The information covered below is from December 20, 2024, through January 16, 2025.

Highlights:

• Presidential Inauguration will take place on Monday, January 20, 2025.
• On January 14, 2025, the House passed H.R. 28, the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” by a vote of 218-206-1. The bill was passed on party lines, with the exception of two Democrats – Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) – who voted in favor of the bill.
• On January 8, 2025, Judge Danny Reeves of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky issued a final ruling that blocks the Biden Administration’s updated Title IX regulations.
• On January 15, 2025, the House Education and Workforce Committee held an Organizing Meeting for the 119th Congress, during which Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) outlined the Committee’s priorities and oversight plans.

Administration:

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED withdraws proposed regulations for student loan forgiveness and terminates negotiated rulemaking for Program Integrity and Institutional Quality issues: On December 26, 2024, the USED announced the withdrawal of a proposed rule that would forgive student loans for borrowers experiencing hardship and the termination of negotiated rulemaking for three Program Integrity and Institutional Quality issues. The first proposed rule was prepared following the Department’s negotiated rulemaking session in February 2024, then issued in October 2024, and would have allowed borrowers to access student loan relief if they met certain criteria or were experiencing financial “hardship.” In withdrawing the rule, the Department maintained its view of the Secretary’s authority to carry out student loan debt relief, while citing the remaining time in the Biden Administration, as well as uncertainty around the implementation of the proposed rules as the primary reasons for withdrawal. Program Integrity and Institutional Quality rules addressing state authorization, cash management for timely student access to disbursements of federal financial assistance, and accreditation agencies, were also discussed as part of the negotiated rulemaking session held in February 2024, as well as two additional sessions in 2024. The Department wrote that negotiated rulemaking aimed to make the regulations into “more student-friendly policies relating to the use and receipt of Federal student financial aid and to hold institutions accountable for providing high-quality educational opportunities.” The USED stated that the decision to terminate rulemaking on these issues “allow[s] for additional evaluation of recent changes in other regulations and industry practices.”

USED issues final regulations for distance education reporting: On December 30, 2024, the USED released final regulations aimed at improving reporting on distance education, as well as changes related to how institutions of higher education calculate the return of federal financial aid when a student withdraws. To better understand the outcomes and related effectiveness of online learning, the new rules require institutions to report information into the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) about which students who received federal financial aid are enrolled in distance education or correspondence courses. According to USED, the regulatory changes related to the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) when a student withdraws address three primary areas: increasing the accuracy and simplicity of performing R2T4 calculations; addressing unique circumstances for what constitutes a withdrawal; and codifying longstanding policies into regulation. The Department noted that these regulations were part of a large package of regulations published over the summer for Program Integrity and Institutional Quality, including proposals to adjust the eligibility for Federal TRIO programs, allow borrowers who never began attendance to repay amounts owed as a loan instead of a lump sum, and require online programs to take attendance.

Biden Administration announces additional student debt relief for public service workers: On December 20, 2024, the Biden Administration announced the approval of an additional $4.28 billion in student debt relief for 54,900 borrowers, which the Administration wrote is “the result of significant fixes that the Administration has made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.” In a statement, President Biden added, “The public servants approved for debt cancellation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law.”

USED announces final student loan forgiveness and borrower assistance actions: On January 16, 2025, the Biden Administration announced its final round of student loan forgiveness, providing more than $600 million in relief for 4,550 borrowers through the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan and 4,100 individual borrower defense approvals. Additionally, the USED announced that it completed the income-driven repayment payment count adjustment and that borrowers will now be able to see their income-driven repayment counters when they log into their accounts on StudentAid.gov. Highlighting the cumulative $188.8 billion in forgiveness for 5.3 million borrowers, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona stated, “President Biden made a promise to fix a broken student loan system. We rolled up our sleeves and, together, we fixed existing programs that had failed to deliver the relief they promised.”

