Posts Tagged ‘appropriations’

ED Extends Comment Period for Perkins ICR | Legislative Update

Friday, October 11th, 2024

This week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it would extend the deadline for one of the components of a recent regulatory proposal impacting the implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) in response to a formal request made by Advance CTE and partners. Elsewhere, Congress has remained on recess ahead of the upcoming November elections while the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) makes preparations for National Apprenticeship Week and announces new grant opportunities.

ED Modifies Comment Deadline for Perkins V ICR

This morning, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it would extend the public comment period for a recently proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) with significant implications for the implementation of Perkins V. The two-week comment period extension will apply to feedback responses to proposed changes to Perkins V’s Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) while the existing deadline for comments related to the State Plan Guide component of this ICR remain unchanged and are still due November 12, 2024. This announcement comes in response to Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) formal request for an extension made in recent weeks. In addition, ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) hosted two town halls last week, providing further details regarding these proposed ICRs. Notably, ED confirmed during these events that every state and territory would be required to undergo a new comprehensive planning process required by Perkins V regardless of whether a state submits a new or amended state plan by program year 2026.

Congress Remains on Recess Amid Storm Damage

Capitol Hill remains in recess this week as the November elections draw closer. Over the last few weeks, severe storms have significantly impacted several states. Due to these circumstances, there has been increasing pressure for Congress to potentially reconvene, prior to the upcoming elections, to provide supplemental emergency funding for states impacted by these weather events. A bipartisan group of Senators recently sent a letter highlighting this need, and similar efforts are underway in the House. 

Despite this mounting pressure, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has thus far resisted calls to reconvene. The need to provide funding in response to these latest hurricanes is widely expected to impact future negotiations for long-term funding for federal programs, like Perkins V’s state grant program, for the current 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25). As a reminder, current funding—recently extended by a continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress late last month—is set to expire on December 20, 2024. Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a robust investment in CTE via Perkins V as the FY25 process progresses.

Department of Labor Continued Federal Support for Apprenticeship Programs

This week, the Department of Labor shared details for the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), a week dedicated to celebrating 10 Years of Engagement, Expansion, and Innovation of impacting lives through apprenticeship programs. Spanning the week of November 17th through 23rd, the 2024 celebration features daily themes with ways to get involved listed on Labor’s NAW Fact Sheet. Advance CTE looks forward to celebrating Career Technical Education’s critical role and connection to apprenticeships later this fall.

DOL also shared a list of resources for outreach to businesses to support apprenticeship investment and implementation. A related list has links to federal, state, and industry-specific resources for outreach anywhere on the continuum of strategic partnership. The Department also conducted a series of Industry Focus Calls throughout the summer to support state grantees in expanding Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) to meet employers’ needs. The 2024 calls shared best practices and successes for launching RAPs in education, the public sector, green energy, and mental and behavioral healthcare. The calls and resources dating back to 2019 can be accessed here.

Earlier this fall, the Biden-Harris administration issued an executive order related to Investing in America and Investing in American Workers that highlights the importance of prioritizing federally funded projects that prioritize workforce development efforts, including the availability of career pathways and RAPs.

Department of Labor Grants Available for Work-Based Learning for Underserved Youth

The Department of Labor announced a fifth round of Workforce Pathways for Youth grants, authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), available for out-of-school organizations that engage underserved youth ages 14 to 21. The grants are intended to help organizations introduce career-related services, work-based learning opportunities, and occupational skills training. Applications are open until December 3rd, 2024, and eligibility requirements are listed on the application page. Read more about Workforce Pathways for Youth, previous program recipients, and other resources here.

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Rob Young in Public Policy
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FY25 Federal Funding Deadline Looms | Legislative Update

Friday, September 20th, 2024

This week, leaders in the House struggled to make progress on time-sensitive funding legislation for the federal government while the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced it is delaying an upcoming deadline for new regulations impacting postsecondary institutions. Elsewhere new legislation related to learner mental health has been introduced in the House, while a new nominee has been announced to lead ED’s research and evaluation efforts as the agency shares new resources to support civil rights implementation. 

