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

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) formally rescinded the Biden Administration’s 2024 Title IX regulations and reinstated the Title IX regulations issued under the first Trump Administration in 2020.

The White House announced a plan to rescind $95 million from education programs, including $70 million from domestic grants within ED’s International and Foreign Language Education program and roughly $25 million for programs serving migrant students. This action is part of an $810 million package of proposed recissions.

ED issued a memo stating grant recipients will be required to provide written justification with payment requests for all grants administered by the agency starting November 1.

ED released Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 official student loan cohort default rates (CDRs). The national CDR was 0.4 percent, up from 0 percent last year.

ED extended the enrollment period for a temporary 1 percent interest rate reduction for Federal student loan borrowers who enroll in autopay through December 31.

ED and Treasury launched a website with support options for borrowers with defaulted student loans.

CONGRESS

The U.S. Senate passed S.4668, the Protect College Sports Act, by a 77 to 22 vote.

The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as the U.S. Secretary of Labor by a 47 to 41 vote.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a letter to congressional leaders concluding that the Administration’s proposed recission package violates the Impoundment Control Act by withholding funds beyond their expiration date.

The Senate concluded legislative business and is scheduled to return, along with the U.S. House of Representatives, on November 9 after the midterm elections.

COURTS

While several related court challenges are pending, a Federal judge temporarily blocked the expiration of $56 million in funding for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs that were included in the Administration’s proposed recission.

A status report was filed in NCLD v. OMB stating that the Institute of Education Sciences has obligated approximately 99.5 percent of its FY 2025 funding, including approximately $180 million that had remained unobligated as of August.

A Federal judge temporarily blocked ED from publicly revealing the names of foreign donors to U.S. universities.

A Federal district court judge in Texas v. Kennedy ordered certain provisions in nondiscrimination regulations related to the integration of individuals with disabilities to be vacated.

CONGRESS

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a markup of S.4428, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026. Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) withdrew the bill from consideration before a final vote was taken.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

Education Department wants grantees to ‘defend the spend’ [Higher Ed Dive]

How HSIs Can Move Forward After Federal Funding Cuts [Inside Higher Ed]

DHS sued over guidance restricting training program for international students [Higher Ed Dive]

Book bans reach all-time high, led by Texas and Florida and fueled by AI [The Hill]

ED Announces Additional $39M for TRIO Grantees [Inside Higher Ed]

EEOC sues Harvard to obtain hundreds of documents in DEI-related investigation [Higher Ed Dive]

As National Default Rate Stays Low, Other Data Offers Warning [Inside Higher Ed]

Why Federal Data on Campus Sexual Assault Is Still Missing [Inside Higher Ed]

Thousands of public servants are stuck waiting for student loan forgiveness [The Washington Post]

Cornell Case Revives Anger About Handling of Campus Sexual Assault Cases [The New York Times]

When a Community College Becomes a Transfer Destination [Inside Higher Ed]

Trump administration reverses stance on integration of people with disabilities [NPR]

DHS appeals decision blocking 4-year cap on student visas [Higher Ed Dive]

DOJ says UCLA law school illegally used race in their admissions [The Hill]

Share of Americans who say college is ‘very important’ hits a new low [Higher Ed Dive]
Gallup Report: Record-Low 31% Say College Education Is ‘Very Important’

College Leaders Prepare to Administer Workforce Pell as ED Approves Programs [Inside Higher Ed]

NCAA transgender athlete lawsuit tossed by judge: What to know [The Hill]

Group Argues Civil Discourse Push Is Conservative, Pro-Israel [Inside Higher Ed]

Most students finish college in 4 years or less, report finds [The Washington Post]
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Report: “Time to Degree: Measuring Student Pathway Impacts on Degree Attainment”

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Chairman Smith Opening Statement: Tennessee Field Hearing on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Delivering for Small Business, Manufacturing, and Working Families

Press Release: Neal, Wyden Object to Treasury’s Proposed Boost for Private School Tax Credits

Statements and Webcast from Yesterday’s Full Committee Field Hearing on “The One, Big, Beautiful, Bill Delivering for Small Business, Manufacturing, and Working Families”

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Chairman Smith on Treasury’s School Choice Announcement: Republicans are Delivering on the Promise of Lower Costs, More Educational Freedom

October 6: Full Committee Field Hearing on “The One, Big, Beautiful, Bill Delivering for Small Business, Manufacturing, and Working Families”
Witnesses: Boyden Moore, President & CEO, Orgill; Alex Grover, Owner & CEO, i2M; Wade Thomson, Owner & President, Thomson Prestress; and Mike Miller, Owner, Patrick’s Neighborhood Bar & Patio.
Orgill Innovation Center in Collierville, TN and via webcast.
9:00 a.m. CT

House Committee on Education and Workforce
Press Release: Walberg Statement on September Jobs Report

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Statement on September Jobs Report

House Committee on Small Business
Press Release: Velázquez Slams SBA for Stonewalling GAO Probe Into DOGE Access to Sensitive Small Business Data

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Chairman Cassidy, Hickenlooper, Capito Introduce Resolution Recognizing October 2026 as National Dyslexia Awareness Month

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Republicans Block Democrats’ Bill to Stop Trump from Robbing the American People with “Pocket Rescissions”

