Senate HELP Committee « Advance CTE Blog

Lawmakers Return for Final Stretch of 118th Congress | Legislative Update

Friday, December 6th, 2024

This week, Congress returned for continued work during the lame duck session while a recent workforce development agreement is considered by lawmakers. Elsewhere, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) opened the public comment period on the Department of Education’s (ED) recently proposed information collection requests, ED issued guidance for supporting the educator workforce, and the Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew a proposed rulemaking on apprenticeships.

Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session

Following the Thanksgiving holiday recess period, lawmakers in both chambers returned to Capitol Hill this week for the final stretch of the 118th Congress. Lawmakers are widely expected to address a number of “must pass” legislative items, including and especially the pressing need to determine a pathway forward for fiscal year 2025 (FY25) appropriations before current funding expires later this month. As a reminder, current FY24 funding levels were extended earlier this fall through December 20 for all federal programs, including the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). Lawmakers are likely to pass another short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution, through the early part of next year.

This means resolving final FY25 appropriations for federal programs, like those authorized by Perkins V and others falling under the purview of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL), will be determined by the new, Republican-controlled Congress next year. As these efforts continue to progress, Advance CTE is continuing to advocate for strengthened federal investments in Perkins V’s state grant program and other critical sources of federal support for Career Technical Education (CTE).

WIOA Agreement Under Consideration

Just before Thanksgiving, the leaders of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee announced that they had reached a bicameral and bipartisan agreement to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). If enacted, the legislation would codify the Strengthening Community College Training Grant Program and the Workforce Data Quality Initiative– two key priorities for Advance CTE. In addition, the legislation would make improvements to the sharing of one-stop center infrastructure costs while also updating youth formula funding to serve learners more effectively. The legislation is currently being considered by the Senate via a “hotline” process, which requires the agreement of the full Senate. Advance CTE is monitoring these efforts closely and continuing to analyze the bill for additional areas of alignment with the organization’s board-approved WIOA recommendations. Read a summary of the bill here.

Comment Period Continues for ED’s Perkins Regulatory Proposal

At the beginning of the week, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) proposed information collection requests (ICRs) impacting the Perkins V state plan guide and consolidated annual report were moved for review to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). After the first comment window, ED was responsible for reviewing comments submitted by public stakeholders and considering the impact of the ICRs on the burden on state CTE systems. Given ED’s extremely quick processing and review of comments from last month, it remains unclear if the agency has thoughtfully assessed the impact of this proposal prior to advancing it for a new 30-day review period by OMB. Submission of comments for the State Plan Guide and the Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) Guide as part of the OMB review process are due by January 2, 2025. Advance CTE encourages state leaders and other CTE leaders to communicate concerns to OMB regarding the accuracy of ED’s estimates regarding the proposal’s burden on state and local CTE systems.

ED Releases Non-Regulatory Guidance Resources

This week, the Department of Education (ED) released two non-regulatory guidance resources. The first is guidance on strategically using Title II, Part A funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to support educator recruitment, retention, professional learning, and improved student outcomes. Otherwise known as Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, they can be used at the discretion of state and local education agencies for any means identified to increase student achievement. The guidance references policy levers that education agencies could pull including expanding pathways into the profession and combining funds with other grants from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Perkins V.

The second resource is guidance from ED for state and local education agencies and institutions of higher education to support the development of a diverse educator workforce. The guidance references the importance of a diverse educator workforce in improving student outcomes, addressing teacher shortages, and fostering equity in education. In the resource, ED cites the investment in Grow Your Own programs as an important pathway into the educational workforce. Delaware’s Teacher Academy Career Pathway program is upheld as an example of engaging secondary learners in meaningful teaching training through a program of study that offers college credits and work-based learning opportunities to grow the educator workforce in their state.

DOL Withdraws Apprenticeship Rule

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) formally withdrew a proposed rulemaking on National Apprenticeship System. Proposed nearly a year ago, the rule would have created a new apprenticeship model called “Career and Technical Education Apprenticeships,” which Advance CTE and others raised concerns about during the comment period. The withdrawal of this rule means that existing apprenticeship regulations governing Registered Apprenticeship Programs will stay in effect for the time being.