USED announces first winners of Postsecondary Success Recognition Program: On January 8, 2025, the USED announced the first-ever winners of the Postsecondary Success Recognition Program (PSRP), which was first launched in April 2024 to celebrate institutions of higher education that are enrolling underserved student populations, facilitating successful student transfers and completions, and equipping graduates for careers that lead to economic mobility. The six winners were awarded among two classifications: predominantly associate degree or certificate granting institutions and predominantly bachelor’s degree granting institutions. The winners among predominantly associate degree or certificate granting institutions are: CUNY Hostos Community College in New York (Transfer Focus), Miami Dade College (Career Focus), and Salish Kootenai College in Montana (Career/Transfer Focus). The winners among predominantly bachelor’s degree granting institutions are: San Jose State University (Master’s Institution), University of South Carolina – Upstate (Bachelor’s Institution), and University of Texas at Arlington (Doctoral Institution). The Department detailed its selection process, using publicly available data to support applications from institutions with evidence-based practices to support underrepresented students earn credentials of value.

USED releases report on Biden Administration’s impact on public education: On January 14, 2025, the USED released a report titled, “The Impact: Fighting for Public Education,” which outlines the impact of the policies under the Biden Administration on public education. Several areas of focus are detailed in the report, including safely and quickly reopening schools during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, academic excellence and acceleration, and supporting students’ mental health, among others. Each section highlights the investments and efforts made to support students and schools, as well as includes snapshots on staffing improvements and student achievement. The report was released during an event of the same title, during which USED Secretary Miguel Cardona spoke, highlighting the efforts of USED staff during the Biden Administration and turning toward the future. Secretary Cardona stated, “Act on your love of students and educators, lead like you have never led before. Defend public education with all you’ve got.”

USED issues updated school improvement guidance: In January 2025, the USED’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) issued updated non-regulatory guidance for School Improvement and Related Provisions under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The ESEA, as updated through the Every Student Succeeds Act, requires states to identify the lowest-performing 5% of Title I, Part A schools in need of improvement, for which the updated guidance provides technical assistance on the school support and improvement requirements to promote academic excellence. The guidance covers six primary topics: identification of schools in need of support and improvement; creating and monitoring support and improvement plans; actions supporting school improvement; exit criteria; school improvement funding; and direct student services.

USED releases new civil rights data from the 2021-22 school year: On January 16, 2025, the USED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), a mandatory collection of information on public schools on a variety of topics, including student enrollment; access to courses, teachers, other school staff; and school climate factors, such as student discipline, harassment or bullying, and school offenses. Among key findings, the 2021-22 CRDC showed that:

• High schools with high enrollments of Black and Latino students offered fewer courses in mathematics, science, and computer science than schools with low enrollments of Black and Latino students.
• 68% of students who attended public schools where fewer than half of the teachers met all state certification requirements were Black and Latino.
• Black students and Native American or Alaska Native students were 1.3 times more likely than White students to attend a school with a sworn law enforcement officer or security guard but no school counselor.
• Black boys and girls, Hispanic boys, White boys, boys of two or more races, and students with disabilities who received services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were overrepresented in suspensions and expulsions compared to their overall K-12 enrollments.

Remarking on the data, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona said, “The newly released data show that we cannot be complacent – that inequities in access to educational opportunities based on race, sex, and disability persist in school opportunities.” OCR released three reports and snapshots on the 2021-22 CRDC which are available here.

U.S. Department of Commerce:

U.S. Department of Commerce awards $25 million for Good Jobs Challenge Funding to strengthen workforce training programs: On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced $25 million in new awards through the Good Jobs Challenge program, funding eight grantees to support high-quality, locally-led workforce training programs that create a pathway for workers to be placed into good-paying jobs. This round of funding under the Good Jobs Challenge program specifically focuses on critical and emerging technology industries, with an emphasis on empowering workers in historically overlooked and left behind communities. The Good Jobs program was initially funded through the American Rescue Plan and is now concluding its second year of implementation. The new awards which will provide services across ten states, addressing workforce needs such as information technology in Illinois, advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology in Virginia, and natural disaster mitigation and response in Alaska, among others. U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo remarked, “These investments will train American workers for industries of the future, empower them with the tools they need to secure good-paying jobs, and lift up regional communities that have too often been overlooked or left behind.”

