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Legislative Update: ESEA Update; New CTE-Related Bills Proposed

June 14th, 2013

Rep. Langevin Op-Ed and Announcement of Counseling Legislation

Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-chair of the Congressional Career Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, and Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) announced in an op-ed this week new legislation to authorize funding for comprehensive career counseling services. The “Counseling for Career Choice Act,” which would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), would authorize grants to successful applicants that are prepared to implement comprehensive school counseling programs that align to a statewide counseling framework. The legislation is a companion bill to one introduced earlier this year by Senator Begich.

In the op-ed, Representative Langevin highlighted the importance of career counseling in making students aware of the many education and training opportunities available after high school – whether a two-year degree, apprenticeship, certificate, four-year degree, or other option – to help meet their future educational and career goals. Langevin also stressed the link between economic competitiveness and education and training, and the role of CTE in closing the skills gap. Staff will continue to work with Representatives Langevin and Bonamici to promote important aspects of CTE, such as counseling, in upcoming legislation.

Rep. McNerney  Introduces GREEN Act

Representative Jerry McNerney (D-CA) introduced this week the Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation (GREEN) Act to increase education and training in the clean energy sector through CTE programs of study. The GREEN Act would authorize $100 million in competitive grants to postsecondary institutions, local education agencies, CTE schools, and community partners to develop clean energy programs of study and curriculum. The bill would also authorize funding to build energy-efficient CTE facilities and promote renewable energy practices.

The clean energy sector currently employs around 3 million Americans and growth of the sector is doubling that of the overall economy. CTE programs will be instrumental to providing education and training to individuals pursuing careers in clean energy.

In Representative McNerney’s press release for the bill, Kimberly Green, Executive Director at NASDCTEc, expressed support on behalf of our members: “We applaud Congressman McNerney’s introduction of the Grants for Renewable Energy Education Act. Promoting energy efficient Career Technical Education facilities and supporting the development of Career Technical Education programs of study in the fields of clean energy, renewable energy, and energy efficiency will ensure that the United States has the workforce needed to build, support and maintain the energy infrastructure essential for our country’s future.”

ESEA Update:

ESEA, currently enacted through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), expired at the end of FY 2008 and has since been eligible for reauthorization. As we reported last week, several ESEA reauthorization proposals have been introduced in Congress. See a side-by-side comparison of the proposals here.

Senate Approves Democrat ESEA Bill

This week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the Democrats’ ESEA reauthorization bill, the Strengthening America’s Schools Act, on a party-line vote of 12-10. HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) noted that he would like to move the bill to a floor vote this year but that this is unlikely to happen before September. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), whose ESEA reauthorization proposal substitute was voted down by the committee, stated that he would like to amend Senator Harkin’s bill significantly when it reaches the floor. Read more about the proposals on our blog.

Ten amendments to the bill were adopted including:

  • Sen. Baldwin (D-WI): Amendment to include career readiness measures from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act on state and school report cards.
  • Sen. Harkin: Amendment making clear that, if states don’t want to implement accountability measures in the ESEA bill, they are not obligated to take Title I money for their state.
  • Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): Amendment for schools to track children of military members as a separate subgroup.

Thirteen amendments were offered but not passed including:

  • Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY): Amendment to scale back federal role in the bill as related to school improvement and accountability.
  • Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): Amendment to change special education testing and also to clarify that states can change their standards without the permission of the U.S. Secretary of Education.

House ESEA Proposal Markup Set

House Republicans on the Education and the Workforce Committee introduced their ESEA reauthorization proposal, the Student Success Act (H.R.5) on June 6, 2013. A markup of the bill has been scheduled for June 19, 2013. Read more about the proposal here.

FY 2014 Appropriations :

House Appropriations

This week, the House Appropriations Committee held a full Committee markup of the defense appropriations bill. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) attempted to amend the bill by bringing FY 2014 funding levels for the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-ED) to pre-sequestration levels. The amendment was rejected on a party line vote of 21-29.

