On January 14, 2025, the U.S, House voted 218-206 to ban transgender girls and women from girls’ sports in federally-funded schools by amending Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions. This bill, the first federal anti-trans law brought to a vote in the…
The Autism CARES Act is a federal law that for the next five years will provide nearly $2 billion for research, training and services, including for early detection and interventions. -The newly signed federal law calls on federal agencies to update a report on the challenges faced by youth with…
Among remembrances of former president Jimmy Carter is his signing of S. 210 on October 17, 1979, which created the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and became operational in May of 1980. In creating the USDE, Congress said the intention of the agency was to strengthen equal education opportunities for…
According to a report by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) increased by almost 19% during the 2023-24 school year as half of all National School Lunch Program (NSLP) schools now use the provision that lets low-income schools serve free meals to…
In the Senate, Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, will chair the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee when the 119th Congress convenes next month. In addition, Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, a 16-year veteran of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, was chosen as that committee’s next chair when Congress convenes…
U.S. House Republicans have released the 2025 calendar. Here is the link: https://www.majorityleader.gov/house-legislative-calendar-2025/
On November 15, 2024 the U.S. House passed a bill by a vote of 381-1 that would require the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by October 1st each year. The bill, named the FAFSA Deadline Act, would take effect…
On September 19, 2024, NPR reported that, according to a study conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Black girls face more discipline and more severe punishments in public schools than girls from other racial backgrounds. The report, shared exclusively with NPR, took nearly a year-and-a-half to complete. The findings…
On August 22, 2024, a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from the states and other plaintiffs for an injunction against the proposed Title IX rule that would bar discrimination based on gender identity. The injunction will remain in place while the appeals court…
On August 1, 2024, the US Senate Appropriations Committee, by a bipartisan vote of 25-3, approved an $80 billion FY 2025 funding plan for the U.S. Department of Education. The funding boost is nearly $1 billion more than the current budget provides. Included in the budget proposal are increases to…
