E-Update for the Week of March 2, 2020

Highlights:

• On February 27, the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Department of Education Budget Request for FY 2021.” During the hearing, both Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK) raised concerns with the proposed consolidation of 29 programs to create an Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged (ESED) block grant.
• On February 26, the House Appropriations Labor/HHS Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Department of Health and Human Services Budget Request for FY 2021.” The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar. Subcommittee members were largely focused on the Department’s strategy for addressing the developing coronavirus outbreak.
• On February 26, USED Secretary DeVos announced a new Title IX enforcement initiative to be led by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The initiative is focused on enforcement of Title IX within K-12 public schools, particularly related to issues of sexual harassment and assault of students by adults within schools.

Congress:

Senate:

Warren, Booker, Harris urge OCR to investigate racial bias in student loan industry: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Assistant Secretary Kenneth Marcus. In the letter, the Senators urged OCR to provide information on how the Office is addressing the racial disparities in student borrowing and student loan outcomes and to launch an investigation into the role that “predatory colleges and the student loan industry play in contributing to racial disparities.” The Senators request information no later than March 26. A press release is here. The letter is here.
February 28, 2020

Senate spending panel pushes HHS on coronavirus response: The Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Review of the FY2021 Budget Request for HHS.” The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar. The hearing was largely focused on the Department’s efforts to address the coronavirus outbreak. However, Subcommittee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) expressed her concern with the proposed elimination of Preschool Development Grants (PDG). Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-AL) expressed his appreciation for the Department’s continued funding of Head Start and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Opening remarks from Chairman Blunt are here. Secretary Azar’s testimony is here. A recording of the hearing is here.
February 25, 2020

House:

Bipartisan concern with USED block grant proposal: The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Department of Education Budget Request for FY 2021.” The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary Betsy DeVos. During the hearing, both Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK) raised concerns with the proposed consolidation of 29 programs to create an Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged (ESED) block grant. Chairwoman DeLauro led Subcommittee Democrats in raising significant concern with the Department’s proposed cuts to education programs. Ranking Member Cole and Chairwoman DeLauro also expressed their appreciation for the Department’s proposed increase to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Full Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressed during the hearing that the Committee would “reject this outrageous proposal.” Opening remarks by Subcommittee Chairwoman DeLauro are here. Opening remarks by Chairwoman Lowey are here. Secretary’s DeVos’s written testimony is here. A recording of the hearing is here.
February 27, 2020

HHS Secretary pushed on coronavirus response, Democratic leaders concerned with early childhood cuts: The House Appropriations Labor/HHS Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Department of Health and Human Services Budget Request for FY 2021.” The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar. Subcommittee members were largely focused on the Department’s strategy for addressing the developing coronavirus outbreak. Full Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressed her concern with the proposed elimination of the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) program. Opening remarks by Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are here. Opening remarks from Chairwoman Lowey are here. Secretary Azar’s written testimony is here. A recording of the hearing is here.
February 26, 2020

Chairman Scott calls for renewed investment in public school infrastructure: House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) released a statement in celebration of Public Schools Week. In his statement, the Chairman applauded the impacts of strong public schools but also called for increased investments in school facilities. “On average, K-12 school facilities are nearly 45 years old and are being underfunded by $46 billion each year, with high-poverty and majority Black and Brown schools feeling the greatest strain. As a result, students and educators are attending school buildings that are either unsafe, not equipped with essential technology, or both,” stated the Chairman. He went on to describe the Committee’s passage of H.R.865, the “Rebuild America’s Schools Act,” which was reported out of Committee over one year ago. The bill would fund $70 billion in grants and provide $30 billion in bonds to support physical and digital infrastructure for public schools. The full statement is here.
February 25, 2020

Administration:

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED announces new initiative on Title IX compliance in K-12 schools, focuses on adult harassment of students: USED Secretary DeVos announced a new Title IX enforcement initiative to be led by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The initiative is focused on enforcement of Title IX within K-12 public schools, particularly related to issues of sexual harassment and assault of students by adults within schools. “Through compliance reviews and raising public awareness about what’s actually happening in too many of our nation’s schools, we can build on the good work we’re already doing to enforce Title IX and protect students. We cannot rest until every student can learn in a safe, nurturing environment where their civil rights are protected,” stated the Secretary. The announcement outlines that OCR will conduct nationwide compliance reviews in schools and districts; will raise awareness of the issue of sexual assault in K-12 schools; will conduct Data Quality Reviews of data submitted by school districts through the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC); and will collect more detailed data through the CRDC. A press release is here.
February 26, 2020

Publications (Congressional and Administration):

• On February 26, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published a report titled, “Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: FY 17.” The report provides information about state-level revenues and expenditures in public K-12 school systems for the 2016-2017 school year. Key findings of the report include identifying that total revenues increased by 2.3 percent from fiscal year (FY) 2016 to FY2017; that expenditures for public elementary and secondary education increased by 2 percent; and that the average per pupil spending was $12,258 in FY2017, which is a 1.6 percent increase from FY2016. The full report is here.

