GRC News

Federal Updates

U.S. Department of Education

December 6, 2019 – The Department published a notice in the Federal Register requesting an extension of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) which is a provision in the Improving America's Schools Act, Public Law 103-382. Section 427 of GEPA requires an applicant for assistance under Department programs to develop and describe in the grant application the steps it proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and equitable participation in, its proposed project for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. The current GEPA Section 427 guidance for discretionary grant applications and formula grant applications has approval through April 30, 2020. 

Upcoming Hearings 

On Thursday, December 12, at 9 a.m. ET, Secretary DeVos will testify before the full House Education and Labor Committee on “Examining the Education Department’s Implementation of Borrower Defense.” She will likely face tough questions on the Department’s management of borrower defense to repayment claims under the current rule. The AACS Government Relations team at Duane Morris will be attending the hearing and will send a report to full membership following the hearing. 

Congressional Activity 

Late yesterday, the House and Senate reached an agreement on changes to a bipartisan Senate deal on reauthorization of funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and FAFSA simplification. The amended House bill, H.R. 5363, is expected to pass the House today, and will be sent to the Senate for what will likely be a quick vote to present the legislation to the President’s desk. AACS’s GRC and lobbying team are monitoring closely. The FAFSA simplification provisions are supported by AACS. 

Recently Introduced Federal Legislation 

H.R. 5372 – To clarify that employees of safety net health plans are eligible for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/9/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) 1 Cosponsor 

H.R. 5368 – To provide for secure disclosure of tax-return information to carry out the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/9/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) 0 Cosponsors 

H.R. 5363 – To reauthorize mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/9/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) 0 Cosponsors

 

H.R. 5360 –To remove college cost as a barrier to every student having access to a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/6/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Jesus Garcia (D-IL) 28 Cosponsors

 

H.R. 5339 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit certain expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining recognized postsecondary credentials to be treated as qualified higher education expenses for purposes of 529 accounts.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means, 12/6/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) 1 Cosponsor

 

H.R. 5314 – To enable registered apprenticeship programs to better serve veterans, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means, 12/5/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) 5 Cosponsors

 

H.R. 5312 – To authorize the creation of a commission to develop voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials and related technologies used in postsecondary education, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/5/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. David Roe (R-TN) 1 Cosponsor

 

H.R. 5294 – Student Borrower Protections Act of 2019

a.     Summary: To amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish a postsecondary education loan borrower bill of rights and to require certain creditors to obtain private loan certifications from institutions of higher education, to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to issue rules to establish standards for reporting information related to student loans to consumer reporting agencies, and for other purposes.

b.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor, 12/4/19
c.     Sponsor: Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) 1 Cosponsor

 

H.R. 5287 – Fair Student Loan Debt Collection Practices Act

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Financial Services, 12/3/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL) 0 Cosponsors

 

H.R. 5278 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period under which an election must be made for entitlement to educational assistance under the All-Volunteer Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to phase out the use of such program, and for other purposes.

a.     Status: Referred to House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 12/3/19
b.     Sponsor: Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) 1 Cosponsor