Congress:

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address campus hazing becomes law: On December 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law H.R. 5646, the “Stop Campus Hazing Act.” The bipartisan, bicameral legislation was led by then Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in the Senate and Reps. Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) in the House. H.R. 5646 outlines requirements for the reporting of hazing incidents by institutions of higher education. A fact sheet for the bill states that H.R. 5646 also creates a clear and consistent definition for hazing statistics across all postsecondary institutions and mandates the establishment of research-based campus hazing prevention programs. Following the bill’s signing, Ranking Member Cassidy issued a statement: “Students should feel safe no matter what school they choose. With this new law, we ensure hazing is never ignored.” House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) also added his support, stating, “By improving reporting and mandating prevention programs, this bill is a bipartisan measure to protect the health and safety of students while ensuring that students and their parents can make informed decisions when joining campus organizations.”

Continuing Resolution (CR) extends federal funding through March 14: On December 21, 2024, President Biden signed a CR to extend which funding for federal agencies through March 14, 2025. President Biden issued a statement noting that the CR also provides disaster relief for recovering communities, as well as the funds needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.” Specifically, an additional $500 million was provided through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Of this amount, $250 million was included for renovation and construction of child care facilities that were impacted by major disasters and emergencies, while an additional $250 million will provide child care services for eligible individuals. Additionally, under the terms of the CR, USED’s Student Aid Administration was provided additional flexibility to apportion funding up to the rate for operations necessary to ensure the continuation of student loan servicing activities and student aid application and eligibility determination processes during the period of the CR.

Senate:

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee members announced for the 119th Congress: On January 7, 2025, new Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced the Republican members of the Committee for the 119th Congress. New Republican Committee members include Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jim Banks (R-IN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Additionally, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) will be returning to serve on the Committee. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) is no longer a Committee member after serving on the Committee in the 118th Congress.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will serve as Ranking Member in the 119th Congress. New Democratic Committee members include Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Ben Ray Lujan are no longer Committee members after serving on the Committee in the 118th Congress. A full list of Senate HELP Committee members is here.

House:

House passes Title IX legislation prohibiting transgender women or girls from participating in school athletic programs: On January 14, 2025, the House passed H.R. 28, the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” by a vote of 218-206-1. The bill was passed on party lines, with the exception of two Democrats – Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) – who voted in favor of the bill. Specifically, the bill provides that it is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded education programs or activities to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls. H.R. 29 defines sex “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” House Education and the Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) expressed support for the bill’s passage, stating, “The strides women have made across all corners of the sports world deserve to be celebrated and protected.. I am pleased to see the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act pass the House and I applaud Congressman Steube and the countless women who are fighting to protect the legacy—and future—of women’s athletics in this country.” Conversely, Democrats called the bill by another name, the “Child Predator Empowerment Act.” Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) spoke on the House floor in opposition, stating that the bill “would not make school sports more fair or safe by banning transgender women and girls,” and further asserting H.R. 28 would “endanger women and girls by requiring girls to ‘prove their gender.’” The Biden Administration’s recent regulatory changes to Title IX are currently blocked from being implemented (See below under “U.S. Courts”).

House Education and Workforce Committee members announced for the 119th Congress: On January 10, 2025, new House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) announced the Republican Committee members. New Republican Committee members include Representatives James Comer (R-KY), Bob Onder (R-MO), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Mike Rulli (R-OH), Mark Harris (R-NC), and Mark Messmer (R-IN). The following Republican members are no longer on the Committee after serving in the 118th Congress: Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Ron Estes (R-KS), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), and John James (R-MI).

On January 14, Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) announced the Democratic Committee members. New Democratic members include Representatives Greg Casar (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), and John Mannion (D-NY). Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) will no longer serve on the Committee after serving in the 118th Congress. A full list of Committee members is here and information on Subcommittee membership is here.

House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee members announced for the 119th Congress: On January 15, 2025, new House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced the Republican members of the Appropriations Subcommittees. Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL) will again serve as Chair of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee in the 119th Congress. New Republican Subcommittee members include: Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Riley Moore (R-WV). Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) is no longer on the Subcommittee after serving in the 118th Congress.

Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who will again serve as Ranking Members of both the full Appropriations Committee and Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, also announced Democratic Subcommittee members. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA) is the only new Democratic member of the Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee. A full list of Appropriations Committee members is here, and a list of subcommittee members is here.

House Speaker Johnson appoints Representative Virginia Foxx as Chair of House Rules Committee: On January 14, 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appointed Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) as Chair of the House Rules Committee. Chair Foxx previously served as Chair or Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee between 2017 through 2024. Announcing her appointment, Speaker Johnson stated that Chair Foxx “has been a stalwart in the House and a leader in multiple policy areas…[establishing] her among the most universally respected members of our Republican Conference.” In a statement following her appointment, Chair Foxx thanked Speaker Johnson and emphasized that, “Our Republican majority in the People’s House…will deliver upon President Trump’s agenda with diligence and expediency.”

