Both the House and Senate were back in session this week, with a flurry of activity after last week’s recess. The House Committee on Education and Workforce held a markup of a legislative package that would codify the interagency agreements and dismantle the Department of Education. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee also held a hearing on the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor. ACTE participated in the Committee for Education Funding’s (CEF) Hill Day to highlight the importance of education funding to policymakers. Read more policy updates below.

• ACTE and Advance CTE Submit Comments on Changes to Uniform Grant Guidance: On July 13, ACTE and Advance CTE submitted joint comments in response to a proposal from the Office of Management and Budget to make significant changes to the rules that govern all federal grants. Almost 500,000 comments were received and will need to be processed before a final rule can be issued. We will be following this issue closely as it moves forward.
• ACTE and Advance CTE to Host Congressional Briefing on AI and CTE with CTE Caucus: On July 21, ACTE and Advance CTE will host a briefing on AI and CTE in conjunction with the Congressional CTE Caucus. This event will include remarks from Rep. Bonamici (D-OR), House CTE Caucus Co-Chair; a brief presentation from Cameron Sublett of the California Community College Foundation on his report, “Applied Co-Intelligence: Preparing Career and Technical Education Learners for an AI-Driven Workforce,” and a practitioner panel discussion on policy priorities with Cameron Sublett and Michael Tinsley of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
• House Committee Advances Bills to Codify the Interagency Agreements: On July 15, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced a package of bills that, if passed, would codify the Department of Education’s (ED) interagency agreements that transfer education programs to other federal agencies, including Perkins and adult education funding. ACTE continues to have significant concerns about the IAAs and these bills, and will be continuing advocacy on these issues. Read more on the blog here.
• Secretary of Labor Confirmation Hearing: On July 16, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing to examine the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor. Read more on the blog here.
• Senate Committee Advances Labor Nominations: On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced several labor nominations to the Senate floor for a vote. The nominations include Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics and James Macy to join the National Labor Relations Board.
• DOL Announces Skills Training Grant Program: On July 7, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of $40 million in grants for skills training programs. The funds would support partnerships between state workforce agencies and employers to develop training programs that align to high-demand industries such as shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing. Applications are due on August 17.
• New Details Emerge on Special Education IAA: In a private call with disability advocates, ED indicated that IDEA and special education services would continue to be overseen by ED under the current interagency agreement. However, many ED staff members who oversee special education programs will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.
• CTE Curriculum Fuels Native American Graduation Gains at Federally Funded Schools: Between 2019 and 2025, four-year graduation rates rose from 53% to 87% at Bureau of Indian Education Schools. Administrators attribute this in large part to the implementation of CTE curriculum, as well as more accurate reporting.
• ED to Release 2023-24 OCR Data Soon: Office for Civil Rights (OCR) data for the 2023-24 school year was originally going to be available to the public in December 2025, but Assistant Secretary Kimberly Richey said in an interview in late June that the release of the national civil rights data will come “later this summer.”
• IES Awards $6 Million in Longitudinal Data Grants: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recently awarded over $6 million in grants to support states using longitudinal data for education policymaking. States will be focusing on various issues, including literacy and postsecondary workforce outcomes.
• ED Scaled Back Special Education Monitoring, Report Finds: A report from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates found that federal teams visited fewer than half of states originally scheduled for special education monitoring in 2025 and 2026.