In May, the House Appropriations Committee released its draft FY 2014 302(b) allocations, which establish a cap on spending for each of the appropriations bills. The allocations suggest devastating cuts for programs with funding allocated under Labor-HHS-ED. It is unclear when markup of the House Labor-HHS-ED bill will be held.

Senate Appropriations

The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to release formal 302(b) allocations at the full committee markup on June 20, 2013. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has scheduled a markup of the Senate Labor-HHS-ED appropriations bill on July 9, 2013 in subcommittee and on July 11, 2013 in full committee. Staff will continue to monitor these events and advocate on Capitol Hill for education and CTE funding.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

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Legislative Update: House Releases Draft 302(b) Allocations for FY14

May 20th, 2013

House Draft 302(b) Allocations for FY14

The House Appropriations Committee this week released their draft FY14 302(b) allocations which suggest devastating cuts for programs with funding allocated under the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Education) including Career Technical Education (CTE). Each Committee receives a single 302(a) allocation and divides it up among its subcommittees through 302(b) allocations. The 302(b) allocations establish a cap on spending for each of the appropriations bills.

The House draft 302(b) allocation would cut funding 18.6 percent below the FY13 sequestration levels for Labor-HHS-Education, leaving the U.S. Department of Education with an overall cut of more than $12 billion. It is unclear at this time how the proposed cuts would impact individual programs including CTE.

Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member on the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, is strongly opposed to the cuts and has called on Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) to hold a full committee markup of the subcommittee’s draft FY14 bill.

While the Senate is unlikely to agree to the levels proposed by the House, our staff will continue to monitor the bill. We are working closely with the Committee for Education Funding, a coalition of education advocacy groups including NASDCTEc, to urge the House Appropriations Committee to reject these proposed cuts.

Senator Merkley Introduces STEM Bill Including CTE Grants

We previously reported that Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has been working on a bill, the STEM Education for the Global Economy Act, that would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help improve instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

Senator Merkley recently introduced the bill which would also provide grants for CTE in middle schools and high schools. Senators Mark Begich (D-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Al Franken (D-MN) co-sponsored the bill. The CTE grants would seek to:

  • Increase collaboration between education institutions and employers
  • Develop and enhance programs of study
  • Assess how well CTE programs meet workforce needs

Access the text of the bill here.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

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Legislative Update: FY14 Perkins Estimates, FY14 Budget, ESEA Hearing

May 10th, 2013

FY 2014 Perkins Estimates

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education shared state-by-state budget tables for all programs under its jurisdiction. This includes estimates for both FY13 and FY14.  At the time of the release, the tables included incorrect information for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins). The tables have now been updated and can be found here. Perkins information can be found on page 21.

The FY13 estimates reflect sequestration reductions. It is important to note that the estimates for FY14 assume the President’s budget request is approved, which restores funds to pre-sequestration levels and for Perkins, assumes enactment of the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education. This proposal withholds $100 million in funds from the states to create an innovation fund managed by the federal government. The authority to withhold these funds and create the innovation fund would have to be enacted into law before it could occur; therefore, NASDCTEc recommends against using the FY14 estimates for planning purposes.

For more information on the President’s FY14 budget proposal and its potential impact on CTE, revisit this blog post and this blog post.

FY 2014 Budget Update

Last month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called for the creation of a budget conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate budgets. As reported in previous blog posts, the House budget would lead to an 11.7 percent reduction in nondefense discretionary spending for FY14 which would result in significant reductions to Perkins funding. The Senate budget would repeal the sequester and restore funding to Perkins and other nondefense programs.

This week, Senators Reid and Patty Murray (D-WA) attempted again on the Senate floor to appoint conferees on the Budget Resolution. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) objected. Staff will continue to monitor any progress made on the FY14 budget.

House ESEA Hearing Discusses CTE

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has been eligible for reauthorization for more than six years, and members of Congress are again looking at how the expired law can be updated and improved. This week, the House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing called “Raising the Bar: Exploring State and Local Efforts to Improve Accountability” to discuss the federal role in accountability for education.

