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

July 3, 2024

CONGRESS
U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy wrote several Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding how the agencies will comply with the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises et al vs. Raimondo. This decision overruled the court’s previous decision in Chevron U.S.A. Inc. vs. Natural Resources Defense Council regarding deference to agency interpretation of statutes passed by Congress.

ADMINISTRATION

Media outlets reported that ED would place three million borrowers enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Federal student loan repayment plan in forbearance status after injunctions were issued by two District Court judges last week pertaining to the plan’s implementation.

JUDICIARY

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10^th Circuit issued a stay of an injunction imposed by one of two District Courts blocking further implementation of the SAVE Federal student loan repayment plan.

A Federal District Judge in Texas imposed a preliminary injunction on DOL’s recently promulgated overtime rule citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine. The injunction only applies to employees of the State of Texas.

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]

How did Supreme Court’s race-conscious admissions decision impact college applications? [Higher Ed Dive]

Court allows key part of Biden student loan relief plan to resume [The Hill]

Rules Banning Transcript Holds, Expanding Overtime Now in Effect [Inside Higher Ed]

New Database Features 250 AI Tools That Can Enhance Social Science Research [The 74]

A Nonprofit Says Colleges Spend Big on DEI. Is It ‘Wildly’ Overstating the Case? [Inside Higher Ed]

Supreme Court Decision Weakens Education Department [Inside Higher Ed]

Top Republican seeks Education Department’s plans post-Chevron doctrine [Higher Ed Dive]

Appeals court lifts ban on Biden’s student loan repayment plan [The Washington Post]

Affirmative Action Ban’s Impact Is a ‘Black Box’ [Inside Higher Ed]

Hampshire College to cut 9% of employees in restructuring [Higher Ed Dive]

The Supreme Court Just Weakened Federal Agencies. Here’s What It Means for Higher Ed. [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Legacy Looms Large in College Admissions, Perpetuating Inequities in College Access [Institute for Higher Education Policy]

‘We can’t cut anymore’: Can colleges recover from the gut-punch of inflation? [Higher Ed Dive]

How Concerning Is Underemployment of College Graduates? [Inside Higher Ed]

“Like Climbing up Mount Everest”: Financial aid professionals describe a grueling FAFSA season [Higher Ed Dive]

Study: Protests Harmed Trust in Higher Education [Inside Higher Ed]

The Endangered Small College [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Retiring UC Berkeley chancellor sounds off on protests, enrollment, housing [Los Angeles Times]

The FAFSA debacle: Another nail in the coffin for vulnerable colleges [Higher Ed Dive]

Republican FY 25 plan would cut education funding by $11B [K-12 Dive]

How North Carolina Community Colleges Provide Child Care Support [The 74]

First-year persistence and retention hit decade high [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Urges Federal Agencies to Comply with SCOTUS Overturning of Chevron Deference

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Applauds SCOTUS Decision Returning Legislative Power to Congress

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy on Biden’s Attempt to “Buy Votes” with New Irresponsible Student Loan Payment Pause

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Chair Foxx Slams Biden’s Latest Student Loan Giveaway

Press Release: Chair Foxx: “There Are Three Branches of Government, Not Four”

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott on SCOTUS Striking Down Chevron Deference

Press Release: ICYMI: On One Year Anniversary of SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision, Ranking Member Scott Sets the Record Straight

Press Release: Chair Foxx Champions Title IX on 52nd Anniversary

Press Release: Hearing Recap: Workplace Antisemitism Edition

Press Release: Chair Kiley Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing to Combat Workplace Antisemitism in Postsecondary Education

House Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Senator Murray Statement on the President’s Supplemental Funding Request

Press Release: House Democrats Highlight How Republican Labor, HHS, Education Bill Tries to Eliminate Public Education, Harms Women and Children

Statements and Webcast from Yesterday’s Subcommittee Mark Up of “FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Act”

Press Release: Aderholt Remarks at FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Subcommittee Markup

Press Release: Cole Remarks at FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Subcommittee Markup

Press Release: Ranking Member DeLauro Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Investment in Twelve Regional Technology Hubs, Creating Good-paying Jobs and Driving Economic Opportunity and Innovation in Communities Across the Country

White House Press Release: Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on New Administration Actions to Increase Access to Affordable, High-Speed Internet

ED Press Release: Secretary Cardona Statement Ahead of One Year Anniversary of Supreme Court Ruling on College Affirmative Action Programs

DOL Press Release: Department of Labor Awards Over $56m in Grants to Help Justice-Involved People Get Needed Job Training, Prepare Them for Return to Communities

HHS Press Release: Statement by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the Anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

GAO Report: Higher Education: Opportunities Exist to Improve Federal Oversight of Alleged Employment Discrimination at Colleges and Universities

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.7896 — Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2024

Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6] (Introduced 04/09/2024) Cosponsors: (4)

Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Action: House – 06/27/2024 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.8592 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of educational assistance paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to an eligible individual during the first year of a full-time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training.

Sponsor: Van Orden, Derrick [Rep.-R-WI-3] (Introduced 06/03/2024) Cosponsors: (2)

Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Action: House – 06/27/2024 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.8646 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Van Orden, Derrick [Rep.-R-WI-3] (Introduced 06/05/2024) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Action: House – 06/27/2024 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.8883 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to disclose campus policies relating to responding to certain incidents of civil disturbance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Rep.-R-IN-3] (Introduced 06/28/2024) Cosponsors: (7)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 06/28/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.8902 — To make certain individuals ineligible to receive any Federal financial aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Sponsor: Pfluger, August [Rep.-R-TX-11] (Introduced 06/28/2024) Cosponsors: (4)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 06/28/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.8914 —University Accountability Act

Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11] (Introduced 07/02/2024) Cosponsors: (10)

Committees: House – Ways and Means

Latest Action: House – 07/02/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.8915 — Education and Workforce Freedom Act

Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1] (Introduced 07/02/2024) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Ways and Means

Latest Action: House – 07/02/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.8925 — To amend the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to allow for housing assistance to certain individuals enrolled as students at an institution of higher education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1] (Introduced 07/02/2024) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Financial Services

Latest Action: House – 07/02/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services

H.R.8929 — To prohibit digital platforms from using information about a user unless the user consents to such use, to ensure personal information is considered a property right, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Schweikert, David [Rep.-R-AZ-1] (Introduced 07/02/2024) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

Latest Action: House – 07/02/2024 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

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: Evaluation of the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority Pilot Program Survey Data Collections. Comments due on or before July 25, 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 Notice: Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities—National Center on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, etc. Applications due on or before August 12, 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 Comment Request: Rural, Insular, and Native Achievement Programs Progress Update Protocol. Comments due on or before August 23, 2024.

DOL Comment Request: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Common Performance Reporting. Comments due on or before August 23, 2024.

ED Grant Notice: Stronger Connections Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Grant Program. Applications due on or before August 26, 2024.

NSF Grant Notice: Advanced Technological Education. Applications due on or before October 3, 2024.

ED Notice: Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education.

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

ETA Notice: Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program

ED Notice: President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Office of Secretary, Department of Education.

ED Notice: Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment: List of Approved Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Codes for Qualifying Graduate Programs.