E-Update for the Week of February 14, 2022

Highlights:

• On February 8, the House passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) by a vote of 272-162 to extend funding for the federal government through March 11.
• On February 8, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) announced that they are working on a bipartisan effort to reauthorize and expand federal mental health and substance use disorder programs. Additionally, Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced that the Senate Finance Committee is similarly working on bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid to ensure families can afford mental health care for their children.
• On February 7, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released updates to its College Scorecard that, according to the Department, “make the tool more useful for students and families weighing college options.”

Budget and Appropriations:
House passes CR extending government funding through March 11, congressional Appropriators announce agreement on FY2022 framework: The House passed a CR by a vote of 272-162 to extend funding for the federal government through March 11. The Senate is expected to pass the CR prior to February 18, when current federal funding is set to expire. Relatedly, on February 9, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced that negotiators had reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a framework for FY2022 appropriations. While the details of the framework, including top-line spending levels and Appropriations Subcommittee allocations were not made public, this means that appropriators can work to finalize funding levels for programs, including those within USED and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, likely by March 11. The full CR text is here. A section-by-section summary of the CR is here. An announcement from House Appropriations Chairwoman DeLauro on the framework agreement is here.
February 8, 2022

Biden Administration Transition:

Nominations:

USED OSERS nominee advances out of Senate HELP Committee: The Senate HELP Committee approved the nomination of Glenna Wright-Gallo, who is nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at USED on February 10 by a bipartisan vote of 14-8. The nomination will now advance to the full Senate, where a vote is likely in the coming days. Remarks from Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman are here.
February 10, 2022

OMB nominees advance out of Senate Budget, Homeland Security Committees: The Senate Budget Committee approved the nominations of Shalanda Young, who is nominated to serve as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, and Nani Coloretti, who is nominated to serve as OMB Deputy Director, on February 9 by a bipartisan vote of 15-6. Additionally, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the nominations on February 9 by a bipartisan vote of 8-3. The nominations will now advance to the full Senate, where a vote is likely in the coming days. Young has served as Acting Director of OMB since being confirmed as Deputy Director by the Senate in a bipartisan 63-37 vote on March 23, 2021. Previously, Young served as Clerk and Staff Director for the House Appropriations Committee. Coloretti is currently a Senior Vice President at the Urban Institute. Coloretti’s federal government service includes serving previously as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Assistant Secretary for Management and Acting Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Acting Chief Operating Officer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). A tweet from the Senate Budget Committee, announcing the votes, is here. A tally of the Senate Homeland Security Committee vote is here.
February 9, 2022

Non-Coronavirus Updates:

Administration:

White House:

First Lady, USED Secretary reiterate support for community colleges: In remarks delivered at the Community College National Legislative Summit First Lady Jill Biden reaffirmed that President Biden will continue to push for making community college free. While acknowledging that she was “disappointed” when the proposal for free community college was ultimately cut from Democrats’ Build Back Better (BBB) Act, First Lady Biden highlighted other provisions included in the legislation, such as affordable child care and universal pre-kindergarten, that could positively impact the lives of students who attend community college. According to First Lady Biden, BBB is “about helping community colleges train our workforce for 21st-century skills. It’s about supporting students with tutoring, child care, and transportation…And it’s an investment in our kids, with universal preschool that will lay a foundation to learn and succeed for the rest of their lives.”

USED Secretary Miguel Cardona also spoke at the summit, during which he elevated the Biden Administration’s efforts to make college more affordable for all students by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award and expanding training at community colleges, according to POLITICO. POLITICO also reported that Secretary Cardona emphasized the availability of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding for community colleges and said that the Department is “serious about addressing” the burden of student loan debt. “It’s our moment to continue to champion college completion and double down our efforts that lead to more career success,” Cardona said. “It’s our moment to unapologetically support inclusive institutions so every student feels welcomed.” Additionally, POLITICO noted that Secretary Cardona touted new updates to the Department’s College Scorecard, which he said would “help bring college within reach” for many students as they’re able to “compare the cost and values of degrees and certificates” from colleges across the country. A transcript of the First Lady’s remarks is here. A POLITICO article is here.
February 7, 2022

