E-Update for July 31, 2015
EducationCounsel E-Update for July 31, 2015
U.S Congress
House, Senate Education Leaders Discuss Efforts to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senate Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), and House Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) met to discuss proceeding with a conference committee to resolve differences in the House and Senate passed bills to replace No Child Left Behind. Chairman Kline will chair the conference committee to reconcile House- and Senate-passed bills.
July 30, 2015
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Holds a Hearing on Campus Sexual Assault: Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) held a hearing on campus sexual assault as they seek to to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Witnesses included: Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Dean Heller (R-NV), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). A second panel of witnesses also included: Janet Napolitano, President, University of California; Dana Bolger, Co-Founder, Know Your IX; Dolores Stafford, Executive Director, National Association of Clery Compliance Officers; Mollie Benz Flounlacker, Associate Vice President for Federal Relations, Association of American Universities.
July 29, 2015
House Committee on Education and the Workforce Holds a Hearing on HHS Policies and Priorities: Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) held a hearing to review the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell testified at the hearing. During the hearing, Chairman Kline expressed his disappointment with the Department’s decision to launch a regulatory restructuring of the Head Start program, when he would prefer that the changes be made through a legislative proposal. Ranking Member Scott emphasized that low-income families often lack access to quality programs and that Head Start and Child Care Development Block Grant are the only two major programs that meet these needs. However, he noted, the lack of funding threatens these programs.
July 28, 2015
Safe Campus Act Introduced in the House: Reps. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced H.R. 3043, Safe Campus Act. “It protects the rights of student organizations and encourages institutions to offer access to sexual assault prevention programs, further benefitting the student population,” said Rep. Salmon. “Congress must work to address this issue in a manner that is fair to all persons, and the involvement of our justice system in these proceedings is an excellent way to ensure that all parties’ rights are protected.”
July 29, 2015
House Education and Workforce Committee Introduces Higher Education Legislation:
Last week the Education and Workforce Committee announced the introduction of four bipartisan higher education bills. Each of the bills is outlined below:
- H.R.3177 : Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act. The bill will reform the federal student aid process.
Sponsor: Rep Heck, Joseph J. [NV-3] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (19)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
- H.R.3178 : Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. The bill will help students gain access to the facts they need to make an informed decision.
Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (12)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
- H.R.3179 : Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. The bill will promote financial literacy through enhanced counseling for all recipients of federal financial aid.
Sponsor: Rep Guthrie, Brett [KY-2] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (20)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
- H.R.3180 : Flexible Pell Grant for 21st Century Students Act. The bill will provide students with increased flexibility in the use of Federal Pell Grants.
Sponsor: Rep Stefanik, Elise M. [NY-21] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (15)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Teach Safe Relationships Act Introduced in the House and Senate: Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Alma Adams (D-NC) introduced H.R. 3141, the “Teach Safe Relationships Act of 2015.” The bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act to require “safe relationships behavior” as part of sex education. It also authorizes grants to educate staff and administrators and would require all grantees to develop curriculum for young people that promotes safe relationship behavior. The Senate version of the legislation was introduced by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in February.
July 22, 2015
U.S Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education Releases a Fact Sheet on Student Success: The U.S. Department of Education released a fact sheet on “Focusing Higher Education on Student Success,” which laid out the Secretary’s vision for America’s higher education system of the future. The fact sheet emphasizes that college is both more important and more expensive than it has been in the past, while also describing recent efforts by the Administration to ensure college affordability. The vision presented in the fact sheet is one where student success is the center of discussion and also incentivized by policy proposals going forward.
July 27, 2015
U.S. Department of Education Released a Fact Sheet on Teach to Lead: The U.S. Department of Education released a fact sheet on “Teach to Lead,” which is an initiative powered by the idea that the teaching profession becomes stronger when teachers are empowered to lead. The initiative is a “joint effort between the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the U.S. Department of Education to advance student outcomes by expanding opportunities for teacher leadership, particularly those that allow teachers to stay in the classroom.”
July 27, 2015
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Delivers a Speech on Pell Grants for Incarcerated Individuals: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave a speech at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County where he expressed his interest in making Pell Grants available to incarcerated adults looking to attend college when they get out of jail. He said, “We want to do even more, developing experimental sites that will make Pell grants available to programs that award credentials based on demonstrated competency, to incarcerated adults seeking an independent, productive life after they get out of jail, and to adult learners who enroll in short-term certificate programs that provide meaningful job-ready training.” Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Loretta Lynch also unveiled a program that would create a limited pilot program allowing some students in prison to use Pell grants to pay for college classes at a prison.
