CONGRESS

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced S. 3392, legislation to reauthorize authorities included in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA). The legislation would amend the structure and authority for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and its four National Centers, the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES), the provisions of the Educational Technical Assistance Act (ETAA) and the authority for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The Senate HELP Committee scheduled a markup on this bill, and other legislation, for Tuesday, December 12.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) introduced H.R. 6585, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act. The Committee on Education and the Workforce is scheduled to markup this bill, and other legislation, on Tuesday, December 12.

The House passed H.J. Res 88, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal the Biden Administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan on a 210-189 vote.

ADMINISTRATION

The Biden Administration released its Fall 2023 unified agenda detailing its planned regulatory activity for 2024.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a new regulatory proposal for student loan debt ahead of its third negotiated rulemaking session on student loan debt scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday.

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]

Student loan servicer MOHELA sued, accused of mismanaging forgiveness [The Washington Post]

Harvard Board Backs Embattled President [Inside Higher Ed]

Harvard president to stay on job with support of board [The Hill]

‘Merit Scholarship’ or Enrollment Incentive? [Inside Higher Ed]

Penn president’s resignation stirs debate about limits of free speech [The Washington Post]

Education Department unveils timeline for Title IX, loan forgiveness rules [Higher Ed Dive]

House launches investigation into Harvard, Penn and MIT [Inside Higher Ed]

Education Department opens five more Title VI investigations [Inside Higher Ed]

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

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On New Letter Urging The Biden Administration To Do More To Help Student Loan Borrowers

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Statements and Webcast from Yesterday’s Full Committee Markup of S. 1840, S. 3392, S. 3393, and S. 644.

December 12: Full Committee Markup of S. 1840, S. 3392, S. 3393, and S. 644

430 Dirksen and via webcast

10:00 a.m. ET

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Speaker Johnson Statement on President Biden’s Ongoing Student Loan Wealth Transfer

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte Advances Bills to Align Education Opportunities with Workforce Needs

Press Release: Committee Advances Two Key Bipartisan Workforce Development Priorities

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte Will Mark Up Bills to Strengthen America’s Workforce

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Statement on November Jobs Report

Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen America’s Workforce

Press Release: House Tells Biden to Dump “Free” College Plan, Respect American Taxpayers

Press Release: Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen America’s Workforce

Press Release: College Board Pushes Woke Dogma

Press Release: Chairwoman Foxx Supports DETERRENT Act to Combat Malicious Foreign Influence on College Campuses

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: Statement from President Joe Biden on CHIPS and Science Act Preliminary Agreement

ED Press Release: Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the Recent Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Collection

ED Press Release: Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Senate Confirmation of Danté Quintin Allen

IES Press Release: New Data on Postsecondary Graduation Rates, Outcome Measures, Student Financial Aid, and Admissions

IES Press Release: NCER Funding Opportunity for Education Technology Projects

GAO Report: Artificial Intelligence: Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.6615 — To establish the Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education within the Department of Education.

Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Rep.-R-IN-3] (Introduced 12/06/2023) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 12/06/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6620 — To prohibit Federal funds from being provided to institutions of higher education with endowment funds equaling or exceeding $5,000,000,000, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Crane, Elijah [Rep.-R-AZ-2] (Introduced 12/06/2023) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 12/06/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6689 — To direct the Secretary of Education to forgive the Federal student loans of borrowers who are enrolled for benefits under part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Schiff, Adam B. [Rep.-D-CA-30] (Introduced 12/07/2023) Cosponsors: (5)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce

Latest Action: House – 12/07/2023 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

Press Release: Rep. Schiff, Grijalva Reintroduce Bill to Forgive Student Debt for Seniors and Disabled Individuals

H.R.6692 — To amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to establish the position of the Assistant Director and Student Loan Borrower Advocate of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, to establish the Office for Students and Young Consumers of the Bureau, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1] (Introduced 12/11/2023) Cosponsors: (2)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Financial Services

Latest Action: House – 12/11/2023 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services.

H.R.6655 — A Stronger Workforce for America Act

Sponsor: Foxx, Virginia [Rep.-R-NC-5] (Introduced 12/07/2023) Cosponsors: (6)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means

Latest Action: House – 12/12/2023 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote

H.Res.922 — Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1147) to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow schools that participate in the school lunch program under such Act to serve whole milk; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 357) to require the head of an agency to issue and sign any rule issued by that agency, and for other purposes; and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Fischbach, Michelle [Rep.-R-MN-7] (Introduced 12/11/2023) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Rules

Committee Report: H. Rept. 118-308

Latest Action: House – 12/12/2023 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

H.Res.928 — Honoring the victims of the mass shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on December 6, 2023.

Sponsor: Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1] (Introduced 12/12/2023) Cosponsors: (2)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 12/12/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Notice: Annual Performance Report for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Program. Comments due on or before December 21, 2023.

ED Notice: American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program (1894-0001). Comments due on or before December 27, 2023.

ED Comments Request: Income Driven Repayment Plan Request for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan Programs. Comments due on or before January 10, 2024.

ED Notice: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholar Recognition Program. Comments due on or before January 12, 2024.

ED Notice: College Assistance Migrant Program. Applications due on or before January 16, 2024.

NSF Grant Notice: Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science. Applications due on or before January 29, 2024.

ED Notice: Annual Notice of Interest Rates for Variable-Rate Federal Student Loans Made Under the Federal Family Education Loan Program Prior to July 1, 2010.