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 Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Sen. Laphonza Butler’s (D-CA) Senate committee assignments and announced that Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-AZ) will be seated on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su requesting that the U.S. Department of Labor extend the deadline for public comment on its proposed overtime rule.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department released a blog post on school librarians titled “School Librarians: One of a Student’s Best Resources.”

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]

For the First Time Since the Pandemic Began, Colleges Saw Undergraduate-Enrollment Gains This Fall [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Measuring Student Success Impact With Data [Inside Higher Ed]

U.S. Bans Most Withholding of Transcripts [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: The Supreme Court is poised to drop another DEI shoe next year [Higher Ed Dive]

Nondegree upskilling still hampered by lack of awareness [Higher Ed Dive]

Program Innovation: Preregistration to Help Alleviate Student Stress, Confusion [Inside Higher Ed]

Is ‘Gen P’ Ready for College? [Inside Higher Ed]

The FAFSA Process Is Changing. Here’s What You Need to Know [Education Week]

What’s Different About Student Activism Over the Israel-Hamas War [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

D.C. launches pipeline program to bring HBCU grads to local government [The Washington Post]

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

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Statement On Speaker Mike Johnson

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Statement On The Announcement Of 31 New Regional Tech Hubs Made Possible By Schumer-Led CHIPS And Science Act

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Rebukes DOL’s Failure to Provide Requested Information on New Policy Unfairly Targeting Businesses

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Speaker Mike Johnson Statement On Being Elected 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives

House Majority Leader

Press Release: Scalise Supports Mike Johnson for Speaker

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Foxx: ED Has No Respect For Congressional Authority

Press Release: Scott, Leger Fernández, Baldwin, Dean Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Community College

Press Release: Committee Health Leaders Applaud Biden Proposal to Expand Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Care

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House

White House Press Release: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces 31 Regional Tech Hubs to Spur American Innovation, Strengthen Manufacturing, and Create Good-Paying Jobs in Every Region of the Country.

EDPress Release: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Final Rules that Strengthen Accountability for Colleges and Consumer Protection for Students

GAO Report: Broadband Infrastructure: Middle-Mile Grant Program Lacked Timely Performance Goals and Targeted Measures

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.5998 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish grants for tuition-free community colleges, student success grants, and grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Leger Fernandez, Teresa [Rep.-D-NM-3] (Introduced 10/19/2023) Cosponsors: (7)

Latest Action: 10/19/2023 Introduced in House

Press Release: Leger Fernández, Baldwin, Scott, Dean Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Community College

H.R.6039 — To provide that chapter 1 of title 9 of the United States Code, relating to the enforcement of arbitration agreements, shall not apply to enrollment agreements made between students and certain institutions of higher education, and to prohibit limitations on the ability of students to pursue claims against certain institutions of higher education.

Sponsor: Waters, Maxine [Rep.-D-CA-43] (Introduced 10/24/2023) Cosponsors: (8)

Latest Action: 10/24/2023 Introduced in House

S.3066 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the knowledge and skills of principals and school leaders regarding early childhood education.

Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA] (Introduced 10/18/2023) Cosponsors: (1)

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

Latest Action: Senate – 10/18/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Press Release: Casey, Romney Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Early Childhood Education Training

S.3078 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education that authorize Anti-Semitic events on campus from participating in the student loan and grant programs under title IV of such Act.

Sponsor: Scott, Tim [Sen.-R-SC] (Introduced 10/18/2023) Cosponsors: (4)

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

Latest Action: Senate – 10/18/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.Res.418 — A resolution condemning Hamas and antisemitic student activities on college campuses in the United States.

Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO] (Introduced 10/19/2023) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

Latest Action: Senate – 10/19/2023 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S5113)

Press Release: Democrats Block Hawley Resolution to Condemn Antisemitic Activities on College Campuses

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Comment Request: Evaluation of the Professional Learning Resources of the REL NW Toolkit for Using Technology To Support Postsecondary Student Learning. Comments due on or before October 30, 2023.

ED Comment Request: National Resource Centers Program and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program (1894-0001). Comments due on or before October 30, 2023.

EAC Comment Request: Agency Information Collection Activities; Help America Vote College Program Application Kits. Comments due on or before November 6, 2023.

ED Notice: President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

FCC Rule: Affordable Connectivity Program.

ED Final Regulation: Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment