The information covered below is from December 20, 2025, through January 8, 2026.

Highlights:

• On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced that USED Secretary Linda McMahon has approved the Iowa Department of Education’s Every Student Succeeds Act waiver request.
• On January 9, the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, known as the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell Committee, reached consensus on changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earnings accountability provisions and related changes to existing Gainful Employment and financial value transparency regulations.
• On January 6, the Trump Administration announced it has frozen federal child care funding and other social services, in Minnesota and four additional Democrat-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York. On January 8, these states filed a lawsuit to challenge the freeze in funding. Subsequently, on January 9, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the states’ motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, blocking the implementation of the funding freeze. 

Administration:

White House:

Vice President Vance announces the creation of a new Assistant Attorney General position to investigate allegations of fraud: On January 8, Vice President J.D. Vance announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will create a new Assistant Attorney General position that will lead investigations regarding allegations of “fraud” across the country. Vice President Vance stated in a briefing that a nominee has already been selected by Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the nomination will be announced “hopefully in the next few days.” The announcement comes amid the Trump Administration’s freezing federal child care and family assistance grants to Minnesota, California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York (see below under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for more information).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

Trump Administration freezes child care and family assistance funding: On December 30, 2025, the Trump Administration announced it would freeze all federal child care and family assistance grants to Minnesota. The Administration’s announcement referenced concerns about fraud in Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) payments to child care providers. The Administration also transmitted a letter to Minnesota requiring that it provide the federal government with additional information on CCDF providers and participants by January 9, 2026. The requested information includes a list of child care providers receiving subsidies, information on alleged fraud and oversight issues, and a comprehensive list of CCDF participants, including their name, address, date of birth, and social security number. According to media reports, state investigators in Minnesota visited child care programs that were part of fraud allegations raised by a third party and found these child care providers were operating as expected. On January 6, 2026, the Administration further announced it has frozen federal child care funding, as well as other social services such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), in Minnesota and four additional Democrat-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, and New York. On January 8, these states filed a lawsuit to challenge these actions, and a Temporary Restraining Order was subsequently granted blocking the implementation of the funding freeze (see below under U.S. Courts for more information).

Separately, the Trump Administration also plans to implement new administrative requirements for all states to access their allocated funds. According to a bulletin issued on January 5, 2026, by HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, it appears that states will be required to provide, “A strong justification for the use of funds that aligns with CCDF program purposes, that at a minimum includes a description or summary of expenses or activities, by CCDF expenditure category.” This information that will be required to be provided by these states is in addition to the oversight and monitoring protocols already in place to ensure program integrity and accountability. Currently, all states must address policies for oversight of federal child care funds in their CCDF plan, including investigating fraud and recapturing improper payments. Additionally, HHS regularly conducts an improper payment analysis, which provides an opportunity to recapture funds that were not spent in accordance with existing federal and state requirements. Concerns have been raised that additional steps for verification may lead to funding delays, or rejections, preventing states from making timely payments to child care providers. 

Administration issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Child Care: On January 5, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families published a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would rescind several requirements from a March 2024 final rule for CCDF, issued during the Biden Administration. Comments on the proposed rule are due on February 4, 2026. The proposed rule would rescind the following requirements:

• Grants & Contracts: The NPRM proposes to rescind requirements for states to provide some portion of direct child care services via grants or contracts for children in underserved areas, infants and toddlers, and children with disabilities.
• Co-Payment Caps: The NPRM proposes reverting from the mandatory seven percent family co-payment cap to allowing states flexibility in determining what constitutes a cost barrier for families.
• Provisions to stabilize provider payments: The NPRM proposes to rescind the requirement that payments to providers are on-time (i.e., by the beginning of the delivery of services) and based on enrollment rather than attendance.

The proposed regulation notes that states would still be able to pursue these practices in the absence of a regulatory requirement, but it is likely some states would not. Notably, the proposed rule does not seek to eliminate other aspects of the 2024 rule, including eliminating co-payments for families experiencing homelessness, families with a child in Head Start, families with a child in foster or kin care, and families with a child with a disability. Tribal lead agencies could also continue to eliminate co-payments to all children. Additional requirements that would be maintained relate to modernizing subsidy systems (including requiring states to create online applications); increasing consumer education (such as, requiring states to post their sliding scales and policies for co-pay waivers); and measures aimed at encouraging states to more quickly approve eligibility.