House Rules Committee Chair Foxx releases report on Biden Administration’s implementation of borrower defense rule: On January 2, 2025, House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), in her previous role as House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair, released a report titled, “Borrower Defense to Repayment: Another Example of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Failure to Follow the Rule of Law.” The report examines how the USED, under the Biden Administration’s leadership, “distorted” the borrower defense process intended to provide recourse to students who attended schools that are found to have engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation and alleges the process was “weaponized” to provide “illegal en masse debt forgiveness.” Chair Foxx’s report explains how the implementation of the borrower defense rule was aligned with other changes to the student loan program under the Biden Administration “in order to illegally approve nearly $18 billion in taxpayer funds for borrower defense discharges.” The report also includes information from a USED whistleblower who presented information to the Committee’s investigation alleging that the Department (1) ignored statutes of limitation governing refunds, and (2) did not follow Federal Claims Collection Standards. Chair Foxx concludes the report urging the Department to, “Follow the rule of law and start afresh with a new borrower defense rulemaking.”

House Education and Workforce Committee holds Organizing Meeting for the 119th Congress: On January 15, 2025, the House Education and Workforce Committee held an Organizing Meeting for the 119th Congress. During his opening statement, Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) outlined his priorities for the Committee in the 119th Congress, emphasizing the importance of addressing key education issues. He named college costs, school choice, institutional accountability in education, and the “crisis in our K-12 education system” as areas of focus. Chair Walberg also stated the importance of multiple pathways to success adding, “Bottom line, we want students, workers, and job creators to have the skills they need to be competitive in the 21st century.”

Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) shared the Democrats' priorities, beginning with a call for bipartisan action on workforce development. He called attention to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which was finalized but not passed in the 118th Congress, stating, “Our bipartisan, bicameral proposal will help train workers for good-paying jobs and connect employers with highly qualified candidates.” He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for rewarding careers.

Additionally, Chair Walberg released the Committee's oversight plan, outlining several key areas for the Committee to focus on in its oversight efforts, including: combating antisemitism and anti-Americanism in the education system, safeguarding parental rights, and overseeing the administration of student aid.

Specifically, the plan states that the Committee will examine institutions' failure to uphold their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as it pertains to antisemitism on college campuses. The plan also states that the Committee will oversee state and school district policies that fail to adequately notify parents when minor students share certain personal information with guidance counselors, teachers, or administrators.

In response to the Chairman Walberg’s sharing of the oversight plan, Ranking Member Scott expressed that the Committee Democrats would work to “counterbalance” Republican priorities, particularly the Department’s work to reduce the burden of student loans, as well as “maintain[ing] the separation of church and state as required by Constitution.” Ranking Member Scott added Committee Democrats would, “conduct rigorous review of actions of the incoming administration.”

House Ways and Means Committee holds hearing on making permanent the Trump tax cuts for working families: On January 14, 2025, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing titled, “The Need to Make Permanent the Trump Tax Cuts for Working Families.” The Committee heard from five witnesses: Michelle Gallagher, Partner at Adamy Valuation and Gallagher, Flintoff and Klein; Margaret Marple, a Virginia mother; Alison Couch, Owner at Ignite Accounting and Business Advisors; Courtney Silver, President at Ketchie Incorporated; and Brendan Duke, Senior Director for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress.

In his opening statement, Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) shared the economic impact of the tax cuts included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TJCA) in 2017, stating, “Americans earning under $100,000 received a 16% tax cut while the amount of taxes paid by the top 1% increased.” Chair Smith noted that if the tax cuts are not restored in the 119th Congress, “40 million parents will have their Child Tax Credit slashed in half.” Conversely, Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) asserted in his opening statement that, “The American people are living under Trump’s tax plan—that’s what they need relief from,” and added, “we know that most of the cost of extending the GOP Tax Scam actually goes to the top 2%.” Ranking Member Neal also mentioned the importance of the Child Tax Credit, stating, “And if adding $4.6 trillion to the deficit is part of [the Republicans’] mandate, they could lower costs by making up the difference extending the premium tax credits or Democrats’ expanded Child Tax Credit.”

