This week, although the Senate was in recess, congressional leaders released a four-bill “minibus” funding the remaining federal government agencies for FY 2026, including the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL). The bill proposes level funding for most education and workforce programs, including Perkins, and contains language barring the Trump Administration from transferring funds to other agencies unless authorized by law, although it is unclear how this will apply to the interagency agreements already in place. The House voted to pass the minibus on Thursday, and the Senate is expected to vote next week when it returns from recess so that the bill can be enacted before the current continuing resolution expires on Jan. 30In other news, ACTE continues to prepare for CTE Month as well as the National Policy Seminar coming up in March. Read more updates below. 

• House Advances Pregnant Students’ Rights Act: On Jan. 22, the House voted to advance the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. The bill, if passed, would require postsecondary institutions to advise pregnant students on their rights, such as securing modified class schedules or attaining excused absences for doctor’s appointments.  

• ED Encourages States to Consolidate Title I Funds: On Jan. 21, ED issued a Dear Colleague Letter that encourages states to take advantage of existing flexibility for Title I schools to consolidate federal, state and local funding streams together. This letter follows a series of other letters the Department has issued to states encouraging the flexible use of funds in advancing school choice and other Administration priorities. 

• ED Drops Appeal Against Judge’s Ruling on DEI Memos: On Jan. 21, ED moved to dismiss its appeal against a federal judge’s ruling that struck down two anti-DEI memos the Department issued earlier this year. The memos warned schools and universities against employing DEI-related practices and threatened to pull federal funding from those that do.  

• Trump Admin Reworking Higher Ed Compact: On Jan. 21, the New York Times reported that the Trump Administration is working on another version of its higher ed compact it sent to universities late last year. Universities that signed the compact would receive preferential funding treatment in exchange for abiding by several of the Administration’s priorities, such as doing away with DEI initiatives and limiting international student enrollment. Most universities rejected the compact last year. 

• Federal Judge Orders ED to Reconsider Canceled TRIO Grants: On Jan. 20, a federal judge ruled that ED must reconsider over 100 TRIO grants it had canceled last year due to DEI-related concerns. Over a dozen states and the Council for Opportunity in Education had filed lawsuits challenging the cancellations.  

• DOL Announces $23 Million to Support Homeless Veterans: On Jan. 16, the DOL announced over $23 million to support homeless veterans with training and employment services. Grant recipients will offer veterans with skills and on-the-job training as well as support participation in Registered Apprenticeship programs. 

• ED Delays Garnishing Wages of Defaulted Student Loan Borrowers: On Jan. 16, ED announced that it was delaying involuntary collections on federal student loans to allow the Department to implement additional repayment plans that were created in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and set to begin in July. ED initially announced that it would resume collections this month following a pause on payments during the pandemic.  

• Secretary Chavez-DeRemer continues America at Work tour: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer continued her “America at Work” tour this past week, stopping at Iowa Western Community College to speak with apprentices and students in the school’s welding and HVAC programs. 

• Secretary McMahon continues Returning Education to the States Tour: Secretary McMahon continued her “Returning Education to the States” tour in Georgia, visiting several CTE labs in aviation, dental assistant and audio production programs.