House Continuing Resolution Vote Fails

This week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pressed ahead with a vote on a six-month extension of current federal funding through the early part of 2025. The measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), has been strongly opposed by congressional Democrats and the White House. This opposition has centered on the inclusion of additional controversial provisions related to elections and a preference for a shorter-term CR lasting through December of this year. Despite this opposition, the CR was brought up for a vote on Wednesday, and lawmakers rejected the legislation with a narrow 220-202 margin. All House Democrats and 14 Republicans opposed the measure.

With the upcoming 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25) set to begin on October 1 in just a few short weeks, lawmakers must now determine a new path forward on funding for the federal government, including the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act (Perkins V), before this fast-approaching deadline. Most recently, House leaders have indicated their intent to release a new CR proposal early next week. As these efforts and more continue to get underway, Advance CTE will be working to advocate for a strengthened investment in CTE made possible by Perkins V’s state grant program. 

Gainful Employment Reporting Pushed Further Back 

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it was further delaying reporting deadlines for recently finalized postsecondary rules related to Gainful Employment (GE) and Financial Value Transparency (FVT). Previously reporting requirements, which had been delayed earlier this summer, were set to come into effect on October 1, 2024. Postsecondary institutions impacted by GE and FVT will now be required to begin related reporting for these rules by January 15, 2025. Read more about the announcement here

Bipartisan CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act Introduced

This week, Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and the co-chairs of the CTE Caucus, Reps. GT Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced the CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act. Coinciding with National Suicide Prevention Month, this legislation expands the campus suicide prevention program to include area technical centers within this existing grant program. “This legislation would ensure that Area Career and Technical Centers are included as a covered institution under the Campus Suicide Prevention program–a critical recognition that learners’ mental health and wellbeing must be prioritized throughout our nation’s postsecondary system, including at institutions specializing in CTE,” said Advance CTE Executive Director Kate Kreamer. Read the press release for the legislation here.

ED Shares New Title IX Resources 

In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) shared two new resources to assist schools in complying with recent changes that went into effect on August 1 regarding the implementation of Title IX—civil rights legislation intended to prevent discrimination in educational settings on the basis of one’s gender. These new resources clarify Title IX coordinators’ duties, a position requiring each recipient of funds to employ, and regulations related to nondiscrimination based on pregnancy, related conditions, parental, family, or marital status. As Advance CTE previously shared, more than half of states’ Attorneys General have sued to block these new changes, resulting in a widespread difference in whether and how these new rules are currently being implemented in certain states. These new resources can be accessed here

Institute of Education Services Director Nominated

Late last week, President Biden announced that he was nominating Adam Gamoran to serve as the new Director of the Institute of Education Services (IES)—the U.S. Department of Education’s primary research and evaluation office. Gamoran previously served as the President of the William T. Grant Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on funding research in the social sciences. The role of IES Director must be confirmed by the Senate—a position that until recently was held by Mark Schneider  who left ED earlier this spring. IES also serves critical functions in the implementation of the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA), legislation that Advance CTE has previously engaged on, this Congress. 

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Rob Young in Uncategorized
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Congress Set to Return Next Week | Legislative Update

Friday, September 6th, 2024

This week, Congress remained on recess as lawmakers look to finalize funding legislation this month. Elsewhere, Advance CTE submitted formal comments on newly proposed rules for distance education while U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona continued a back-to-school bus tour throughout the nation.

Lawmakers Returning for Busy Work Period

Both chambers of Congress remained on recess this week and are expected to return for a new work period early next week. With only a few weeks until the formal start of the 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25), the need to address federal funding for the coming year is expected to be a key priority on Capitol Hill this month. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is widely expected to introduce legislation that would extend current FY24 funding levels through the early part of 2025—at the start of a new Congress and Presidential Administration. However, the package is likely to contain other controversial provisions opposed by Congressional Democrats and the Biden Administration who favor a shorter-term extension of federal funding through mid-December. This week, the Biden administration also released a set of funding requests for inclusion in any temporary extension of federal funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which is likely to be negotiated by Congress this month. Among these funding requests, known as anomalies, the Biden administration is asking Congress for additional funding for the U.S. Department of Education, particularly for the agency’s Federal Student Aid office— the entity responsible for federal student loan servicing as well as the continued rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. 

As these efforts and more continue to unfold, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a strengthened investment in Career Technical Education (CTE) via the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act’s (Perkins V) state grant program.

Advance CTE Responds to Distance Education Rulemaking

Late last month, Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) formally commented on a recent U.S. Department of Education rulemaking regarding the federal definition for distance education and several other issues related to postsecondary education more broadly. The definition of distance education was last updated in 2020 amid the pandemic, and important improvements were made to the concept of remote learning, including allowing for asynchronous instruction. This allowed postsecondary institutions, including area technical centers (ATCs), to continue to innovate while flexibly supporting the needs of learners. ED’s proposed change would considerably narrow this existing definition, largely disallowing asynchronous instruction, which will limit access to opportunities at these institutions for many learners. Advance CTE and ACTE are calling on ED to reverse course and retain these important flexibilities in the federal regulatory definition of distance education moving forward.

Secretary Cardona Begins Back to School Bus Tour

This week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off his agency’s 2024 “Back to School” bus tour– an effort intended to showcase how schools are leveraging federal education investments and supporting student achievement. The road trip continued this week with stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to highlight how school communities are using the Biden-Harris administration’s investment in public education to support learners. Events along the route are intended to emphasize the importance of expanding access to local community colleges, highlight the Department’s teacher recruitment and retention programs, and uplift the Department’s role in supporting youth mental health through school communities.

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Rob Young in Public Policy
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FY25 Funding Deadline Approaching | Legislative Update

Friday, August 16th, 2024

This week, Congress remained on its annual August recess while federal agencies announced new funding opportunities and sought input on improvements to federal student aid application forms.

FY25 Funding Deadline Approaching

This week, both the House and the Senate remained on August recess. Congress is set to return in early September and 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25) funding legislation is widely expected to be prioritized ahead of a key upcoming deadline next month. With FY25 set to begin on October 1 of this year, lawmakers must act before this date to avert a lapse in federal funding for critical programs and initiatives like the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). As a reminder, the most recent FY25 funding proposals from both the House and the Senate remain considerably far apart. However, both chambers’ FY25 measures have proposed increased investments in Perkins V’s basic state grant program. Advance CTE has formally responded to both the House and Senate proposals. 

Due to the significant remaining differences between both of these proposals, however, Advance CTE expects that lawmakers are likely to take up and pass a short-term extension of federal funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which will extend funding for a specified period of time ahead of this impending deadline. Much of the current FY25 discussion now centers on the content and length of this likely CR as the November elections approach. This week, a group of conservative lawmakers in the House issued a letter to Republican leadership demanding that any potential CR last through at least the early part of 2025. However, lawmakers elsewhere believe that is critical to complete work on FY25 funding legislation before the end of the current Congress. As these efforts and more take shape, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a robust investment in CTE made possible by Perkins V’s state grant program and other critical funding streams in support of education and workforce development.  

Commerce Announces Notice of Funding Opportunity

Late last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced a new funding opportunity that aims to build on the “Good Jobs Challenge” first created as part of the American Rescue Plan. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) would provide competitive grant funding to support sector partnerships made up of a range of stakeholders, including employers, labor unions, and institutions of higher education. Eligible applicants could include state and local governmental entities, postsecondary institutions, and other relevant stakeholders. EDA envisions awarding $25 million in funding, with grants ranging from $1 million to $8 million each, that focus on placing workers in in-demand jobs. The NOFO indicates that priority will be given to applications that prioritize worker representation within a sector partnership and initiatives that aim to support workers at all skill levels. Applications for this funding are due September 27th, 2024. 