HHS Awards FY2025 Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Grants: Prior to December 31, 2025, HHS released an application for states to apply for more than $200 million for the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) program, which assists states with their efforts to build stronger early childhood systems. While grant awards have not been formally posted, 23 states have receiving funding to support early childhood systems-building efforts, according to a press release from the First Five Years Fund. For a list of states that received a PDG B-5 grant and the amounts, see this table.

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED approves Iowa’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) waiver request: On January 7, 2026, USED announced that Education Secretary Linda McMahon has approved the Iowa Department of Education’s ESSA waiver request. Iowa was the first state to submit a request in response to USED’s invitation to all states to consider doing so. USED approved the waiver of four ESSA provisions and granted Iowa’s parallel request under the Education Flexibility Partnerships Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex) for the Iowa Department of Education to be able to approve certain types of Ed-Flex requests by school districts without seeking USED’s approval. Detailed information on the SSA provisions waived include:

Consolidating State-Level Activities Funds: USED approved Iowa’s request to consolidate its state-level activities funds—a percentage of formula funds designated through ESSA that states are allowed to reserve and use for specific activities—from Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction); Title III, Part A (English Language Acquisition); Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment); and Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers). These state set-asides for Iowa total about $8 million through fiscal year (FY) 2028. The state is still obligated to “meet all programmatic requirements and responsibilities for each of the covered programs,” but it can now use its state set-aside activities funding for “any allowable use in each of the included programs.”  

• ESSA already allows a state education agency (SEA) to consolidate its state-level administrative funds (as Iowa already does). ESSA also allows a SEA to transfer state-level activities funds between Title II, Part A and Title IV, Parts A & B. Under this part of Iowa’s waiver, the SEA can include its Title III state-level activities funds, as well.
• In its initial draft waiver request, Iowa also sought a waiver to allow its local education agencies (LEAs) to consolidate their ESSA formula funds, which would represent a much more significant change. However, Iowa’s official waiver request ultimately did not include this proposal. Note that another pending state waiver request, from Indiana, does seek the ability for the SEA and all of its LEAs to consolidate or “block grant” their ESSA formula funds.

Carryover Funds & Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: Iowa sought—and was granted in a separate January 7, 2026, letter—permission to approve LEA requests under the Education Flexibility Partnerships Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex) without first seeking USED approval, beginning in FY2026. Per the Secretary’s waiver letter, this Ed-Flex approval is limited to two types of requests that LEAs might submit to the Iowa Department of Education. 

• One is related to a limitation on the carryover of Title I, Part A funds. ESSA Section 1127(b) allows SEAs to grant an LEA a waiver of the 15% cap on carryover funds only once every three years. With USED’s approval, Iowa will now be able to waive that cap more often for LEAs that request it. 
• The other relates to three assurances LEAs must make regarding how they will spend Title IV, Part A grants for Student Support and Academic Enrichment. ESSA Section 4106(e)(2)(C-E) requires LEAs to spend at least 20% of these funds on Section 4107 activities (“Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities”), at least 20% on Section 4108 (“Safe and Healthy Students”), and some portion on at least one Section 4109 activity (“Effective Use of Technology”). With USED’s approval, Iowa can allow LEAs that request the flexibility to spend their Title IV, Part A funds on allowable Title IV, Part A activities without regard to those three assurances.

Secretary McMahon also directly granted parallel waivers of these two ESSA provisions for just one year, in case Iowa LEAs want to take advantage of these two flexibilities with FY2025 funds. After this one-year waiver, the LEAs would instead use the Ed-Flex process to ask the SEA for access to these same flexibilities. (For more on USED’s recent Ed-Flex guidance, see EducationCounsel’s 9/30/25 Alert.)

Transition Services: The final waived provision relates to Title I, Part D funds serving neglected, delinquent, or at-risk students. Under ESSA Section 1418(a), a maximum of 30% of Title I, Part D funds can be reserved for transition services. Under the waiver, which is valid through FY2028, Iowa’s subgrantees may now reserve 15% or more of funds for this purpose. 

