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

CONGRESS

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced S. 3392, legislation to reauthorize authorities included in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA). The legislation would amend the structure and authority for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and its four National Centers, the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES), the provisions of the Educational Technical Assistance Act (ETAA) and the authority for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). The Senate HELP Committee scheduled a markup on this bill, and other legislation, for Tuesday, December 12.

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Committee on Education and the Workforce is scheduled to markup this bill, and other legislation, on Tuesday, December 12.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) introduced H.R. 6585, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act. The Committee on Education and the Workforce is scheduled to markup this bill, and other legislation, on Tuesday, December 12.

The House passed H.R. 5933, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, on a 246-170 vote.

The House passed H.J. Res 88, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal the Biden Administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan on a 210-189 vote.

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced that he will retire from Congress at the end of 2023.

ADMINISTRATION

The Biden Administration released its Fall 2023 unified agenda detailing its planned regulatory activity for 2024.

The Biden Administration announced updated State-by-State data on student loan debt relief through fixes to income-driven repayment as part of the approval of $4.8 billion in debt relief for over 80,000 borrowers.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a new regulatory proposal for student loan debt ahead of its third negotiated rulemaking session on student loan debt scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement on the Senate confirmation of Danté Quintin Allen to serve as commissioner of the Rehabilitative Services Administration at ED.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans on providing clients a summary of the following events next week:

December 12: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Executive Session on “S. 1840, SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2023, S. 3392, Advancing Research in Education Act, S. 3393, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, and S. 644, Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act.”

December 12: House Committee on Education and the Workforce Full Committee Markup of “H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, H.R. 6585, Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, H.J. Res. 98 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5 United States Code of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to “Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status” and H.R. 3400, Small Businesses before Bureaucrats Act.”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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