Department of Education Requests Information on FAFSA 2025-26 to Support Success

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published a notice this week requesting information about the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and ways to support the successful completion and submission of this form. The request specifically asks for feedback from a host of stakeholders– including students, financial aid administrators, counselors, postsecondary institutions, state and local entities, and others– for ways to improve the “help text” of the form and supplementary materials, like tip sheets for students or other contributors. It also seeks recommendations on ways to support the processing and packaging of student aid. The announcement sets the due date for feedback as September 13, 2024.

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Rob Young in Public Policy
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House Moves Forward on FY25 Proposals | Legislative Update

Friday, June 7th, 2024

Congress returned to Capitol Hill this week for a new work period this month. Lawmakers in the House have been focusing attention this week on appropriations legislation for the upcoming fiscal year while the Senate continues to consider updates to federal investments in workforce development. 

House Advances FY25 Funding Measures

Both chambers of Congress returned to Capitol Hill this week, with lawmakers in the House focusing much of their attention advancing federal fiscal year 2025 (FY25) funding measures for a subset of the dozen individual spending bills that compose the entire federal budget. Nearly half of these spending measures have been marked up by appropriations leaders and are expected to be considered by the full appropriations committee and House chamber in the near future. As a reminder, Labor-HHS-ED funding bill—legislation that provides funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act (Perkins V) and other education and workforce development priorities—is slated to be considered at the end of June. As these efforts continue to take shape, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a robust investment in CTE via Perkins V’s state grant program. 

NCES Releases Condition of Education Report

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published its “Condition of Education” report– an annual publication highlighting a wide range of data and emerging trends from early education, K-12, and postsecondary levels. The annual report examines key developments in education over time throughout the education continuum. This year’s report highlighted CTE and found that students pursuing CTE courses were more likely to go to postsecondary education or training and earn credentials of value in shorter periods of time. In addition, the report highlighted significant challenges in CTE regarding shortages of qualified teachers with 31% of respondents indicating difficulties in filling open positions for these programs. 

Read the full report 

Senate to Hold WIOA Hearing Next Week

Next week the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing titled “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Supporting Efforts to Meet the Needs of Youth, Workers, and Employers.” The hearing is expected to focus on potential updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) as HELP Committee leaders continue to discuss the prospects of reauthorizing the primary federal investment in workforce development.

Read more information about the hearing 

House Agriculture Committee Votes on Federal Nutrition Programs

The House Agriculture Committee held a nearly 12 hour markup recently to consider the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024—legislation that would reauthorize the nation’s Farm Bill for another five year period. The measure includes major components of the Creating Access to Rural Employment and Education for Resilience and Success (CAREERS) Act (H.R. 7015)– legislation that Advance CTE endorsed earlier this year. The $1.5 trillion legislative package was advanced by the committee on a slight bipartisan basis by a margin of 33-21, with four Democrats crossing party lines to vote in favor of the proposal. The bill is expected to be further considered by the House, as the Senate considers its own proposal led by Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The current Farm Bill authorization expires this October.

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Stacy Whitehouse in Public Policy
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Congress Remains on Recess After Finalizing FY24 | Legislative Update

Friday, April 5th, 2024

This week lawmakers remained on spring recess and are expected to return next week for a busy two-week work period. Elsewhere, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a delay in anticipated postsecondary regulations impacting career education programs. 

Lawmakers Include Focus on Appropriations and WIOA in Next Work Period 

Congress is on recess this week, but legislators are scheduled to return to Washington, D.C. for a two-week work period on April 8. Broadly, Advance CTE expects Congress to focus its efforts this month on the recent bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland and an international aid package. In addition, lawmakers in the House are expected to consider H.R. 6655—legislation that would reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). As a reminder, leaders on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee are continuing to separately negotiate their own version of WIOA reauthorization with a current target date for action around Memorial Day later this year. 