Negotiated Rulemaking Committee reaches consensus on accountability changes as a result of One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): On January 9, the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, known as the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee, reached consensus on changes made by the OBBBA earnings accountability provisions and related changes to existing Gainful Employment (GE) and financial value transparency (FVT) regulations. Prior to the meeting, USED released draft regulatory proposals on December 29, 2025, for higher education accountability and transparency. Since consensus was reached, USED must use the agreed-upon language for its proposed regulations. During the week, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has been publishing daily summaries of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee’s activities for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Specifically, the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee reached consensus on proposed regulations to implement the minimum earnings requirements in OBBBA, modify the existing FVT regulations (now renamed to Student Tuition and Transparency System or STATS), and significantly revise the existing GE regulations. Below is a high-level summary of key provisions agreed to by the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee:

• Eliminating the debt-to-earnings (D/E) measure in GE and STATS. USED justifies this change by noting that only 94 programs would fail the D/E rate, although this represents approximately 40,000 students and nearly $400 million in federal loan funding annually;
• Eliminating the possible loss of Pell Grant eligibility for GE programs in most cases (see next bullet), allowing them only to face loss of loan eligibility (similar to degree programs under OBBBA);
• For all programs (not just GE programs), if more than half of an institution’s programs or Title IV aid dollars go to programs that fail the minimum earnings threshold, ending all Title IV eligibility for those low-earnings programs at an institution (student loans, Pell Grants, and Campus-Based aid);
• Allowing programs that fall below the minimum earnings threshold to voluntarily cease new enrollments in the program and continue disbursing student loans for up to an additional three years (or the normal length of the program, whichever is shorter);
• Reducing the loss of program eligibility from three years to two years; and
• Changing the GE and STATS earnings calculations (threshold and timing) to the ones used in OBBBA (making it easier to pass compared to the existing GE regulations).

Aside from eliminating the D/E measure, the draft regulations do not significantly modify the most critical institutional transparency requirements needed to populate the STATS public disclosure website. Additionally, USED would still be required to publicly report earnings, price, and federal and private debt at all programs of study nationally.

USED will release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) with request for comments that will reflect the consensus regulatory text sometime in the Spring and a Final Regulation, likely midyear. Most of the rules will likely become effective upon publication.

USED concurs with DOJ opinion on unconstitutionality of MSI programs: As background, on December 2, 2025, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a formal memorandum opinion to USED concluding that a number of higher education grant programs authorized by Congress and currently implemented by USED are unconstitutional. Specifically, OLC asserted that various Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs violate the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment through race-based classifications that do not satisfy OLC’s application of the relevant “strict scrutiny” legal standard. OLC’s memo concludes by asserting that “[f]unds appropriated for these unconstitutional programs may be repurposed or reprogrammed in appropriate circumstances.”

On December 19, 2025, USED then announced Education Secretary McMahon’s concurrence with OLC and noted that USED is “currently evaluating the full impact of the OLC opinion on affected programs.” USED also stated that it “does not intend to claw back” funds that have previously been awarded via the affected programs.

Specifically, OLC found that the following programs are unconstitutional and thus must no longer be implemented by USED: Hispanic-Serving Institutions; Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSI); Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI); Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI); Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education (NHCTE); and Formula-based programs for Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI). OLC also concluded that it was illegal to grant access to some Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data only to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). 

Expanded Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) admissions data collection finalized: On December 18, 2025, USED announced that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had approved the new Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey component to be added to the IPEDS data collection. The announcement noted that the data collection window would open that day, and reaffirmed the previously stated deadline of March 18, 2026, giving institutions only three months to collect and submit the substantial data now required. The final version of the data collection does not appear to include any major revisions made in response to the 146 comments received during the final 30-day comment period, with OMB’s approval coming the day after the comment period closed. As discussed in EducationCounsel’s 8/21/25 Alert, the Administration’s stated goals for ACTS are “to provide adequate transparency in admissions” and to have data that “could indicate whether institutions are using race-based preferencing in their admissions processes.”

USED awards new FY2025 Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grants: On January 5, 2026, USED announced $169 million in new FIPSE grant awards. The new grant, titled “FIPSE Special Projects,” awarded 72 grants across four “areas of national need” as determined by the Trump Administration. Awards included $50.9 million to 18 grantees for Advancing the Understanding of and Use of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Postsecondary Education; $51.8 million to 17 grantees for Promoting Civil Discourse on College and University Campuses; $14.5 million to 15 grantees for Promoting Accreditation Reform; and $52.0 million to 22 grantees for Supporting Capacity-Building for High-Quality Short-Term Programs. The list of awards to specific grantees for each category can be found here. As discussed in EducationCounsel’s 11/13/25 Alert, the announcement of these new FIPSE grants represented a departure from the funding of multiple grant programs that had been preciously funded by FIPSE, such as the Postsecondary Student Success Grants (PSSG) and the Basic Needs Grants. EducationCounsel’s 3/28/25 Deep Dive also explains how, under the FY25 CR that mostly extended FY24’s appropriations levels through FY25, the Administration had the flexibility to prioritize spending among some grant programs within an appropriations account like FIPSE’s.