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) remained a significant topic of the hearing, including two of the witnesses who explained their own experience as recipients of the CTC through both the TJCA, as well as the Democrat’s expanded CTC passed in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) in 2021. However, Committee Republicans and Democrats both defended each of their proposals as the best way to support families. Chair Smith, along with Committee Republicans such as Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), asked multiple witness questions regarding the impact of not reinstating the CTC through TJCA, to which witness Margaret Marple responded, “it would communicate that the government does not value parents.”

Committee Democrats asked similar questions regarding the impact of the expanded CTC in ARP. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Linda Sánchez (D-CA) also noted that the expanded CTC in ARP “cut child poverty in half.” Congresswoman Sánchez also questioned “how extending the TCJA is going to actually widen racial inequality,” after noting that, “under the Republican policy, you can still receive part of that credit if you make over $400,000 a year for joint filers.” Witness Brendan Duke responded, “Absolutely…when we cut taxes in the way that TCJA did, that… drives that disparity… we're going to have to pay for it somehow, we're going to do it through taxes on imported goods, we're going to do it through cuts to programs…I think low middle income families are going to pay that price.”

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds nomination hearing to consider Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget: On January 15, 2025, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mr. Vought previously served as Director of OMB during the first Trump Administration, from 2020 to 2021, prior to which he was Acting Director and Deputy Director of the OMB. In his opening statement, Mr. Vought expressed concern for the impact of the “burden [of] government spending.” During the Committee hearing, questions were raised regarding Mr. Vought’s views on the issue of impoundment or when an administration withholds federal funding appropriated by Congress. Specifically, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) which includes the procedural means by which the Congress considers and reviews executive branch withholdings of budget authority.

Committee Democrats pressed Mr. Vought on the issue of impoundment, with Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) referencing a 2020 GAO report that concluded the OMB, under Mr. Vought’s prior leadership role, violated the Impoundment Control Act in its delay of issuing funds to Ukraine. Mr. Vought asserted the OMB “did not hold inappropriately funds” and that he “disagree[d] with the characterization of the [GAO].” Mr. Vought later noted that President-elect Trump ran on the idea that the Impoundment Control Act being unconstitutional, saying, “He believes it's unconstitutional for 200 years, presidents had the ability to spend less than an appropriation if they could, if they could do it for less. And we have seen the extent to which this law has contributed to waste, fraud and abuse.” Chair Rand Paul (R-KY) later added that he was “sympathetic [to] some of the points,” while Ranking Member Peters emphasized, “the power of the purse is Congress's… I think if we appropriate something for a cause, that's where it's supposed to go.”

U.S. Courts:

District court judge blocks implementation of Biden Administration Title IX rule: On January 8, 2025, Judge Danny Reeves of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky issued a final ruling that blocks the Biden Administration’s updated Title IX regulations. Judge Reeves wrote that the final rule is unlawful for three primary reasons: the Department exceeded its statutory authority; the final rule violates the Constitution, specifically the First Amendment and the Spending Clause; and the final rule is arbitrary and capricious. The case was first brought by the states of Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, which collectively argued that “the Final Rule[s]…are invalid because the Department exceeded its lawful authority in implementing them and because they are otherwise contrary to law.” The final ruling blocks the final rules from implementation nationwide.

House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) issued a statement regarding the decision, stating, “I am glad the court rejected the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX, which would have undermined safety, freedom, and fairness for women. I am proud to support Title IX and the women who fought to defend it – today marks an enormous win for women and girls across America.”

SCOTUS agrees to hear borrower defense rule case: On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the Biden Administration’s changes to the borrower defense rule. The final borrower defense rules were released in November 2022 and were designed to create an easier path for borrowers defrauded by their institutions to qualify for discharges. Career Colleges & Schools of Texas (CCST), which represents for-profit colleges in Texas, filed a case against the Department arguing that the rules “significantly facilitate certain student loan discharges while creating uncertainty, complexity and potentially huge liability for the association’s members.” The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in April 2024 that the regulations would cause “immediate and irreparable injuries” to the institutions, a decision which the Department appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024. In agreeing to hear the case, the Supreme Court did not identify a date on which it would hear oral arguments.