As wider Senate and House floor discussions evolve, the Appropriations committees are beginning to formally start the federal fiscal year 2025 (FY25) appropriations process. This normally entails bringing the leaders of federal agencies to Capitol Hill to testify regarding their Department’s annual budget requests. Advance CTE expects an initial appropriations hearing in the House to take place sometime next week and will be monitoring these efforts closely as the organization works to strengthen the federal investment in Career Technical Education (CTE) via the Carl D. Perkins CTE Act’s (Perkins V) basic state grant program. 

However, these efforts may be delayed somewhat as the Republican Steering Committee is expected to meet early next week to discuss who will lead the House Appropriations Committee, following an announcement late last month from current Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) that she would step down from this role. At present, longtime appropriations leader Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) appears to be heavily favored to be recommended for this leadership position following public support from several other House Republican appropriations leaders. However, Rep. Aderholt (R-AL), currently the chair of the appropriations subcommittee responsible for workforce funding, has circulated a Dear Colleague letter indicating that he is seeking broader changes to the appropriations process. “Instead of hastily selecting a new Appropriations chair, I believe that now is the time to focus on correcting the process and developing our theory of government on how we will manage our responsibilities,” he wrote in part.

As these efforts continue to take shape, Advance CTE will be engaging with both the WIOA reauthorization and appropriations processes closely during this upcoming work period. 

Gainful Employment Regulations Delayed

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague letter delaying the implementation of reporting requirements for forthcoming Gainful Employment (GE) and Financial Value Transparency (FVT) regulations. While most of the new rules for GE and FVT will go into effect July 1 of this year, postsecondary institutions and covered programs will now have until October 1 of this year to begin reporting the necessary data to ED to begin implementation of these new regulatory frameworks. As a reminder, GE rules apply to certain postsecondary career education programs and determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid from Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) based on programs’ ability to meet certain performance standards related to graduates’ earnings and ability to pay back student loans.

While GE rules apply to only a subset of postsecondary institutions and programs and include related sanctions in the form of losing Title IV eligibility, new FVT rules will apply to a much broader segment of the higher education sector without related penalties for low-performance. Advance CTE examined these rules in more detail last year when a final rule was published by ED. 

This delay comes after a bipartisan group of Senators sent a letter to ED encouraging a delay of these new rules as ED continues to struggle with the implementation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. In addition to the delay in reporting requirements, ED has also indicated that it will be issuing additional guidance for GE and FVT implementation sometime this month. More information on these announcements can be found here and here

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Stacy Whitehouse in Public Policy
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Legislative Update: Congress Struggles to Find Agreement on Funding

Friday, September 15th, 2023

Both the House and the Senate were in session this week as lawmakers struggled to find consensus on a pathway forward on federal fiscal year 2024 (FY24) funding. With only a few legislative days left on the Congressional calendar until the start of FY24, the status of federal funding is currently uncertain. 

FY24 Funding Remains in Focus

On Tuesday, the House formally reconvened after Congress’ annual August recess. The Senate has been in session since last week and is working to advance a “minibus” funding legislation– a measure containing three of the 12 individual spending bills that compose the federal budget. As a reminder, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced each of the 12 FY24 spending bills out of committee for full consideration by the Senate just before the August recess. These measures included a proposed $40 million in increased funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act’s (Perkins V*) basic state grant program. 

These efforts stand in stark contrast to the House, where Republican lawmakers have struggled to find consensus on a much broader swath of their FY24 spending proposals. Broadly, the Chamber remains much further behind than the Senate. More importantly, Republican lawmakers in the House are advancing spending proposals that cut federal funding, including for other significant education and workforce development efforts, by significant amounts beyond the requirements of the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) approved earlier this year.

