HR 1319 – THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT

On Saturday, March 6, the Senate voted to send the COVID-19 related reconciliation package, HR 1319, back to the House with amendments. Among these is an amendment that would ensure that local “educational agencies receiving relief funds will within 30 days develop and make publicly available a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction.” The legislation also includes a provision which would permit making student loan forgiveness tax free. Importantly, the bill does not include a provision to forgive student loans themselves, but instead, starts to put into place the infrastructure that might make such a decision possible. For more on the higher education provisions of the bill, this Inside Higher Ed piece may be of interest. Assuming the bill passes, the House, the legislation would then head to President Biden for his signature.

EXECUTIVE ORDER UPDATES

On Monday, March 8, President Biden signed an Executive Order which encourages the Department of Education to review the Title IX rules enacted during the Trump Administration.  As explained in the order, “the Secretary of Education shall consider suspending, revising, or rescinding — or publishing for notice and comment proposed rules suspending, revising, or rescinding — those agency actions that are inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order as soon as practicable and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, and may issue such requests for information as would facilitate doing so.”  Last week, over 100 members of Congress wrote to Secretary Cardona on the Title IX rules.  Their letter asks for the department to stay the enforcement of the rule and undertake a review and revision process.  Congresswoman Moore (WI-04) is one of the lead signatories.