CTE became part of the discussion when Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) highlighted the importance of preparing students who are both college and career ready by aligning CTE and academic courses. Education stakeholders who provided testimony at the hearing included Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, John White, and Superintendent of Northfield, Minnesota Public Schools, Chris Richardson. White and Richardson agreed that better alignment between CTE and traditional academic courses is necessary. White described Louisiana’s efforts to include more measures – including dual enrollment credit, employment attainment, and Advanced Placement scores – in addition to using proficiency and graduation rates.

Another panelist, Eric Gordon of Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Ohio, discussed his district’s commitment to preparing students for postsecondary education and careers through CTE.

The discussion at this hearing on academic and technical skill integration illustrates the need for greater alignment between ESEA and Perkins. Some Members of Congress have indicated that ESEA reauthorization will begin in late summer, and staff will continue to provide details as they become available.

Kara Herbertson, Research and Policy Manager

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Legislative Update: Global Economy Act; Workforce Data Quality Campaign; CAREER Act

May 6th, 2013

STEM Education for the Global Economy Act

Last week, Senator Merkley (D-OR) announced details for his STEM Education for the Global Economy Act. The bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and would help improve instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects by:

  • Improving student engagement in and increasing student access to courses in STEM subjects.
  • Recruiting, training and supporting highly effective teachers in STEM subjects and providing robust tools and supports for students and teachers.
  • Closing student achievement gaps, and preparing more students to be on track for college and career readiness.

Many of the provisions in the bill link to our vision for CTE, especially in regard to our aim to ensure that the United States leads in global competitiveness. The bill would direct more money towards STEM, strives to prepare more students to be career ready, and increases professional development opportunities for teachers.

Inaugural Workforce Data Quality Campaign Meeting

Last week, NASDCTEc took part in the inaugural meeting of the Workforce Data Quality Campaign (WDQC).  NASDCTEc is an inaugural partner in the WDQC, in addition to the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Data Quality Campaign, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, the National Skills Coalition, and the New America Foundation. The WDQC promotes inclusive, aligned and market-relevant education and workforce data systems supported by state and federal policies. Some of the issues being examined by the WDQC include:

  • Promoting data systems that capture individual achievement in postsecondary degrees and industry-recognized credentials.
  • Expanding the use of information on individual participant outcomes and ensuring it is linked with the changing structure of the labor market.
  • Making data expectations clear and consistent across the pending reauthorizations of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins), the Workforce Investment Act, the Higher Education Act, and ESEA.

This exciting initiative will shape the future of CTE data and accountability, and regular updates on progress will be shared with members. The aims of the WDQC initiative link very closely with our vision, through our support of federal policies that make the collection of nationally comparable, valid and reliable data possible and efficient; and our support of aligning data requirements and accountability measures among federal education and workforce preparation programs.

CAREER Act

Senators Bennet (D-CO) and Portman (R-OH) last week reintroduced the Career Through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act S.804. According to the bill summary, S. 804 aims to make federal job training programs more responsive to the needs of employers, more efficient with taxpayer dollars, and more effective in connecting the unemployed with highly paid jobs by:

1.      Reorganizing the Federal Government’s training programs to make them more efficient, by working with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to produce a report detailing how to decrease the number of federal job training programs without decreasing services or accessibility, using a 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report as a template.The GAO report lists Perkins as one of the funds that could be consolidated.

2.      Giving community colleges, CTE institutions, and other key educators priority access for funding that equips workers with the credentials that are in demand by industry.