The Senate’s and House’s respective visions for FY24 funding remain dramatically far apart. With only a few legislative days left before the next fiscal year begins on October 1, legislation that would extend current funding levels for a specified period of time (known as a Continuing Resolution or “CR”) will be needed. However, conservative factions in the House have indicated that they will not support a CR without steep spending cuts and a number of other policy concessions, including consideration of the impeachment of President Biden. These demands are not supported by the White House or party leadership in the Senate, leaving all three at an impasse during this critical juncture of the appropriations process.

The extreme distance between the House and Senate FY24 spending proposals and the positions currently taken by the House, Senate, and the White House mean that negotiations in the coming weeks are likely to be contentious and the potential for a government shutdown remains elevated. As these negotiations take place, The National School Boards Association (NSBA) will continue to advocate continued government operations without disruption and for robust funding for critical funding streams important to the K-12 community.

As these talks move forward, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for robust funding for critical funding streams important to the CTE community. Be sure to let your Senators and Representatives know how important CTE funding is by clicking here

*As amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor

By Layla Alagic in Public Policy
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Legislative Update: House Advances FY24 Appropriations With Steep Cuts to Domestic Programs

Monday, July 17th, 2023

This week, lawmakers in the House advanced newly proposed funding legislation for the upcoming 2024 federal fiscal year (FY24). Elsewhere, Senators have introduced new data and research legislation that would improve career readiness opportunities for learners. 

House Appropriators Advance FY24 Labor-HHS-ED Legislation

Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill recently for a busy three-week work period ahead of Congress’ annual August recess. Topping the agenda is the need to address annual appropriations legislation for FY24 . The recent passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), which outlines topline spending caps for FY24 and FY25 that aim to roughly freeze federal funding at current FY23 levels, was widely expected to provide lawmakers greater clarity regarding how to move forward with this process.

Shortly after the passage of the FRA, however, House Republican leadership announced plans to move forward with a series of spending bills that further reduce federal spending to FY22 funding levels, rather than FY23 levels of investment as required by the FRA. Shortly after this announcement, Senate leaders outlined plans for FY24 which align much more closely with the requirements of the FRA. In practical terms, these divergent approaches to FY24 appropriations are putting Congress on a likely path towards conflict over the direction of federal spending later this year.

In recent weeks, the House and Senate appropriations committees have advanced legislation for roughly half of the dozen individual spending bills that compose the federal budget. Late last week, Republican leaders on the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-HHS-ED) Appropriations Subcommittee unveiled the text of their proposed FY24 Labor-HHS-ED appropriations bill–annual legislation which provides funding for programs like the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V).* This legislation proposes an overall cut of 28 percent to the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) budget when factoring existing appropriations that would be rescinded under the proposal and a 29 percent reduction in funding for the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) budget. Despite these significant proposed reductions in funding, the legislation proposes to level-fund Perkins V’s basic state formula grant program at existing FY23 levels. 

Concerningly, however, the bill would dramatically reduce and in some cases entirely eliminate a slew of education and workforce development programs overseen by ED and DOL that intersect with or otherwise complement CTE. For instance, Title I funding from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) would be reduced by 80 percent, while core Title I funding for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) would be reduced by more than half of current funding levels. While Advance CTE appreciates Congress’ recognition of continuing to invest in Career Technical Education (CTE), these proposals would significantly disrupt the ability of schools, districts, and institutions to provide high quality learning opportunities for all students. In light of this, Advance CTE and partners issued a statement opposing this proposal and calling on the House to reverse course on this approach to FY24 funding. 

On Friday, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked up and advanced this legislation along party lines. Timing for comparable appropriations efforts in the Senate regarding their Labor-HHS-ED bill are still forthcoming. Regardless, both chambers will need to reconcile differences between these visions for FY24 funding in the coming weeks and months, before the formal start of FY24 on October 1. As these efforts continue to move forward, Advance CTE is closely monitoring the process and engaging with partners on Capitol Hill to ensure the funding needs of the CTE community are realized as part of the ongoing budget and appropriations process for FY24.

