HOUSE and SENATE

The House was in recess this week and will return the week of September 4.

The Senate passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 combined Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills by a vote of 85 to 7.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) has stepped down from his House committee assignments, including from the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

ADMINISTRATION

The Administration announced that Robert King will be nominated to be the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

The New York Times reported that ED is considering allowing States to use Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant funding to purchase guns for educators.

The Federal Commission on School Safety held its final field visit in Las Vegas this week and is scheduled to hold its final listening session in Alabama next week.

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued proposed rules that would eliminate Federal tax deductions for contributions made to State charitable services funds. These funds were recently set up by certain States that largely opposed the capping of the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT) in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act as a means to provide taxpayers a credit for payments for State services above the law’s $10,000 cap on SALT. The proposed rules could also eliminate Federal tax deductions received by taxpayers making contributions to school choice and university-related activities.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information