News and Press - Page 3 of 44

E-Update for the Week of July 18, 2022

Highlights:

On July 11, the White House hosted an event to commemorate the signing of S.2938, the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” which includes several provisions related to firearms and firearms safety, as well as resources to support school climate and safety improvement.
On July 12, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released a Notice Inviting Applications for the Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant program.
On July 14, USED announced the Engage Every Student Initiative, which will help education leaders ensure that every child has access to high-quality summer programming and other out-of-school time (OST) opportunities.

Administration:
National Park Service (NPS) announces $9.7 million to preserve Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): On July 8, NPS announced $9.7 million in grants will be issued to preserve 21 historic structures on HBCU campuses. The grant program funds projects that include pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, campus preservation plans, and National Register nominations. North Carolina A&T State University, Mississippi Industrial College, and Selma University are among recipients of this year’s programs, all of which are using funds to preserve historical structures on […]

July 18, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of July 11, 2022

Highlights:

On July 5, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released its final priorities, definitions and selection criteria for the Charter Schools Program (CSP).
On July 5, the Biden Administration launched the “National Partnership for Student Success,” a new coalition of education and service organizations that will support the expansion, launch and improvement of high-impact tutoring, mentoring and other programs.
On July 6, USED released the first of two notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing changes to existing federal student loan discharge programs, including Borrower Defense to Repayment (BD), Total and Permanent Disability Discharge, Closed School Discharge, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Administration:
U.S. Department of Education (USED):
USED releases final priorities, definitions, and selection criteria for the Charter Schools Program (CSP): On July 5, USED released its final priorities, definitions and selection criteria for the CSP. In addition to the final rules, the Department also published notices inviting applications (NIAs) for the CSP Grants to State Entities competition, the Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools competition, and the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools competition. In March, the […]

July 11, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of July 4, 2022

Highlights:

On June 24, the House passed two bills that support mental health services for students in higher education.
On June 27, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in favor of Joseph Kennedy, a high school football coach who lost his job because of his post-game prayers at the 50-yard line.
On June 30, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) funding bill.

Budget & Appropriations:
House Appropriations Committee approves FY2023 Labor/HHS funding bill: On June 30, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the FY2023 Labor/HHS funding bill by a 32 to 24 party line vote. The package includes increased funding for child care, Head Start, and preschool development grants, including $7.2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and $12.4 billion for Head Start. Programs that increase access to postsecondary education also saw increases, including an $500 increase to the maximum Pell grant and $1.1 billion to assist primarily Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). During the markup, Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced a manager’s amendment […]

July 4, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of June 27, 2022

Highlights:

On June 23, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released a notice of proposed rulemaking related (NPRM) to Title IX.
On June 24, by a vote of 234 to 193, the House passed S.2938, which serves as a vehicle for bipartisan gun safety legislation, known as the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.” The measure – which passed the Senate by a vote of 65 to 33 on June 23 – will now move to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
On June 23, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee approved by a partisan voice vote its fiscal year (FY) 2023 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill.

Administration:
U.S. Department of Education (USED):
USED releases Spring 2022 Unified Agenda, including announcement of the delay in expected release of the Gainful Employment rule until April 2023: On June 21, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) released USED’s Spring 2022 Unified Agenda, which provides the most up-to-date look at the Department’s plans for issuing proposed and final regulations. Of most consequence was the disclosure that USED no longer […]

June 27, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of June 20, 2022

Highlights:

On June 12, a bipartisan group of 20 Senators announced a deal on a gun control package “framework,” as members are continuing work to draft legislative text.
On June 14, the U.S. Department of Education (USED), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF), published a letter to state, territorial, tribal, and local policymakers with targeted recommendations to support equitable social-emotional development in early education environments.
On June 15, the White House held an event to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which allowed eligible immigrants, who came to the U.S. unlawfully as children, protection from deportation and permission to work.