*As amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

Senators Introduce CTE Data Bill 

Last Thursday, Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Young (R-IN), and Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Data for American Jobs Act (S. 2290). This legislation would make a series of updates to the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) to increase the law’s focus on CTE and more closely align state data systems and related federal investments to increase data transparency and quality. “Achieving career success for every learner through CTE requires actionable, transparent and trustworthy data. Advance CTE is pleased to support the Data for American Jobs Act, which takes important steps to leverage national research efforts and resources to promote a better understanding of CTE and advances modernized and interconnected data infrastructure for states,” said Kate Kreamer, Advance CTE’s Executive Director, upon the introduction of the legislation. The legislation comes ahead of potential consideration of ESRA by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee expected later this Congress. 

P3 Pilot Applications Announced

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) issued a notice inviting applications for selection as a Performance Partnership Pilots for disconnected youth (P3). This pilot authority has been authorized by Congress since 2014 and is aimed at better supporting disconnected youth populations by allowing ED and other federal agencies to waive certain requirements of existing federal funding streams like ESSA, Perkins V, and other similar investments. In doing so, recipients of these funds can braid and blend federal resources more easily, allowing for greater coordination of services for these populations. More on the announcement, including how to apply, can be found here

Energy Department Announces School Infrastructure Funding

In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $178 million in new grant funding it has made available to local school districts in 22 states via the Renew America’s Schools grant program. This grant program was created as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. The program aims to help schools and districts make improvements to facilities that improve energy efficiency and foster healthier learning environments. More information about the grants can be found here

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor 

By Stacy Whitehouse in Public Policy
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Legislative Update: FY24 Funding Continues to Take Shape

Friday, June 16th, 2023

This week, congressional leaders continued to look ahead to next steps for the 2024 federal budget and appropriations process ahead of important deadlines this fall and early next year. Elsewhere, lawmakers in the House examined innovative approaches to postsecondary education.

House Republicans Propose Significant Cuts to Domestic Spending

After months of on-and-off again negotiations, congressional leaders and President Biden recently reached a deal to suspend the debt ceiling and avert a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt obligations. The agreement, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), extends the nation’s borrowing authority for the next two years and, importantly for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) community, establishes new spending caps for that same period of time for federal fiscal years 2024 (FY24) and 2025 (FY25). The FRA was signed into law by President Biden on June 3, following intense negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. Upon the release of the agreement, House Republican leadership touted the FRA saying, in part, “The Fiscal Responsibility Act does what is responsible for our children, what is possible in divided government, and what is required by our principles and promises.”

More recently, however, House Republicans have signaled that they intend to move forward with FY24 spending bills that do not conform to the spending cap requirements contained in the FRA. In a recent development earlier this week, the top House Republican appropriator, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), announced that she plans to move forward with a series of spending bills that reduce federal spending to FY22 levels, rather than FY23 as required by the FRA. Recent press reports have indicated that the committee is planning to advance spending legislation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education spending bill, where the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (Perkins V) and other education programs derive funding from. The bill could potentially include an up to $60 billion cut to funding for this portion of the federal budget—a nearly one-third reduction in funding over current levels of investment.

In the Senate, Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME) have indicated that they plan to move forward with FY24 spending proposals in the coming weeks that do conform to the FRA. This puts Congress on a likely path towards another future disagreement over federal spending later this fall, with the chambers potentially moving forward with spending proposals that are dramatically different. This will have the practical effect of making reconciling the differences between the chambers’ proposals even more challenging ahead of the start of FY24, set to begin on October 1. As a reminder, a mandatory, across-the-board sequester cut of one percent to all federal spending would be applied should Congress not reach agreement on full-year FY24 funding  by January 1 of next year. As these efforts continue, Advance CTE will be closely monitoring these developments and engaging with partners on Capitol Hill to ensure the funding needs of the CTE community are realized as part of this ongoing budget and appropriations process for FY24. 