July 27, 2015
Events
On August 4, the American Enterprise Institute will host an event entitled, “Matching all students to postsecondary opportunities: How college choice is influenced by institutional, state, and federal policy.” Watch it here.
On August 5, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a meeting entitled, “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Opportunities to Improve Student Success.” The hearing will be held at 10:00 AM in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Watch it here.
New Legislation
H.R.3182 : To advance United States leadership in planetary science and space exploration though education and outreach.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Science, Space, and Technology
H.R.3185 : Equality Act
Sponsor: Rep Cicilline, David N. [RI-1] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (168)
Committees: House Judiciary; House Education and the Workforce; House Financial Services; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration
H.R.3204 : Tackling Excessive Standardized Testing Act of 2015
Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-3] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 7/23/2015 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.3205 : History Is Learned from the Living Act
Sponsor: Rep Jackson Lee, Sheila [TX-18] (introduced 7/23/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Natural Resources
H.R.3221 : Homeless and Foster Youth Achievement Act
Sponsor: Rep Clark, Katherine M. [MA-5] (introduced 7/27/2015) Cosponsors (32)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3252 : To provide grants to eligible entities to develop and maintain or improve and expand before school, afterschool, and summer school programs for Indian and Alaska Native students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 7/28/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3265 : To simplify the process for determining the need and eligibility of students for financial assistance under the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 7/28/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Ways and Means
H.R.3307 : To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by repealing the paid lunch equity requirements.
Sponsor: Rep Hartzler, Vicky [MO-4] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3316 : To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make loan guarantees and grants to finance certain improvements to school lunch facilities, to train school food service personnel, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Barletta, Lou [PA-11] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Agriculture; House Appropriations
H.R.3327 : To prohibit the awarding of Federal Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Collins, Chris [NY-27] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3331 : To amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to include bullying and harassment prevention programs.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3346 : To provide support for the development of middle school career exploration programs linked to career and technical education programs of study.
Sponsor: Rep Graham, Gwen [FL-2] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3359 : To provide for loan repayment for teachers in high-need schools.
Sponsor: Rep Kilmer, Derek [WA-6] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3366 : To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow an individual to qualify for both teacher loan forgiveness and public service loan forgiveness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Lawrence, Brenda L. [MI-14] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3369 : To establish an Office of Rural Education Policy in the Department of Education, make other modifications to Federal law to improve rural schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Ways and Means
H.R.3372 : To establish the Higher Education Regulatory Reform Task Force, to expand the experimental sites initiative under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce college costs for students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Love, Mia B. [UT-4] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Rules
H.R.3386 : To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a pilot competitive grant program for the development of a skilled energy workforce, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Norcross, Donald [NJ-1] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3403 : To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to protect victims of sexual violence, to improve the adjudication of allegations related to sexual violence, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Salmon, Matt [AZ-5] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3408 : To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to protect victims of sexual violence, to improve the adjudication by institutions of higher education of allegations related to sexual violence, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3421 : To allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to the Secretary of Education to combine certain funds to improve the academic achievement of students.
Sponsor: Rep Walker, Mark [NC-6] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (46)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
H.R.3432 : To provide the legal framework and income tax treatment necessary for the growth of innovative private financing options for students to fund postsecondary education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Todd C. [IN-9] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Education and the Workforce; House Financial Services
S.1872 : A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary to provide for the use of data from the second preceding tax year to carry out the simplification of applications for the estimation and determination of financial aid eligibility, to increase the income threshold to qualify for zero expected family contribution, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Booker, Cory A. [NJ] (introduced 7/27/2015) Cosponsors (12)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.1892 : A bill to provide for loan repayment for teachers in high-need schools.
Sponsor: Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] (introduced 7/29/2015) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Publications
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Releases its National Student Aid Profile: The National Profile provides details information about each of the programs authorized under Title IV of the HEA, including: descriptions of the federal student aid programs; recent trends in federal program appropriations; income levels of students and families who receive aid; and a description of the federal student aid application process.
July 28, 2015