Congress:

Senate:

Senate confirms Trump Administration appointees to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): On December 19, the Senate voted 53-43 to confirm “en bloc” 97 Trump Administration appointees, including several appointees to DOL. The following nominees were approved:

• Jeremiah Workman to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training;
• Anthony D’Esposito to serve as Inspector General;
• Rosario Palmieri to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy; and
• Henry Mack III to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment and Training Administration.

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Sanders releases report taking issue with the Trump Administration’s First Amendment actions on college campuses: On January 7, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) released a new report titled, Trump’s War on Free Speech, alleging that President Trump “has violated or likely violated the First Amendment in 17 cases related to college campuses, according to federal courts.” Among the 17 cases the report examined, the report cites court decisions where certain speech was “purge[d],” changed in “fear [of being] punished,” and “self-censored.” Additionally, the report notes that, “A Trump-appointed District Court judge in Maryland found that the Trump Administration “initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished.” The report also calls for colleges and universities to “stand up” for the First Amendment.

House:

House passes second FY2026 final minibus package, including funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF): On January 8, 2026, the House passed by a bipartisan vote of 397 to 28 a minibus package, including the final FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations bills. The minibus package will be considered in the Senate during the week of January 12, which if then passed, will head to President Trump for his signature. The is the second in a series of minibus packages to be approved by Congress, in an effort to finalize the FY2026 appropriations process prior to federal funding expiring under the current Continuing Resolution (CR) on January 30, 2026. The minibus package also includes $8.75 billion for NSF in FY2026, which is $310 million (or 3.4%) below the FY2025 level. Within NSF, the STEM Education Directorate will receive $938 million in FY2026, which is $234 million (or 19.9%) below the FY2025 level; however, the FY2026 President’s budget request had proposed the elimination of the Directorate. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are continuing negotiations on a final FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which may be included in an additional minibus package later this month, if an agreement is able to be reached.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee holds hearing related to allegations of fraud in federal social services funding in Minnesota: On January 7, 2026, the House Oversight and Government Committee held a hearing titled, “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I.” The hearing focused on the recent allegations of fraud relating to federal social services funding in Minnesota, as well as the state’s response (see above under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for more information on the freeze in child care funding in MN). During opening statements, Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) stated that federal prosecutors have identified extensive fraud connected to Minnesota programs, citing estimates presented to the Committee that place potential losses possibly as high as $9 billion across nutrition, housing, and disability programs, among other programs. Chairman Comer stressed that the American people demand accountability -- including jail time for those responsible -- and insisted that Congress must evaluate legislative solutions to ensure this never happens again. Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) began his opening statement by noting that both sides of the aisle can agree that fraud is a threat at every level of government, before going on to say that fraud should be punished, especially when it damages services to families. However, Ranking Member Garcia then noted that the Trump Administration’s freeze on child care funding in five Democratic-led states will cut off funding for innocent families and children. The hearing, at times, took on a partisan tone, and is the first in an expected series of hearings on this issue in the House and Senate (across several committees) to take place with others to follow.

House Education and Workforce Chair Walberg sends letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz regarding reports of improper payments in Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): On January 5, House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) sent letters to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison regarding reports of improper payments in Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The letters state that the efforts state leaders have already conducted to assess compliance concerns “do not appear to be sufficiently mitigating fraud.” Chair Walberg requests from Governor Walz and AG Ellison “information regarding Minnesota’s administration and oversight of child care providers," as well as any steps the state has taken to “address identified vulnerability and to strengthen program integrity.”

U.S. Courts:

Below are key recent actions by the U.S. Courts. For a more comprehensive look at recent actions by the U.S. Courts, please see EducationCounsel’s 1/8/2026 Alert.