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED announces new updates to College Scorecard: USED released updates to its College Scorecard that, according to the Department, “make the tool more useful for students and families weighing college options.” The most notable changes include an annual refresh of the cumulative loan debt of student borrowers at both the institution-level and by field of study within each institution, as well as federal student loan repayment rates for the institution. Additionally, for the first time since 2018, the Department is publishing institution-level earnings data to “provide an overall sense of the career outcomes” for alumni of the institution, including those who didn’t graduate. A press release from USED is here.
February 7, 2022

Department releases draft proposals on consumer disclosures, ‘gainful employment’ rule: Ahead of the second session (February 14-18) of the Negotiated Rulemaking Panel on Institutional and Programmatic Eligibility, USED circulated two draft proposals aiming to increase consumer disclosures for students and outlining the Department’s plan to rewrite the accountability provisions of a new “gainful employment” rule. The first draft proposal would require all institutions of higher education (IHEs), including public, private, and for-profit institutions, receiving federal funding to “tell prospective students about the outcomes of their academic programs, such as how often students graduate and how much money they typically earn,” according to POLITICO. The article notes that the proposal is “aimed at helping college students make informed decisions about where they choose to enroll.” Under the draft plan, “institutions would be required to direct students and prospective students to a USED website that discloses the consumer information[,] much of [which] is already collected by the department,” states POLITICO.

The second proposal includes a draft of the Department’s rewritten “gainful employment” rule. According to POLITICO, “Education Department officials are proposing to keep much of the Obama-era policy but also considering ways to make it stricter.” The article notes that, “the department’s latest proposal would punish programs where median graduates have student loan payments that exceed either 20 percent of their discretionary income or 8 percent of their annual earnings. Programs that fail those metrics — which are the same as the Obama-era rule — for two out of three years would lose access to federal student loans and Pell grants.” POLITICO further highlights that the Department signaled that it’s considering adding another metric for programs to meet “based on how much a program’s graduates end up earning compared to the average high school graduate, which is about $20,000.” The proposals from USED are here. The POLITICO article is here.
February 7, 2022

Congress:

Senate:

Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing on youth mental health, announces bipartisan effort to improve mental health system: The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled, “Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part I – An Advisory and Call to Action,” during which U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy testified. The hearing focused on responding to recent increases in mental health-related emergency room visits and suicide attempts among young people, particularly in the context of pandemic-related school closures. During the hearing, Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced his intention to produce bipartisan legislation that would reform the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid to ensure families can afford mental health care for their children. According to Chairman Wyden, Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will work on children’s mental health care, while Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Steve Daines (R-MT) will focus on the mental health care workforce. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and John Cornyn (R-TX) will examine how to make mental health care more “seamless,” while Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Richard Burr (R-NC) will focus on how mental health care gets “fairly treated in the same way as physical health care.” Lastly, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John Thune (R-SD) will work on making telehealth options for mental health care more accessible. A recording of the hearing is here. Opening remarks from Chairman Wyden are here. The announcement from Chairman Wyden is here.
February 8, 2022

Murray, Burr announce bipartisan effort to strengthen mental health programs, citing youth mental health concerns: Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) announced that they are working on a bipartisan effort to reauthorize and expand federal mental health and substance use disorder programs. In the press release, the Senators highlight the pandemic’s impact on youth, as evidenced by increased mental health-related emergency room visits and suicide attempts amongst young people. The Senators say that this effort will “build upon the Committee’s bipartisan track record” of responding to similar mental health challenges through previous legislation. A press release from Chairwoman Murray and Ranking Member Burr is here.
February 8, 2022

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Upcoming Events (Congress and Administration):