House Examines Postsecondary Innovation

On Wednesday, June 14, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Postsecondary Innovation: Preparing Students for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.” The hearing focused on the need to fundamentally rethink many aspects of postsecondary education, with witnesses and lawmakers discussing at length the important role career development and planning has both before, during, and after postsecondary experiences to ensure learner success. In addition, the importance of dual and concurrent enrollment opportunities was highlighted extensively during the hearing as was the need to fully invest earlier on in the educational continuum—a key strategy emphasized during the hearing to prepare students earlier on for their future endeavors. A webcast archive of the hearing, including witness testimony, can be found here.

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor

By Layla Alagic in Public Policy
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Legislative Update: Congress Looks Ahead on Funding

Friday, June 9th, 2023

This week, Congress plans next steps on appropriations while lawmakers examine the U.S. Department of Labor’s recent budget request. Elsewhere, federal officials have announced the availability of new grant funding for school infrastructure projects.

Congress Looks to Next Steps for Funding

As shared previously, lawmakers recently advanced and President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA)—legislation that suspends the debt limit through 2025 and establishes new spending caps for that same two-year period of time. A summary of the FRA can be found here. The spending caps contained in the bill will freeze current federal fiscal year 2023 (FY23) funding levels for the upcoming FY24 appropriations process and will allow for a one percent increase in domestic discretionary programs, like federal investments in Career Technical Education (CTE), for FY25. In addition, the FRA includes a provision that strongly encourages Congress to pass all 12 federal appropriations bills before the end of the calendar year. If lawmakers are unable to reach that goal, an automatic spending reduction would be applied to the entire federal budget until full-year appropriations legislation has been passed.

With the new appropriations framework now signed into law, Congress is expected to begin marking up individual spending bills in the coming weeks and months. However, less than a week after passage, recent reports indicate that House Republicans may attempt to move forward with spending bills that use lower spending caps than those contained in the FRA. A specific timeline for lawmakers in both the House and Senate to advance Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related Agencies (Labor-HHS-ED) appropriations legislation, which provides funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V; as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act), has yet to be determined. 

As these efforts continue to take shape, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has provided additional clarity regarding nearly $400 million in rescinded pandemic aid funds that were also included as part of the FRA. In a recent letter to Education Stabilization Fund grantees, ED has made clear that K-12 education funds that have already been obligated and sent to states will not be included in these amounts. Advance CTE is monitoring these developments closely and will continue to engage with partners in Congress to secure needed investments in CTE as part of the upcoming FY24 budget and appropriations process and beyond.   

House Education Committee Examines Department of Labor FY24 Budget

On Wednesday, June 7, the House Education and the Workforce Committee (E&W) held a hearing examining the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and, relatedly, its recent FY24 budget request to Congress. Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, was the sole witness at the hearing whose confirmation is currently stalled in the Senate. The over three-hour-long hearing focused on a wide array of topics including how to align and coordinate CTE and workforce development systems and related programs, extensive discussion on apprenticeship programs, including ways to expand and grow these models into nontraditional fields such as teaching, and a host of other issues related to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) which is due for reauthorization. A webcast archive of the hearing, including statements and testimony, can be found here

ED Announces School Infrastructure Grants

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a notice inviting K-12 schools and districts to apply for roughly $40 million in new funding to support school building and related infrastructure improvement projects. ED anticipates making 8-13 awards, between $3 and $5 million each, to support these efforts. In addition, ED is planning to set aside an additional $2 million for the creation of a National Center on School Infrastructure to provide technical assistance and best practices to states and schools as part of this wider initiative. More information about the grants, including how to apply, can be accessed here

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor

By Layla Alagic in Public Policy
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