U.S. Federal District judge issues a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration from freezing federal funding for child care and family assistance programs in CA, CO, IL, MN, and NY: On January 8, 2026, five Democratic Attorney Generals (AGs) from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York filed a lawsuit against HHS’ Administration for Children and Families regarding the Trump Administration’s freezing $10 billion in federal funds in these states, including CCDF, TANF, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funding. The states noted that HHS froze the funds alleging “serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” but that “HHS has not provided any evidence to support those claims.” The lawsuit requests that the court block the funding freeze and demands for state-level documents and data. Additionally, the AGs sought a temporary restraining order “in light of the irreparable harm that their states face.” Subsequently, on January 9, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the states’ motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO), blocking the implementation of the funding freeze. The TRO states, “This relief is preliminary in nature and is designed to protect the status quo while plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction is briefed and decided.”

Preliminary Injunction issued related to Head Start anti-DEIA policies: On January 6, 2026, a federal district court in Washington State issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by parent groups and state Head Start Associations challenging a variety of HHS actions regarding the Head Start program. The nationwide injunction prohibits HHS from implementing, for all Head Start programs, both its anti-diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policies and its mass layoffs and regional office closures. The injunction will remain in effect for the duration of the lawsuit, although the Trump Administration may seek to appeal. (Note that the Head Start layoffs have already been halted through a separate lawsuit.) The injunction comes after a number of Head Start programs experienced delays in funding and were ordered to remove references in their application to activities that HHS considered to be DEIA, including some services required in the Head Start Act for children with disabilities and dual language learners. (For more details on the Head Start litigation, please find a litigation summary here.)

The court considered whether HHS acted legally in implementing its anti-DEIA policies and in ordering a mass reduction in force and closure of half of the Head Start regional offices. Concluding that the Administration has “provided no rational basis for these actions and have shown no consideration for how these cuts and confusing policy changes have frustrated or made it impossible for Plaintiffs to function as they are statutorily required,” the court found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in providing that HHS had acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. 

Note that, as summarized in EducationCounsel’s 9/17/25 Alert, the court has already issued a preliminary injunction in this same case that halted, on a nationwide basis, any enforcement of HHS’s reinterpretation of Head Start eligibility under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The reinterpretation would have required programs to verify families’ immigration status.

DOJ sues Virginia over in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students: On December 29, 2025, DOJ announced a lawsuit against Virginia challenging state laws that permit any resident of the state (regardless of immigration status) to qualify for in-state tuition, certain scholarships, and other postsecondary benefits. The initial complaint requests a court finding that these state laws are unenforceable as applied to undocumented residents on the basis that they violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This is the seventh such lawsuit filed by DOJ since June 2025, including tuition eligibility challenges in Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and California. The day after DOJ filed the lawsuit, Virginia and DOJ filed a joint motion seeking an order reflecting DOJ’s position and requesting a permanent injunction preventing the state from applying its relevant laws to undocumented students in the future. It is unclear how the leadership transitions taking place this month in the Virginia governor and attorney general’s offices (both shifting from Republican to Democrat) may impact the proposed agreement and any future developments in this lawsuit. 

Appeals Court affirms ruling against National Institute of Health (NIH)’s indirect costs rate cap: On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that NIH could not cut the indirect cost rate for its grants to a uniform 15% in lieu of a separately negotiated rate for each grant. The unanimous opinion of three judges affirmed the district court’s permanent injunction in a set of lawsuits brought by 22 states, higher education associations, and medical associations. Specifically, the court found that NIH’s proposed new rate “violates the congressionally enacted appropriations rider and HHS’s duly adopted regulations.” (The court also confirmed that, under the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent rulings, these lawsuits challenging an “agency-wide guidance” were properly brought in federal district court and did not instead have to be filed in the Federal Court of Claims as a challenge to “withholding of funds promised under grant agreements.”)

