A quick look back at the news from last week. Compiled by Penn Hill Group.

HOUSE and SENATE

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief (CCCERA) Act (S.4112), representing some of the education and childcare funding priorities for Senate Democrats in upcoming COVID-19 relief negotiations.

The House passed H.R.2, the Moving Forward Act, on Thursday. This legislation, which is the House Democrats’ infrastructure proposal, includes the school infrastructure provisions of the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act.

ADMINISTRATION

President Trump signed an executive order directing the Office of Personnel Management to restructure degree and skill requirements for certain Federal jobs.

Several Department of Education (ED) regulations regarding accreditation, borrower defense to repayment and State authorization went into effect on July 1. ED also published final rules related to religious institutions participating in Federal student aid programs and the Teacher Education Assistance for College Higher Education (TEACH) program.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new “interim considerations” for K12 schools and colleges that are reopening for in-person or hybrid classes this fall.

Thousands of Borrower Defense to Repayment applicants were recently found to have their social security numbers exposed through ED’s internal server.

SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court ruled that the President has power to dismiss the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The Supreme Court ruled that a bar on the participation of religious schools in a Montana program providing tuition assistance to attend private schools violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients a summary of the following event next week:

• July 7: House Education and Labor Subcommittee hearing on “A Major Test: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on the Future of Higher Education”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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