3.      Introducing accountability to job training through a pay-for-performance pilot program.

4.      Providing states and local stakeholders with access to the data they need to track the impact of their programs.

The bill would amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). A reauthorized version of WIA was recently passed in the House, and the Senate is currently working on their proposal to reauthorize the Act. As such, it is not clear how the CAREER Act will fit into this reauthorization process. Watch for more updates on the NASDCTEc blog as the CAREER Act progresses to Committee and more details are available.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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Legislative Update: Democratic Summit; FAA Funding Flexibility; Conference Committee Blocked

April 29th, 2013

Senate Democratic Rural Summit

NASDCTEc was invited to attend an April 25, 2013 convening of the U.S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, led by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), focused on issues affecting rural communities. Though the event primarily focused on agriculture and nutrition issues, rural schools and districts were also part of the discussion. Topics relevant to Career Technical Education (CTE) included increased flexibility in rural school districts and issues with rural areas qualifying for competitive grant funding. These issues are reflected in our Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) recommendations for reauthorization.

Given Senator Begich’s support of rural education, which we covered in a previous blog post we plan to meet with his staff to share our Perkins recommendations and to discuss how CTE can fit into the priorities of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee.

Congressional Action to End FY13 Sequester for FAA Thwarted in Favor of Funding Flexibility

At the end of last week, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives both passed legislation, S. 788 and H.R. 1765 respectively, that provides the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to redirect funds within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) so that air traffic controllers furloughed due to sequestration could return to work. The measure is on its way to the President, who is expected to sign it.

Originally this measure was expected to be a repeal of the FAA sequester, which provided a hopeful moment that Congress might begin to eliminate the impact of sequester on targeted programs. However, the compromise simply provides the FAA the authority move funds under its jurisdiction from one account to another.

Providing Cabinet Secretaries the flexibility to move funds within their agency to achieve sequestration targets is how sequestration will be implemented in future years. This is in contrast to the first year of sequestration, FY13, which required across-the-board cuts to all programs within an agency. It is important for our members to contact their Congressional offices to let them know that the entire sequester should be replaced or repealed. CTE is just as important as delays at the airport.

FY14 Budget Conference Committee Blocked

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called last week for the creation of a budget conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate budgets. As reported in previous blog posts, the House budget would lead to an 11.7 percent reduction in nondefense discretionary spending for FY14, which would result in significant reductions to Perkins funding. The Senate budget would repeal the sequester and restore funding to Perkins and other nondefense programs.

Last Tuesday, Senate Republicans rejected Senator Reid’s call to appoint conference committee members. NASDCTEc will continue to share any updates on the FY14 budget negotiations.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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Legislative Update: Appropriations, Community College Grants

April 22nd, 2013

Secretary Duncan Testifies Before Appropriations Subcommittees

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently spoke before both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Other Related Agencies about President Obama’s FY14 budget proposal, which includes a number of proposals related to Career Technical Education (CTE).

Secretary Duncan’s written statement for the House Subcommittee contained a section called Supporting Career-Readiness for All which supports President Obama’s request to restore FY12 funding levels for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins). Secretary Duncan also described the Administration’s request for $300 million to support the High School Redesign program and $42 million for the development of dual enrollment programs that align with career pathways and local workforce needs. The delayed release of the President’s budget, which is traditionally released in February, will likely mean it holds less influence than it normally would in affecting spending and policy changes, because the House and the Senate have already passed their own budgets, but it is still very important.

Community College Grants

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor announced the third round of grant funding for the Trade Adjustment Community College and Career Training program. The latest grant makes available $474.5 million to help community colleges strengthen training partnerships with employers and will invest in innovative and evidence-based training models that include strong partnerships with local employers and employer organizations.

The grant is part of President Obama’s plan to ensure every American has at least one year of postsecondary education. Consortia or institutions that are interested in applying for funding can find more details here.

Representatives Thompson and Langevin Call for More Career Technical Education Funding

Today, Representatives Thompson (R-PA-5) and Langevin (D-RI-2) sent a Dear Colleague letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Other Related Agencies requesting level funding for Perkins in FY14. The letter highlights the importance of CTE programs in ensuring workers are prepared to hold jobs in high-wage, high-skill and high-demand sectors. The letter has been co-signed by 61 members of the U.S. House of Representatives; the list can be found at the end of this post.