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On January 14 at 10:15 a.m., the House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Building an AI-Ready America.” Witnesses include: Ms. Chaya Nayak, Head of Certifications and Jobs Platform, OpenAI; Mr. Adeel Khan, Founder & CEO, MagicSchool AI; Ms. Alexandra Reeve Givens, President & CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology; Mr. Kevin Frazier, AI Innovation & Law Fellow, University of Texas Law School. The hearing will be held in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On January 14 at 10:00 a.m., the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology will hold a hearing titled, “Advancing America’s AI Action Plan.” Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios will testify. The hearing will be held in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On January 15 at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth.” The hearing will examine how early, excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops can harm development and mental well-being. Witnesses include: Dr. Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University; Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Director of LME Global; Emily Cherkin, Author and Founder of The Screentime Consultant; and Dr. Jenny Radesky, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of Michigan Medical School. The hearing will be held in 253 Russell Senate Office Building, and more information can be found here.
• On January 28 at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights will hold a hearing titled, “Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond.” Witnesses have not yet been announced. The hearing will be held in 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building and livestreamed here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On January 14 at 11:00 a.m., the Brookings Institution will host a webinar titled, “A new direction for AI and students: Findings from the Brookings Global Task Force on AI and Education.” Panelists will discuss findings from a forthcoming report, “A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, Prepare, Protect,” that studied how generative artificial intelligence is reshaping education and the student experience. Journalist Kara Swisher, Senior Fellow and CUE Director Rebecca Winthrop, and University of Virginia student Rida Karim will explore how AI could transform learning—if well-designed and ethically used—and the risks that accompany a failure to implement these guardrails. More information and registration are here.
• On January 14 at 2:00 p.m., the Federalist Society will host a webinar titled, “Courthouse Steps Oral Argument: Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.” The two cases have distinct questions related to transgender students’ rights to participate in sports, and will follow the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on each case on January 13. Sarah Parshall Perry, Vice President of Defending Education, and William E. Trachman, General Counsel at Mountain States Legal Foundation, will break down and analyze the oral arguments. More information and registration are here.
• On January 21 at 11:00 a.m., the Center for American Progress (CAP) will host a briefing titled, “Putting Students Before Politics: A Conversation on the Future of America's Education System with Rahm Emanuel.” This briefing is part of CAP’s flagship speaker series, “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward,” which brings leaders to CAP to offer their ideas on how to respond to this moment. The conversation will be moderated by CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden. More information and registration are here.
• On January 27 at 2:00 p.m., the Institute for Higher Education Policy and the National Association for College Admission Counseling will host a webinar titled, “Rethinking Admissions for a Changing Landscape: California’s Story.” The webinar will feature research and practitioner perspectives drawn from A Snapshot of Postsecondary Access and Opportunity in California, IHEP’s latest brief examining how California institutions have adapted their admissions processes since Proposition 209 effectively banned affirmative action in 1998. Panelists will share research findings and on-the-ground insights to help admissions professionals navigate evolving legal and policy landscapes, and practical lessons for advancing equitable access and opportunity. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On December 18, the Bipartisan Policy Center released survey results titled, “Literacy Survey Research.” Among the results the poll showed that among registered voters, 77% believed reading and writing skills are absolutely necessary to communicating in college, while 75% said the same for communicating in the workforce. The report also found that 72% of voters named the ability for students to read books as the top education-related priority for state governments, preceded only by school safety at 77%.
• On January 6, Bellwether released a report titled, “How Should States Implement K-12 Funding Changes?” The report is the latest in a series that seeks to provide an overview of education finance and key questions for stakeholders to ask in their states and communities. The report calls attention to six activities state policymakers, state education agencies, and advocates can prioritize to convert funding policies into impact. These include: “1) formal rulemaking, 2) changes to data and reporting systems, 3) communication and engagement, 4) capacity building, 5) accountability and oversight, and 6) continuous improvement efforts.”

Legislation:

Introduced in the House of Representatives:

H.R. 6932

A bill to rescind unobligated amounts made available to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2026, and transfer such amounts to States in accordance with section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI)

H.R. 6949

A bill to establish a pilot program in which States may use consolidated funds, through Upward Mobility Grants, for antipoverty programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT)

H.R. 6957

A bill to provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and local governments to increase the supply of affordable rental housing, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA)

H.R. 6964

A bill to amend the National Security Act of 1947 to include school security as an element of the National Security Strategy, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI)

H.R. 6965

A bill to encourage local educational agencies to inform parents about gun safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI)

H.R. 6968

A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and area career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training services programs for workforce development, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. John Mannion (D-NY)

H.R. 6973

A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to collect and report information on the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA)

H.R. 6979

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for youth sports, to establish a grant program for recreational youth sports, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. John Gottheimer (D-NJ)

Introduced in the Senate:

S. 3589

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide students with disabilities and their families with access to critical information needed to select the right college and succeed once enrolled.
Sponsor: Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN)

S. 3596

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the earned income threshold for the refundable child tax credit.
Sponsor: Sen. Maggie Wood Hassan (D-NH)

S. 3601

A bill to authorize a grant program to support institutions of higher education in hiring veterans as campus security, to prohibit Federal funding for Equity Assistance Centers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)