Upcoming Events (Congressional and Administration):

• On March 3 at 10:00 am, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “An Emerging Disease Threat: How the U.S. Is Responding to COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus.” Witnesses include Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Anthony Fauci, a Director of the National Institutes of Health; Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More information is here.
• On March 3 at 10:00 am, the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Subcommittee will hold a Subcommittee hearing titled, “Reducing Child Poverty.” Witnesses include Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, Professor at Brandeis University; Autumn Burke, Assemblywoman in the California State Assembly; Kathryn Edin, Professor at Princeton University; Irwin Garfinkel, Professor at Columbia University; and Matt Weidinger, Rowe Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. More information is here.
• On March 4 at 10:00 am, the House Homeland Security Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “Confronting the Coronavirus: Perspectives on the Response to a Pandemic Threat.” Witnesses have yet to be announced. More information is here.
• On March 4 at 10:15 am, the House Education and Labor Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee will hold a Subcommittee hearing titled, “Reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act: Strengthening and Growing Apprenticeships for the 21st Century.” Witnesses have yet to be announced. More information is here. A media advisory is here.
• On March 4 at 10:30 am, the House Appropriations Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee will hold a Subcommittee hearing titled, “Department of Housing and Urban Development Budget Request for FY2021.” U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson will testify. More information is here.
• On March 5 at 9:30 am, the Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “The Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics.” Witnesses include Kenneth Cuccinelli, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for HHS. More information is here.
• On March 5 at 10:00 am, the Senate Appropriations Labor/HHS Subcommittee will hold a Subcommittee hearing titled, “Budget Estimates and Justification for FY2021 for the Education Department.” U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary Betsy DeVos will testify. More information is here.
• On March 10 at 10:00 am, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a full Committee hearing titled, “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress.” Kathleen Kraninger, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will testify. More information is here.

• On either March 24 or April 1, USED Secretary DeVos is expected to testify in front of the House Education and Labor Committee. The Secretary would testify on the Department’s FY2021 budget request.

• On April 15, states must submit their three-year Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) state plans. States previously submitted their one-year transition plans. More information is here.
• On April 29, it is expected the House Appropriations Labor/HHS Subcommittee will hold a markup of its FY2021 Labor/HHS appropriations bill.
• On May 13, it is expected the House Appropriations Committee will hold a markup of the FY2021 House Labor/HHS appropriations bill.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations): 

• On March 10 at 12:00 pm, New America will hold an event titled, “Moving Beyond False Choices for Early Childhood Educators.” The event will discuss pressing issues for expanding high quality early childhood education, including preparation and education for early childhood educators, compensation and status, and workforce diversity and inclusivity. More information and registration are here.
• On March 19, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will hold an event titled, “Education policy debate: Should the government provide free universal pre-K?” The event will feature a debate between experts that will argue pre-K can improve academic and socioemotional outcomes, but others will suggest that a universal approach would produce low-quality schools. More information and registration are here.

Legislation:

H.R.5961
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support apprenticeship programs.
Sponsor: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)

H.R.5967
A bill to amend the Museum and Library Services Act to authorize grants to support the use of public libraries for community economic development.
Sponsor: Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)

H.R.5984
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve oversight of private charter management organizations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)

H.R.5967
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a STEM grant program.
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL)

H.R.6007
A bill to promote youth athletic safety and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)

S.3328
A bill to award grants to States to establish or improve, and carry out, Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize high-level student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.
Sponsor: Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI)

S.3344
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to develop and disseminate an evidence-based curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12 on substance use disorders.
Sponsor: Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

S.3347
A bill to promote youth athletic safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

S.3358
A bill to extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of family and medical leave and pension plans, and to ensure equitable treatment in the workplace.
Sponsor: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

S.3364
A bill to improve the health and academic achievement of students in highly polluted environments, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)