It has been relatively quiet this week on the Hill, as Congress has been on recess. They return next week for a two-week session before Memorial Day. Late Monday night, Senate Republicans unveiled a reconciliation package with money for ICE, Border Patrol and security related to the East Wing ballroom project. They plan to put the reconciliation bill on the floor the week of May 18, the final week both chambers are scheduled to be in session this month. Conversations on the war with Iran also continue, as House Democrats called for answers on the economic cost of the war. Read more policy updates below.  

• Advance CTE Releases Vision for CTE: On May 1, Advance CTE released their vision for the future of CTE: “The Connected Path: A Shared Vision for Opportunity & Empowerment Through Career Technical Education.” The vision, supported by ACTE and numerous other education groups, focuses on ensuring students are connected to flexible CTE pathways that are aligned with industry needs and emerging technologies.  

• Reps. Thompson and Bonamici Introduce Bill to Create Skill Savings Accounts: On May 7, Reps. Thompson and Bonamici, co-chairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Skill Savings Account Act. This bill creates skill savings accounts for workers of all ages to use for education expenses including workforce development and nontraditional learning opportunities. ACTE and Advance CTE have endorsed this bill.  

• ED and DOL Announce New Grant Competition: On May 1, the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 competition for the Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) Program. The purpose of the CGSA program is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by states for measuring the academic achievement and growth of elementary and secondary school students. Applications close on June 16, 2026.  

• ED Finalizes Comprehensive Centers Program Requirements: On May 8, ED finalized requirements for the Comprehensive Centers Program, which provides technical assistance to state, regional and local education agencies on various topics. The Department identified college and career readiness as one of the topics applicants may focus on when proposing to establish a technical assistance center under the program. ACTE and Advance CTE commented on these proposals earlier this year, recommending that the Department consider highlighting CTE. 

• IES Launches FY 2026 SBIR Grant Contest: On April 30, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) launched its FY26 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant Competition, which awards funding to companies developing education technology products (such as virtual and augmented reality, simulations and learning software). Applications for proposals are due on June 29.  

• DOL Names New Senior Leadership: Following the departure of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling announced new senior DOL leadership on May 1. 

• ED and Treasury Employees are Transferred as Part of Program Shift: In a letter that was released on May 4, the Treasury Department confirmed that it has started preparations to take over ED’s 9 million defaulted student– loan accounts. As part of this transfer, seven ED employees will move to the Treasury, and two Treasury employees will move to ED.  

• ED and DOL Host Roundtable Discussion on Degree-Connected Apprenticeships: On April 30, as part of National Apprenticeship Week, ED and DOL hosted a discussion with community college, university and workforce-development leaders to spotlight degree-connected Registered Apprenticeships across the country. 

• Congress Awarded More than $290 Million in Community College Funding Through Earmarks: An analysis conducted by the Association of Community College Trustees found that Congress awarded more than $290 million in funding to local community college projects in FY 2026 through earmarks, provisions in federal budget bills that direct funds to local community projects. ACTE conducted a similar analysis and found that CTE-related projects received over $209 million in funding through earmarks.  

• Federal Education Data Updates Lag: An analysis by Chalkbeat found that, after the Trump Administration slashed staffing and contracts at the Institute of Education Sciences, a significant number of data tables and research (including the Digest of Education Statistics) have not been updated since January 2025, limiting the public’s access to recent and reliable education statistics.