposes of the non-Federal revenue requirements applicable to proprietary institutions of higher education (commonly known as the “90/10 rule”).
Sponsor: Owens, Burgess [Rep.-R-UT-4] (Introduced 06/14/2024) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/14/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Owens Leads Effort to Modernize Higher Education

H.R.8759 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow certain payments made by public service employees to qualify for public service repayment, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Foster, Bill [Rep.-D-IL-11] (Introduced 06/14/2024) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/14/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Foster Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness

H.Res.1300 — Condemning campus protest backers.
Sponsor: Palmer, Gary J. [Rep.-R-AL-6] (Introduced 06/13/2024) Cosponsors: (15)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/13/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.8731 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for comprehensive student achievement information.
Sponsor: Hayes, Jahana [Rep.-D-CT-5] (Introduced 06/13/2024) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/13/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Hayes, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Community College Graduation Rate Transparency

H.R.8729 — To ensure that institutions of higher education that withhold certain transcripts are eligible to participate in title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7] (Introduced 06/13/2024) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: House – 06/13/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Rep. Green’s Bill Protects Colleges and Universities Against Biden Admin Overreach

S.J.Res.96 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance”.
Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS] (Introduced 06/12/2024) Cosponsors: (34)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 06/12/2024 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: HYDE-SMITH INTRODUCES MEASURE TO STOP BIDEN’S RADICAL TITLE IX CHANGES

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2024-25 Through 2026-27. Comments are due on or before June 24, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Federal Perkins/NDSL Loan Assignment Form. Comments due on or before June 24, 2024.

ED Comment Request: U.S. Department of Education Postsecondary Success Recognition Program. Comments are due on or before July 2, 2024.

ED Proposed Rule: Postsecondary Student Success Grant. Comments due on or before July 8, 2024.

ED Comment Request: International Resource Information System (IRIS). Comments due on or before July 8, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Postsecondary Student Success Grant. Comments due on or before July 8, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program. Comments due on or before July 8, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Assurance of Compliance-Civil Rights Certificate. Comments are due on or before July 15, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Pell Grant Reporting Under the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System. Comments due on or before July 17, 2024.

ED Comment Request: National Center for College Students With Disabilities (NCCSD) Database of Disability Services and Activities in Higher Education. Comments due on or before July 29, 2024.

ED Comment Request: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan Program) Promissory Notes and Related Forms. Comments due on or before July 29, 2024.

ED Notice: Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program. Applications due on August 5, 2024.

ED Grant: From Seedlings to Scale Grant Program and Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice. Applications due on or before August 15, 2024.

ED Comment Request: Impact Aid Electronic Data Collection (EDC) Program Questionnaire. Comments due on or before August 16, 2024.

ED Notice: List of Approved “Ability-to-Benefit” (ATB) Tests and Passing Scores

ETA Notice: Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program