ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s Office of Federal Student Aid and some of its staff relocated to a U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) building pursuant to the Interagency Agreement between ED and Treasury.

A proposed rule published in the Federal Register would expand the circumstances under which U.S. Department of State (State) J-1 exchange visitor programs (which facilitate educational and cultural exchange, including for college students and professors) may be terminated. State will accept comments from the public until September 28.

CONGRESS

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held an executive session to consider several nominations and bills. The Committee favorably reported the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor by a 12 to 11 vote. The Committee also favorably reported S. 5046, to prohibit the transfer of certain offices and functions of the Department of Education to other Federal agencies, and for other purposes, by a 13 to 9 vote; S. 2511, the College Transparency Act, by a 21 to 1 vote; S. 3010, the 21st Century Dyslexia Act, by a 12 to 10 vote; S. 3589, the RISE Act, by a 22 to 0  vote; S. 4097, the State-Based Loan Awareness Act, by a 20 to 2 vote; and S.4689, the READ Act, by a 20 to 2 vote. The Committee did not vote on S. 5038, the Special Education Administration Protection Act.

The U.S. House of Representatives began the August recess and is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

COURTS

A Federal judge in the State of Illinois ruled against several State laws allowing certain undocumented students to qualify for in-State tuition, State financial aid and scholarship programs.

EVENTS

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

August 5: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Full Committee Markup of “S. 737, S. 1748, S. 4199, S. 4407 and S. 5171.”