The leadership from these representatives in promoting CTE in the current financial climate is commendable, and we encourage you to send a note of thanks, particularly if one of the representatives listed is based in your state. If you wish to express your appreciation to Representatives Langevin or Thompson for their leadership in organizing this Dear Colleague letter, you can contact them at their Washington D.C. offices at (202) 225-2735 or (202) 225-5121 respectively.

Arizona

Representative Raul Grijalva (D)

California

Representative Ami Berra (D)

Representative Lois Capps (D)

Representative Tony Cardenas (D)

Representative John Garamendi (D)

Representative Jared Huffman (D)

Representative Jerry McNerney (D)

Representative Linda Sanchez (D)

Representative Mark Takano (D)

Representative Juan Vargas (D)

Colorado

Representative Jared Polis (D)

Connecticut

Representative Joe Courtney (D)

District of Columbia

Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D)

Florida

Representative Patrick E. Murphy (D)

Guam

Representative Madelaine Bordallo (D)

Hawaii

Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D)

Illinois

Representative Bill Foster (D)

Representative Janice Schakowsky (D)

Indiana

Representative Larry Buschon (R)

Representative Andre Carson (D)

Iowa

Representative David Loebsack (D)

Kentucky

Representative John Yarmuth (D)

Maine

Representative Michael Michaud (D)

Representative Chellie Pingree (D)

Maryland

Representative Chris Van Hollen (D)

Massachusetts

Representative Michael Capuano (D)

Representative William Keating (D)

Michigan

Representative John Conyers Jr. (D)

Representative John Dingell (D)

Representative Sander Levin (D)

Representative Gary Peters (D)

Minnesota

Representative Timothy Walz (D)

Representative Rick Nolan (D)

Missouri

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D)

New Hampshire

Representative Carol Shea-Porter (D)

New Jersey

Representative Rush Holt (D)

Representative Bill Pascrell (D)

Representative Albio Sires (D)

New Mexico

Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D)

New York

Representative William Owens (D)

Representative Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D)

Representative Paul Tonko (D)

Representative Charles Wrangel (D)

North Carolina

Representative Mike McIntyre (D)

Northern Marianas

Gregorio Kilili Camacho (D)

Oregon

Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D)

Representative Peter DeFazio (D)

Pennsylvania

Representative Matt Cartwright (D)

Representative Allyson Schwartz (D)

Rhode Island

Representative David Cicilline (D)

Texas

Representative Joaquin Castro (D)

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D)

Representative Mark Veasey (D)

Vermont

Representative Peter Welch (D)

Virginia

Representative Gerald Connolly (D)

Washington

Representative Suzan DelBene (D)

Representative Denny Heck (D)

Representative Rick Larsen (D)

West Virginia

Representative Nick Rahall (D)

Wisconsin

Representative Thomas Petri (R)

Representative Mark Pocan (D)

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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Legislative Update: New Sequester Cut to FY13; President’s Budget for FY14; Senate Passes FY14 Budget Proposal

March 29th, 2013

New Sequester Cut to FY13

We reported last week that the Senate and House approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) to provide funding for federal programs through the remainder of FY 13. Earlier this week, President Obama signed the CR into law. Since our last report, both the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have analyzed the CR to determine whether or not the enacted legislation has exceeded the budget caps. While the CBO predicts the budget caps will not be exceeded in FY13 under the CR, the OMB predicts that the budget caps will be exceeded. As the OMB has sole authority on this matter, they are requiring an additional 0.2 percent cut to non defense discretionary (NDD) spending to ensure the budget caps are not exceeded. The expected 5 percent sequestration cuts will then be made.

Since the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) falls under the NDD category, Perkins funding will be reduced for FY 13. This means that the previous tables provided by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) are no longer accurate. Due to the unforeseen additional 0.2 percent cut, OVAE will have to run their formulas again to determine state allocations for July 1, 2013. We will pass along any additional information to members as it is provided to us.