Senate Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Republicans Block Merkley’s Bill to Eliminate Pocket Rescissions After the Trump Administration Again Illegally Claws Back Funds Without Consent from Congress

House Committee on Ways and Means
Press Release: Chairman Smith: Transformational Trump Accounts Will Now Reach Millions More Children

Department of Education and the Administration

ED Press Release: Fiscal Year 2026 in Review: Investing in Career Readiness, Improving Outcomes for Students, and Returning Education to the States

White House Presidential Action: National Manufacturing Day, 2026

DOL Press Release: Secretary Sonderling Statement on September Jobs Report

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of the Treasury Launch New Defaulted Loans Support Center

GAO Report: Internet of Things: OMB Action Needed to Ensure Agencies Secure Their Networked Devices

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.10761 — To amend the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act to combat campus sexual assault, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17] (Introduced 10/06/2026) Cosponsors: (5)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Judiciary
Latest Action: House – 10/06/2026 Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.10722 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand behavioral health workforce training programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Carter, Troy A. [Rep.-D-LA-2] (Introduced 10/05/2026) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 10/05/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.10739 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to encourage qualified individuals to enter the forensic pathology workforce, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Guest, Michael [Rep.-R-MS-3] (Introduced 10/05/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
Latest Action: House – 10/05/2026 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means.

H.Res.1607 — Expressing support for the designation of September 2026 as “National Workforce Development Month”.
Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1] (Introduced 10/05/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/05/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.10661 — Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026
Sponsor: Dean, Madeleine [Rep.-D-PA-4] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.10664 — To establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to implement patient-centered academic counseling services for student survivors of sexual assault and other violence.
Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.10665 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to have an independent advocate for campus sexual assault prevention and response.
Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.10672 — 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: Grijalva, Adelita S. [Rep.-D-AZ-7] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Press Release: Rep. Grijalva Introduces America’s College Promise Act to Expand Access to Tuition-Free Community College

H.R.10689 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program for the improvement of remedial education programs at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Norcross, Donald [Rep.-D-NJ-1] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.10694 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide eligibility for nurses working in an elementary or secondary school within a health professional shortage area to participate in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [Rep.-D-WA-3] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Press Release: Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Introduces Legislation to Bring More Nurses to Public Schools

H.R.10708 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to reduce barriers to immigrants becoming nurses or allied health professionals in the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Smith, Adam [Rep.-D-WA-9] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Press Release: Rep. Smith and Rep. Krishnamoothi Introduce Legislation to Help Immigrants Enter the Health Care Workforce

H.R.10712 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to include certain emergency response providers as eligible institutions under mental and behavioral health education and training grant program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Subramanyam, Suhas [Rep.-D-VA-10] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.Res.1592 — Expressing support for the designation of October 2026 as “National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month”.
Sponsor: Brownley, Julia [Rep.-D-CA-26] (Introduced 10/01/2026) Cosponsors: (22)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 10/01/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.5235 — Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act of 2025
Sponsor: Mace, Nancy [Rep.-R-SC-1] (Introduced 09/09/2025) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform | Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

S.2938 — Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act of 2025
Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO] (Introduced 09/29/2025) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings held.

S.5612 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals receiving payment for direct graduate medical education costs under the Medicare program to report information with respect to the citizenship status of residents in an approved medical residency training program.
Sponsor: Moody, Ashley [Sen.-R-FL] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Finance
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

S.5614 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education on removing criminal and juvenile justice questions from their application for admissions process.
Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5615 — A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to protect worker access to employer equity, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Moody, Ashley [Sen.-R-FL] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5626 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to change certain grant requirements for certain students with disabilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Van Hollen, Chris [Sen.-D-MD] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5634 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide additional amounts of loan forgiveness to teachers of English learners and teachers of bilingual and dual language immersion students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Padilla, Alex [Sen.-D-CA] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5636 — A bill to establish a grant program to support restricting the use of cellular phones and other personal electronic devices at eligible schools during instructional time.
Sponsor: Gallego, Ruben [Sen.-D-AZ] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5657 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to have an independent advocate for campus sexual assault prevention and response.
Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5660 — A bill to establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to implement patient-centered academic counseling services for student survivors of sexual assault and other violence.
Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.5663 — A bill to establish a program at the National Science Foundation to fund research awards to reproduce federally funded research.
Sponsor: Lummis, Cynthia M. [Sen.-R-WY] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

S.5664 — A bill to provide for the retraining and support of workers displaced by automation technologies or artificial intelligence, to require Federal action during periods of elevated unemployment, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Finance
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

S.5665 — A bill 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: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.Res.933 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of October 2026 as “National Dyslexia Awareness Month”.
Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.Res.934 — A resolution designating October 10, 2026, as “American Girls in Sports Day”.
Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN] (Introduced 09/30/2026) Cosponsors: (30)
Committees: Senate – Judiciary
Latest Action: Senate – 09/30/2026 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Eligibility Regulations. Comments due on or before December 7, 2026.

ED Comment Request: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH Grant) Agreement To Serve or Repay. Comments due on or before December 7, 2026.

ED Comment Request: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH Grant Program) Service Obligation Certification and Suspension Request Forms. Comments due on or before December 7, 2026.

ED Comment Request: Eligible Career Pathway Program. Comments due on or before November 2, 2026.

FCC Final Rule: Reducing Barriers to Network Improvements and Service Changes, Accelerating Network Modernization

Today’s Federal Register.