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On January 21 at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold an Executive Session titled, “Starting the 119th Congress.” The Committee will adopt rules for the 119th Congress and consider other business. The session will be held in 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On January 22 at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the Nomination of Russell Vought, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The hearing will be held in 608 Senate Dirksen Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On January 23 at 10:00 a.m., the House Appropriations Committee will hold an Organizational Meeting for the 119th Congress. Members will review the Committee Rules provided by Chair Tom Cole (R-OK), as well as the Subcommittee Jurisdictions. The meeting will be held in 2359 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On January 21 at 3:00 p.m., the Brookings Institution will hold a webinar titled, “The future of the U.S. Department of Education.” Taking into consideration the President-elect Trump’s campaign remarks, the webinar will explore the possibility of eliminating the U.S. Department of Education entirely, or at least substantially reducing its size and responsibilities. Speakers will discuss what the future of the Department of Education looks like, and how it will affect the regular operations of public schools. Jon Valant, Director of Brookings’ Brown Center on Education Policy and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, will give opening remarks and the discussion will be moderated by Michael Hansen, Senior Fellow at Brookings’ Brown Center on Education Policy and The Herman and George R. Brown Chair in Governance Studies. Speakers include: Arne Duncan, Former Secretary of Education; John B. King Jr., Former Secretary of Education; and Margaret Spellings, Former Secretary of Education. More information and registration are here.
• On January 22 at 10:00 a.m., the Brookings Institution will host a webinar titled, “How to prepare for climate migration in the U.S.” Governance Studies at Brookings will discuss domestic climate migration in the U.S., including how U.S. communities are vulnerable to climate change, and what steps are being taken at a federal, state and local level to prepare localities to adapt to climate risks and to welcome new residents displaced by climate disasters. The discussion will be moderated by Vanessa Williamson, Senior Fellow for Governance Studies and Senior Fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, and panelists include: Abrahm Lustgarten, Reporter at ProPublica; Shana Tabak, Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center; and Beth Gibbons, Resiliency Officer for Washtenaw County, Michigan. More information and registration are here.
• On January 27 at 3:00 p.m., the Learning Policy Institute and the Spencer Foundation will co-host a webinar titled, “Brown at 70: The Unfinished Journey Toward Educational Equity.” Speakers will consider the progress made in the 70 years since the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, as well as further strategies that can advance opportunities for all students. The webinar, subtitled “Progress, Pushback, and Policies that Matter,” is the first in a series taking place through March to cover the work done since Brown. The session will be moderated by Na'ilah Suad Nasir, President of the Spencer Foundation, and feature the following speakers: Linda Darling-Hammond, President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute and the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University; Sean Darling-Hammond, Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley; Joaquín Noguera, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Administration at Loyola Marymount University; and Pedro A. Noguera, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. More information and registration are here.
• On February 6 at 12:00 p.m., Grantmakers for Thriving Youth (GTY) will host a webinar titled, "Hidden in Plain Sight: Research on the Education of Students Experiencing Homelessness, Foster Care, and/or Incarceration." The webinar will explore what is known about the educational experiences and outcomes of the more than 1.6 million students who experience homelessness, foster care, and/or incarceration. GTY and the Youth Transition Funders Group will explore findings from a newly released research scan commissioned by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. The scan analyzed 200+ publications and 27 clearinghouses, revealing gaps in the evidence base and blind spots in how we study and understand these students’ educational experiences. The study’s authors will discuss the findings and next steps, including the vital role of research partnerships and critical investment opportunities for philanthropy. Speakers include: Ilene Berman, Evidence-Based Practice Group Director, The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Maddy Day, Founder, Maddy Day, LLC, and Associates; and Stephanie Malia Krauss Founder and Principal, First Quarter Strategies & Staff Consultant, YTFG. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Congress & Administration):