Administration:
White House:
White House celebrates ten-year anniversary of the DACA policy: On June 15, the White House held an event to commemorate the contributions of DACA recipients, or “Dreamers,” and reaffirm its commitment to preserving this policy. Additionally, the White House used the event to call on Congress to pass legislation to provide lasting protections to Dreamers. In its release, the White House stated […]

June 20, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of June 13, 2022

Highlights:

On June 9, U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary Miguel Cardona delivered an address to outline his vision for how the nation can support teachers across the country and elevate the teaching profession.
On June 8, the House passed a wide-ranging package of gun control measures, H.R. 7910, the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” by a vote of 223 to 204. Additionally, on June 9, the House passed H.R. 2377, the “Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2021,” which would establish procedures for federal courts to issue federal extreme risk protection orders (also known as “Red Flags”), by a vote of 224 to 202.
On June 7, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the FY2023 President’s budget request for USED, during which the Subcommittee heard testimony from USED Secretary Cardona.

Budget & Appropriations:
House sets $1.6 trillion budget ceiling for fiscal year (FY) 2023; Plan for House consideration of FY2023 Appropriations bills announced: On June 8, the House adopted a $1.6 trillion top-line discretionary spending total (also known as […]

June 13, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of June 6, 2022

Due to the holiday, we did not publish on May 27. As such, this week’s E-Update includes information for the weeks of May 23 and May 30.
Highlights:

On June 1, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) approved $5.8 billion group discharge to cancel all remaining loans for 560,000 borrowers who attended Corinthian Colleges Inc. (Corinthian).
On June 2, the House Judiciary Committee held an emergency hearing to mark up a series of gun-control bills in response to a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa, as well as soaring gun violence nationally.
On June 2, President Biden delivered an address on gun violence in America following his visit to Uvalde, Texas, to honor the 19 children and 2 teachers killed at Robb Elementary School.

Administration:
White House:
President Biden delivers commencement address at University of Delaware: On May 28, President Biden delivered a commencement address at his alma mater, the University of Delaware. In the speech, the President addressed the recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, saying that progress in the U.S. has always been met with pushback from “the oldest […]

June 6, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of May 23, 2022

Please note that in light of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, EducationCounsel will not publish the next E-Update until June 3, 2022.
Highlights:

On May 13, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced in a letter to AASA, the School Superintendents Association, that school districts, working with their state educational agencies (SEAs) to apply for a waiver request to USED, may be provided an additional 18 months to spend their American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds beyond the end of the obligation period for school infrastructure projects.
On May 18, the House Education and Labor Committee held a markup on a series of education-related bills.
On May 19, the House Oversight Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Free Speech Under Attack (Part II): Curriculum Sabotage and Classroom Censorship,” the Subcommittee’s second hearing addressing the “escalating assault” on free speech in K-12 classrooms.

Administration:
White House:
White House holds conversation on youth mental health: On May 18, the White House held a conversation on youth mental health, featuring remarks from First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Surgeon […]

May 23, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of May 16, 2022

Highlights:

On May 9, the White House announced that it has secured an agreement with twenty internet providers to increase internet speeds while lowering costs for low-income households.
On May 12, a conference committee meeting was held on the America Competes Act (H.R. 4521) to begin to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills.
On May 16, the House Rules Committee will meet to consider H.R. 7309, the “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [WIOA] of 2022.” The bill is likely to then move to full consideration by the House.

Administration:
White House:
White House expands access to high-speed, affordable internet service for low-income Americans: On May 9, the White House announced that it has secured an agreement with twenty internet providers to increase internet speeds while lowering costs for low-income households. According to the Biden Administration, the commitments will allow “tens of millions” of households to receive high-speed internet at no cost as part of the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which was established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58). The program will allow eligible households – which the […]

May 16, 2022 E-Update

E-Update for the Week of May 9, 2022

Highlights:

On May 4, Politico reported the U.S. Department of Education (USED) is considering issuing guidance that could extend the timeline by which districts must spend American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funding on school construction and infrastructure improvements.
On May 5, Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) led a bipartisan letter to USED Secretary Miguel Cardona expressing their concerns about a proposed rule that would adjust how charter schools apply for and spend funding from the Charter School Program (CSP).
On May 6, USED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced plans to solicit public comments on possible adjustments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the landmark disability civil rights law.

Administration:
White House:
President Biden considering $125,000 incoming cap for student debt relief: On May 3, the White House confirmed President Biden is considering limiting any student debt cancellation to borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. Previously, President Biden announced he would soon take executive action to forgive “some” student debt, though he ruled out forgiving $50,000 per borrower, a request many […]

May 9, 2022 E-Update