President’s Budget for FY14

After several delays in its release date, the White House has announced that President Obama’s budget will be made public on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. We will review the President’s budget closely to see what is proposed for Career Technical Education (CTE), as CTE was featured so prominently in his State of the Union address.

Senate Passes FY14 Budget Proposal

The Senate has now passed S.Con.Res.8, their proposal for the FY 14 budget. The budget passed the Senate by 50 votes to 49, with four Democrats voting against the proposal. As reported in a previous blog post, S.Con.Res.8 would replace the sequester cuts from FY14 with a balanced deficit reduction package. This would mean that NDD spending in FY14, which includes Perkins funding, would be at much higher levels than what is proposed in the House Budget, H.Con.Res.25. Budget proposals generally do not provide recommendations for program level increases or decreases but instead provide a broad framework, an overall cap on spending, and guidelines for where investments should be made. Therefore, the exact impact of either proposal on Perkins funding is unclear at this time.

Now that both the House and the Senate budgets have passed, a Conference Committee will be held to discuss differences between the House and Senate proposals and for compromise to be reached. After that, the appropriations process will begin, which will provide more details on how each party would fund NDD spending. As soon as more details are available, they will be shared with members.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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Legislative Update: House Passes FY14 Budget Proposal; House Passes Continuing Resolution

March 22nd, 2013

House Passes FY14 Budget Proposal
The House yesterday moved to pass H.Con.Res.25 to establish the budget for the U.S. government for FY 14 and set forth appropriate budgetary levels for FY 15 through FY 23. Chairman Ryan’s budget proposal for FY14, with 221 votes cast in favor of the measure and 207 votes against it. Ten Republicans voted against passage. As reported in a previous blog post, H.Con.Res.25 proposes an 11.7 percent reduction in overall non defense discretionary (NDD) spending in FY14, which includes Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) funding. The Senate is currently debating amendments to their own budget proposal (S.Con.Res.8).Once the final version passes in the Senate, a Conference Committee will be held to discuss differences between the House and Senate proposals and for compromise to be reached.

Houses Passes Continuing Resolution
The House yesterday also passed the Senate-approved Continuing Resolution. This decision means the bill is passed to President Obama to sign. The bill, which will presumably be signed into law, would not require any additional cuts to Perkins other than the already agreed upon 5 percent cut from sequestration.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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Revised Legislative Update: CR, Meeting with Senate HELP Committee, Houses Passes WIA Reauthorization

March 17th, 2013

FY13 Continuing Resolution – Proposed 0.098% Across the Board Cut



The Senate is considering a continuing resolution (CR) that proposes an across the board cut of 0.098%. Because the CR is for FY13, this across the board cut would get applied to funding before and in addition to the planned 5% across the board sequestration cut.

What does the CR mean for Perkins? It seems likely that the proposed across the board cut of 0.098% will be approved and if so, it would apply to Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) FY13 funding as well as all other federal education and workforce programs. For Perkins, FY13 is the funding states get beginning July 1, 2013. Therefore, if this CR is passed, it would mean that OVAE would have to revise and re-issue the funding tables states received on March 8, 2013.

Next Steps on the CR: The Senate will continue to debate the CR on Monday, March 18 at 2 p.m. E.T. When the CR is passed and signed by the President, which is expected to happen, NASDCTEc will provide a further update detailing out the specific impact on Perkins funding.

Meeting with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee Republicans on Perkins

NASDCTEc made outreach to Democrat and Republican staff from the House and Senate Committees charged with taking up the reauthorization of Perkins. This week, NASDCTEc met with a representative of Senator Alexander (R-TN), Ranking Member on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who indicated the Senator’s strong interest that Perkins be reauthorized as soon as is practicable so CTE can contribute most effectively to the economic recovery and the education of the nation. However, this staff member also noted the reality that the reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) technically are in the queue and should be completed first as WIA was due for reauthorization in 2003 and ESEA was due for reauthorization in 2007, whereas Perkins was due for reauthorization in 2012. NASDCTEc will continue to meet with Committee staff and share any movement in the interest or scheduling of reauthorization. In addition, these staff have been invited to be part of a panel at the NASDCTEc Spring Meeting.