Rob Young, Communications & Advocacy Associate

Steve Voytek, Policy Advisor

By Rob Young in Public Policy
Tags: apprenticeship, bipartisan, Carl D. Perkins Act, Delaware, Department of Education, Department of Labor, Education and the Workforce Committee, ESEA, Grow Your Own, ICR, IDEA, lame-duck, Office of Management and Budget, Senate HELP Committee, Title II, WIOA

President-Elect Announces New Leader for ED | Legislative Update

Friday, November 22nd, 2024

This week, President-Elect Donald Trump announced that he will nominate former Small Business Administration leader Linda McMahon to lead the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as part of the incoming Trump-Vance administration. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Congress have continued to make important decisions regarding leadership, stakeholders celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, and ED releases new guidance related to artificial intelligence (AI).

Linda McMahon Nominated to Lead ED

Earlier this week, President-Elect Donald Trump announced his intention to formally nominate Linda McMahon to lead the U.S. Department of Education as part of the incoming Trump-Vance administration. McMahon led the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the previous Trump administration. Prior to her time in the first Trump administration, McMahon served briefly on the Connecticut State Board of Education before resigning to run for the Senate in 2010. She is also well known for her and her husband – Vince McMahon – roles as executive leaders for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Most recently, McMahon co-chaired President-Elect Donald Trump’s transition team and has been the board chair for the America First Policy Institute. McMahon has previously expressed support for increasing access to Career Technical Education (CTE) and urged Congress to expand federal Pell grant eligibility for shorter-term, high-quality CTE programs.

Congress Continues to Take Shape

This week, Democrats reelected current Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to retain this role along with much of the party’s existing leadership team in the House, including Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA), and Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Chair Debbie Dingell (D-MI). As Advance CTE shared last week, House Republicans similarly reelected most of their current leadership for the coming year.

In the Senate, current Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced that he plans to serve as the leader of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee next Congress. Clarity regarding committee assignments and other key leadership positions for the next Congress remains to be determined.

In the weeks ahead, lawmakers are still determining what issues will be addressed in the remaining weeks of the current 118th Congress. These agenda items include federal funding for the current 2025 federal fiscal year (FY25), which began on October 1 of this year. Legislation extending current funding levels is set to expire on December 20. Congress will need to determine a pathway forward on this issue in the coming weeks. As these efforts and more continue to take shape, Advance CTE will continue to advocate for a strengthened federal investment in CTE.

National Apprenticeship Week

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) celebrated the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) this week – an annual celebration highlighting the value of apprenticeship programs as a pathway to quality careers. Proclamations were signed, and events took place nationwide to showcase the benefits of apprenticeship, often connected to Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and related pathways. In states across the nation, this week was a great opportunity to connect learners to CTE and apprenticeship pathways that reflect the needs of industry and align to educational outcomes along pathways to careers. Read more about this week’s celebration here.

Federal Agencies Release Skills-First Hiring Starter Kit

Last week at the “Classroom to Career” Summit, a Skills-First Hiring Starter Kit was released by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce. The Kit is a guide that helps employers prioritize skills over degrees when hiring and aims to increase economic opportunity for skilled workers. This initiative is one of many from the Biden-Harris administration that supports workforce development and access to high-quality jobs across the workforce continuum. As Advance CTE reported last week, the “Classroom to Career” Summit highlighted progress in creating job opportunities and expanding the non-degree career pathways.

OCR Publishes Artificial Intelligence Anti-Discrimination Guidance

This week, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) published new guidance related to artificial intelligence (AI) and how to appropriately leverage this new and emerging technology in nondiscriminatory ways. The resource is intended for use by K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions to ensure that the use of this technology is aligned with federal civil rights laws and related requirements, providing illustrative examples of how AI can be thoughtfully and meaningfully used to improve student learning and achievement. Read the full guidance document here. This comes as part of a larger series of guidance related to AI from ED, as previously reported by Advance CTE.