PENN HILL GROUP’S WRAP UP – DECEMBER 16, 2024

CONGRESS

The House Republican Steering Committee selected Tim Walberg (R-MI) to be the Chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee for the 119th Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8070, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025, by a 281 to 140 margin. This bill included some education- and workforce- related provisions, including a requirement to conduct data-matching between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to streamline eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness for servicemembers and civilian DOD employees.

The U.S. Senate passed, by unanimous consent, H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act. The bill will now be sent to President Biden for his signature.

ADMINISTRATION

President Biden signed H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, into law.

ED submitted a final rule on Distance Education, Title IV of HEA and Federal TRIO Programs to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled “School Meal Programs: Additional Data and Outreach Could Help Charter School Participation.”