House Approves Measure to Reauthorize Workforce Investment Act


On Friday, March 15, 2013, the House approved its measure to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), H.R.803, also known as the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act (SKILLS), by a vote of 215 to 202. An amendment by Representative Tierney (D-MA-6) which would have strengthened the role of community colleges in workforce investment boards was defeated 227 to 192.  A comprehensive summary of H.R. 803, detailing the impact on CTE, will be made available to NASDCTEc members next week. The passage of this bill is the first step in reauthorization; the Senate still needs to consider its reauthorization proposal for the WIA.

 

 


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Legislative Update: Continuing Resolution; President’s Budget; Counseling for Career Choice Act of 2013; Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs Act

March 11th, 2013

 

WIA Reauthorization
On February 26, H.R. 803 – The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act, the Republican proposal to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), was introduced during a hearing of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce.

On March 6, the full House Education and the Workforce Committee met to mark up the bill; a mark up is when the Committee considers the proposal and any amendments, ultimately voting to pass the bill out of Committee prior to taking it to the House floor for a vote. The archived webcast of the hearing and the markup can be viewed respectively here and here.

The markup saw the Democratic members walk out in protest at their frustration over the perceived haste of the Republicans moving the bill through the legislative process. Another main area of contention was the Republican’s proposal to consolidate 35 funds into one Workforce Investment Fund.  It should be noted that Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act funding is not included as one of the 35 consolidated funds, however the Democrats remain unconvinced over the merits of consolidation.

The bill is scheduled for debate on the House floor at some point this week and will be viewable online here. In addition to this, full summaries of the bills proposed by the Democrats and the Republicans can be found here on the National Skills Coalition website. If you have any questions on WIA reauthorization, or any other Career Technical Education matters, please do not hesitate to contact NASDCTEc at 301-588-9630.

Continuing Resolution
The House voted Wednesday to pass H.R. 933, or the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act. The Continuing Resolution would fund government operations through the end of the fiscal year on September 30 commensurate to current spending levels post-sequestration.

The bill also grants some flexibility for the Pentagon to reallocate funds to higher priority programs, however the same flexibility is not being granted to non-defense discretionary spending. House Democrats criticized the bill for doing nothing to counter the negative impact sequestration would have on spending on social programs, however the bill passed the House 267 to 151. The bill now requires agreement in the Senate, before it receives passage to become an Act.

President’s Budget

President Obama’s budget for FY14 has once again been postponed, with current projections for release targeting early to mid April. As outlined in a previous blog post, the President traditionally releases his budget by the first Monday of February, however due to the unconventional fiscal circumstances, there has been a continued delay in the plan being finalized and made public.

Counseling for Career Choice Act of 2013

Senator Begich (D-AK) recently introduced the Counseling for Career Choice Act of 2013 (S.282). The bill would provide funding to allow school counselors to emphasize not just four year college opportunities, but also to target career prospects like apprenticeships, certificate programs and other vocational or degree programs. The bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. We will be working closely with Senator Begich, and when the Committee considers the bill, a further update will be made available.

Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs Act

Representatives DeLauro (D-CT-3) and Jared Polis (D-CO-2) recently re-introduced the Women and Workforce and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs Act (H.R.951). The bill aims to fight gender inequity in the workplace and to give low-income women a pathway out of poverty by creating a federal grant program that would support innovative partnerships between community-based organizations, educational institutions and local businesses. A nontraditional job is one in which women comprise 25% or less of employees, and the bill hopes to boost the economy by reducing shortages of skilled workers in the labor market. NASDCTEc will work closely with Congress to ensure the perspective of the Career Technical Education community is well represented in deliberations over the bill.

David Beckett, Advocacy Manager

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