• On February 14 to 18, the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Institutional and Programmatic Eligibility will hold its second session in a series of meetings. More information can be found here.
• On February 15 at 10:00 am, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “Supporting Quality Workforce Development Opportunities and Innovation to Address Barriers to Employment.” Witnesses include Melinda Mack, Executive Director of the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals; Peter Beard, Senior Vice President for regional workforce development for the Greater Houston Partnership; Ashli Watts, President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; and Nicole Sherard-Freeman, Group Executive for jobs, economy, and Detroit for Work. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On February 15 at 10:00 am, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part II – Identifying and Addressing Barriers to Care.” Witnesses include Dr. Tami Benton, Psychiatrist-in-Chief for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Sharon Hoover, Co-Director of the National Center for School Mental Health; Jodie Lubarsky, Vice President of Clinical Operations for Seacoast Mental Health Center; and Trace Terrell, Lead Intervention and Outreach Specialist for YouthLine. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On February 16 at 12:00 pm, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a business meeting to approve new Subcommittee assignments. More information will be posted here.
• On February 16 at 12:15 pm, the House Education and Labor Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Serving All Students: Promoting a Healthier, More Supportive School Environment.” Witnesses have not yet been announced. More information will be posted here.
• On February 17 at 11:30 am, the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Americans in Need: Responding to the National Mental Health Crisis.” According to the hearing announcement, the hearing is expected to discuss mental health challenges affecting children, young people, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Witnesses have not yet been announced. More information will be posted here.
• On February 23 and 24, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) will hold a virtual meeting. NACIQI advises USED on the establishment and enforcement of the standards of accrediting agencies or associations. Agenda items include an administration policy update from USED Undersecretary James Kvaal, and a discussion of the Department’s Accreditation Dashboard. More information and registration are here.
• On February 28 at 2:00 pm, the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans will hold a virtual roundtable titled, “Opening the Social Emotional Safety Net: SEL Practices for the Black School Community.” The roundtable will feature experts from the field that will discuss culturally competent best social emotional learning practices to support Black students, teachers, and families. More information and registration are here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On February 16 at 5:00 pm, Education Trust and Khan Academy will co-host an event focused on teacher diversity and the importance for student learning. The event will feature speakers from Latinos for Education and the Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):  

• On February 9, the Annenberg Center at Brown University published a working paper titled, “Teachers of Color, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Student Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from the Random Assignment of Teachers to Classes.” The publication summarizes a study of the effects of teachers’ mindsets and practices aligned with culturally responsive teaching. The study found that there was a statistically significant positive impact on students’ short- and long-term social-emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes when taught by teachers of color. The full study is here.

Legislation:

H.R.6619
A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Education from providing Federal funds to a local educational agency unless in-person instruction is available to all students and parents may opt out of student mask mandates, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA)

H.R.6666
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth.
Sponsor: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)

H.R.6668
A bill to prohibit Members of Congress from receiving a financial benefit from certain student loan cancellation programs.
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)

H.R.6669
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide formula grants to States to improve higher education opportunities for foster youth and homeless youth, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)

H.R.6671
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that a member of the Armed Forces, granted a general discharge under honorable conditions on the sole basis that such member failed to obey a lawful order to receive a vaccine for COVID-19, is eligible for certain educational assistance administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI)

H.R.6679
A bill to establish a scholarship program for certain individuals who have completed at least 2 years of service in the military, emergency medical service, police force, or as a teacher’s assistant or firefighter, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH)

H.R.6683
A bill to establish an AmeriCorps Administration to carry out the national and volunteer service programs, to expand participation in such programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. John Larson (D-CT)

H.R.6684
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the work opportunity tax credit with respect to hiring veterans who are receiving educational assistance under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or Defense.
Sponsor: Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV)

H.R.6687
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a competitive grant program to award grants to local educational agencies to address implicit bias in elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

S.3604
A bill to prohibit Federal funds from being made available to any preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, or secondary school that has a face mask mandate.
Sponsor: Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)

S.3605
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide formula grants to States to improve higher education opportunities for foster youth and homeless youth, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

S.3606
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement to specify an effective period of transfer of Post-9/11 educational assistance to a dependent, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

S.3616
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth.
Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

S.3628
A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program to promote comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention efforts in schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

S.3639
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to support early college high schools and dual or concurrent enrollment programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)