It was a relatively quiet week in Washington as the House and Senate were both out for the Fourth of July holiday. Administration activity was reduced as well due to the holiday, although there were some announcements and activity as the new fiscal year got underway. Read more policy updates below.  

• ED Releases Regulatory Agenda: On July 3, ED unveiled its new regulatory agenda for the upcoming year. The proposed actions implicate various education issues, including civils rights enforcement, special education, charter schools, foreign funding, DEI and faith-based organizations.  

• House Republicans Introduce Bills to Codify Interagency Agreements: On July 9, House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) announced the introduction of 10 bills to codify the Administration’s interagency agreements moving programs to other agencies. The package includes H.R. 9607, the Less Bureaucracy, Better Workforce Development Act, which would officially transfer authority over the Perkins Act to the U.S. Department of Labor. We continue to have significant concerns about the transfer and will be monitoring and responding to this legislation as appropriate.  

• Bipartisan Senators Propose Credit for Prior Learning Act: Sens. Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sheehy (R-MT) proposed the Credit for Prior Learning Act at the end of June, a bill that would allow students to use up to $2,000 of financial aid to pay for prior learning assessments, a category of tests that grant college credit for learning outside a college setting, such as in a job.     

• DOL Awards $162 Million to Expand Registered Apprenticeship: On July 7, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the award of nearly $162 million through five cooperative agreements to expand Registered Apprenticeships. DOL will administer the five Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program cooperative agreements with organizations that will lead efforts to train Americans for jobs in the shipbuilding, defense industrial base and emerging technology sectors. This performance-based model directly links federal funding to measurable outcomes, providing incentive payments to Registered Apprenticeship sponsors as their apprentices reach milestones.  

• NSF Releases ATE Grant Program: The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently opened applications for the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which supports the education of technicians in high-demand technology fields through educational and industry partnerships. Proposals are due by October 1. 

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Awards More Than $1.5 Million for Workforce Training: On July 8, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced five organizations have been selected for a new national initiative designed to help more students connect their education to real career opportunities and help employers build a stronger future workforce.  

• ED Holds Education Fraud Summit: On July 7, ED held the Higher Education Fraud Summit featuring Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald and White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Executive Director Scott Brady.  

• ED Approves Arkansas’ Returning Education to the States Waiver: On July 7, ED approved Arkansas’ Returning Education to the States Waiver, ESEA state plan amendment for Title I-A and application for Ed-Flex authority.  

• ED Launches National K-12 Initiative to Protect Students from Sexual Predators: On July 10, ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launched a national K-12 initiative to address sexual predators in schools. ED issued guidance reminding federally funded educational institutions of their legal obligations to safeguard children and appropriately respond to incidents of sexual misconduct under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).    

• Class of 2026 Sets New FAFSA Record: An analysis conducted by the National College Attainment Network found that 59.1% of graduating seniors completed the FAFSA, an all-time high.   

• More Students with Disabilities Educated in General Settings, GAO Report Finds: A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, from the 2012-13 to 2023-24 school year, the number of students with disabilities placed in general education settings for most of their day increased by 25% nationally.