• On December 18, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report titled, “Results of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service-Administered School Food Authority Survey III on Supply Chain Disruption and Student Participation.” The survey, which was sent to all School Food Authorities (SFAs) operating Child Nutrition programs, sought to find the impacts of continued supply chain disruptions during the 2023-2024 school year. Among its findings, survey results showed that 95% of SFAs experienced supply chain challenges, 21% increased local food purchases as a strategy to address challenges, and that suburban SFAs reported more workforce challenges compared to rural and urban SFAs.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On January 13, the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) released several fact sheets titled, “2025 Statewide and Congressional District Fact Sheets on the Student Loan Debt Crisis.” The fact sheets include data about the number of borrowers and amount of student debt in each region and insight into the number of constituents who have utilized affordable repayment options and debt relief over the last four years.
• On January 14, All4Ed released a resource titled, “OpinionatED: Voters’ Views on Education in 2024.” The resource shares results from an election exit poll regarding voter beliefs on various education issues. Some key findings include 68% of all voters supporting public education over vouchers, 58% of all voters opposing the abolishment of the U.S. Department of Education (compared to 29% in favor), and 56% of voters preferring an increase in education funding than decreasing it or keeping it the same, but only 39% would still want to increase it if it meant increased taxes. In January, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) released a report titled, “SY 2024/25 School Nutrition Trends Report.” The report details findings from an SNA survey issued in the fall of 2024 aimed at evaluating current challenges, understanding the state of school nutrition program finances and staffing, examining concerns regarding forthcoming nutrition standards, and assessing menu trends. Among the findings, the SNA found that about 92% of school nutrition director members surveyed were concerned about the financial stability of their school meal programs three years from now and that about two-thirds of these respondents said that the National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program reimbursements were not enough to cover the cost of producing a cost of a lunch.

Legislation:

Introduced in the House of Representatives:

H.R. 79

A bill to nullify certain Executive orders regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates and to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from issuing a rule mandating vaccination against COVID-19, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

H.R. 83

A bill to amend part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow States, in accordance with State law, to let Federal funds for the education of disadvantaged children follow low-income children to the public school, charter school, accredited private school, or supplemental educational service program they attend, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

H.R. 84

A bill to expand opportunity for Native American children through additional options in education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

H.R. 126

A bill to direct the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program under which the Commission shall provide funds to local educational agencies for initiatives to provide voter registration information to secondary school students in the 12th grade.
Sponsor: Rep. Al Green (D-TX)

H.R. 233

A bill to prohibit the availability of Federal funds to institutions of higher education that conduct painful biomedical research on dogs and cats.
Sponsor: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)

H.R. 266

A bill to modify the Federal TRIO programs.
Sponsor: Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)

H.R. 305

A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to assist local educational agencies with ensuring that each elementary and secondary school has at least one registered nurse on staff.
Sponsor: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

H.R. 336

A bill to amend the Head Start Act to permit some teachers in Early Head Start programs to teach while earning a child development associate credential.
Sponsor: Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ)

H.R. 353

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to enhance the child tax credit, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT)

H.R. 369

A bill to provide for the elimination of the Department of Education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)

H.R. 370

A bill to prohibit the provision of Federal funds to any State or local educational agency that denies or prevents participation in constitutionally protected prayer in schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)

H.R. 406

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under title IV of such Act, to include a prohibition of antisemitic conduct in all documents relating to student or employee conduct.
Sponsor: Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN)

H.R. 414

A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to strengthen student visa background checks and improve the monitoring of foreign students in the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)

H.R. 420

A bill to impose limitations on the amount of indirect costs allowable under Federal research awards to institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA)

H.R. 422

A bill to establish Federal research award reimbursement limits for indirect costs for institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA)

H.R. 423

A bill to amend title 11 of the United States Code to modify the dischargeability of debts for certain educational payments and loans.
Sponsor: Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)

H.R. 433

A bill to prohibit funds made available to the Department of Education by previous Appropriations Acts from being used for any activity relating to implementing a reorganization of the Department, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT)

H.R. 455

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit the award of Federal funds to institutions of higher education that employ instructors funded by the Chinese Communist Party, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL)

H.R. 463

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the earned income and child tax credits, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH)

H.R. 468

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education, as a condition of participation in programs under title IV of such Act, to establish a policy to award posthumous degrees to certain deceased students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)

H.R. 542

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education from receiving gifts from certain countries, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY)

H.R. 547

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require an individual to provide a social security number to claim the child tax credit.
Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ)

H.Res. 47

A resolution concerning the National Collegiate Athletic Association policy for eligibility in women's sports.
Sponsor: Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL)

H.Res. 52

A resolution recognizing and honoring the work of community organizations and individuals who create and maintain services and educational programs for marginalized groups ensuring the resilience and prosperity of members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sponsor: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)