House Labor-HHS-Education Funding Bill Released
As we told you this morning, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education released a draft of their FY12 appropriations bill. The bill provides for $153.4 billion in discretionary spending, which is $4 billion below FY11 enacted levels. However, this is a much smaller cut than the $18 billion proposed in Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s (WI) FY12 budget plan.
Perkins Act funding was maintained in the House’s current proposal, but not all education and workforce programs fared as well. The bill eliminates 31 programs from the Department of Education, including the Elementary and Secondary Counseling Act, High School Graduation Initiative, Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation grants, and FIPSE. The Pell grant maximum award was maintained at $5,550, but eligibility was eliminated for less-than–half-time students and the proposal would reduce the semesters that a student can receive the grant from 18 to 12.
Programs within the Department of Labor saw significant cuts, including:
- Workforce Innovation Fund is eliminated.
- WIA Adult Training FY11 advanced appropriations would be rescinded and funding would be cut by $563 million for FY12.
- WIA Dislocated Worker Assistance FY11 advanced appropriations would be rescinded and funding would be cut by $962 million, or 90%, for FY12.
- WIA Youth Training would be cut $412 million, or 50%, for FY12.
The bill is not scheduled to be marked up by the Appropriations Committee, but these funding levels will likely be part of a House omnibus bill.
TAA Community College Grants Awarded
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter announced $500 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grants to 32 community colleges this week. The grants will be used for targeted training and workforce development to help dislocated workers obtain the skills they need to change careers. The grants support partnerships between community colleges and employers to develop programs that provide career pathways and build instructional programs that meet industry needs. Congress allocated $2 billion for the TAACCCT program to be awarded in each of fiscal years 2011-2014. Â A list of grantees can be found here.
Senate ESEA Markup Scheduled
Senator Tom Harkin (IA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced that they will markup an Elementary and Secondary Education Act bill on October 18. In a statement, Harkin said “This reauthorization is now more than four years overdue, and our students, schools, and communities cannot afford to wait any longer.†Draft language has not yet been released, but we will keep you posted on any further developments.
Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager
Tags: appropriations, budget, community colleges, Congress, federal grants, funding, Job training, NCLB/ESEA, Perkins, postsecondary, Secondary, technical skills assessments, WIA