NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee stays up-to-date on the latest federal and state policy and legislative news through a variety of scanning tools. One particular resource they use is the bi-weekly Policy Pages provided by Active Policy Solutions. (For more on partnership, along with other SAHEC associations, have with Active Policy Solutions, see below.)

The policy issues included in the Policy Pages document are highlights of a point in time. They are by no means exhaustive and change continually – so matters discussed in the last issue normally will not carry over to the next unless there is some updated action to be discussed.

The Committee encourages NIRSA members to keep themselves informed on federal and state policy issues affecting their work as professionals on campuses. These issues could be specific to higher education, physical activity, or NIRSA’s strategic value areas. If you have an issue that is of concern to your campus, reach out the Government Affairs Committee.

Policy Page documents will be stored, as a resource for NRISA members, in the NIRSA Connect Community library. You can find them within the “Member Benefits” folder in a subfolder titled “Federal and State Policy Pages.”


In this issue:

Government Updates

Federal Education & Health

  • US Dept. of Ed. college affordability negotiated-rulemaking committee finishes work with mixed results
  • COVID-19 update

Federal Legislation

  • Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (HR 426) adds a new cosponsor
  • Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act (HR 4786) adds a new cosponsor
  • COVID-19 education benefits for veterans protection bill, the “REMOTE Act” (HR 5545), signed into law

State and Local Government

Arizona

  • Arizona school and college sports males at birth participation in designated female sports prohibiting bill pre-filed

Hawaii

  • Hawaii school sports participation by sex at birth bill carried over to 2022 session
  • Hawaii college trauma impact training requiring bills carried over to 2022 session
  • Hawaii college for-profit status disclosure requiring bill carried over to 2022 regular session
  • Hawaii free community colleges bill carried over to 2022 regular session
  • Hawaii telehealth bills carried over to 2022 regular session

Idaho

  • Idaho transgender athlete challenging state sports participation by gender law asks federal judge for case to continue despite graduating

Illinois

  • Illinois college admission form “non-binary” option including bill filed for 2022

Kentucky

  • Kentucky college “free speech” staff training requiring and complaint filer protections bill requested for pre-filing for 2022

Missouri

  • Missouri school and college COVID-19 mandate prohibiting bill pre-filed for 2022
  • Missouri college scholarship and grant demographics report requiring bill pre-filed for 2022
  • Missouri school and college women’s sports participation by birth sex bill pre-filed for 2022

New Jersey

  • New Jersey school and college student journalist freedom of expression bill signed into law
  • New Jersey college suicide prevention programs requiring bill passes the state assembly; still under consideration in the state senate
  • New Jersey college suicide prevention programs requiring bill still under consideration
  • New Jersey college scholarship military draft compliance removal bill passes the state senate and under consideration by the state assembly

New York

  • New York college students’ homelessness verification method for services bill pre-filed for 2022

Ohio

  • Ohio sports gambling and college athlete NIL language included in omnibus bill that passes the state legislature

South Carolina

  • South Carolina hazing criminalization bill pre-filed for 2022
  • South Carolina COVID-19 vaccine for employment barring bill passes the state house and carried over to 2022

Wisconsin

  • Wisconsin college “free speech” bill had hearing and carried over to 2022

Funding

  • Adolescent and Young Adult health research into practice grant opportunity available

Education

  • COVID-19 in colleges headlines
  • California universities may permanently end admissions tests according to Higher Ed Dive
  • College expenses rose 2.7% in 2021 according to Higher Ed Dive
  • College student costs rising explored by The Week
  • Public colleges calling for state funding increases in 2022 according to Forbes

Activities

  • COVID-19 in sports headlines
  • NCAA new constitution recommendations unanimously accepted by NCAA Board of Governors
  • College student athlete symposium for basketball hosted by NCAA
  • Football athlete head trauma linked to health abnormalities according to a new study

Civil Rights

  • College sexual misconduct policies subject of National Academy of Science of the United States of America (PNAS) article
  • Title IX lawsuit by student who was disciplined when she reported being raped by classmate sent to federal appeals court
  • Suit filed against Utah universities alleging failure to act upon report of rape
  • Disabled college student groups fight for better accessibility according to Inside Higher Ed
  • Title IX document on frequently asked questions for K-12 and college students released by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
  • Transgender athlete story lack of coverage by ESPN criticized in FoxNews story
  • College student sues college after being drugged and raped on a study abroad program
  • Sexual misconduct Instagram page launched by college students in wake of college sexual assault incidents

Health & Wellbeing

  • Telehealth flexibilities benefits during pandemic subject of Bipartisan Policy Center brief
  • Mental health telehealth support to to come to Michigan state universities according to Yahoo! News
  • Colleges are fearing a mental health crisis as another COVID-19 surge arises according to The New York Times
  • Mental health needs for minority college students discussed by Diverse Health hosted panel

About NIRSA’s partnership with Active Policy Solutions

As an association, NIRSA strives to monitor and track policy and legislative issues with the potential to impact our members or the campus communities they serve. These issues are wide ranging and may pertain to higher education, employment law, physical fitness, or our strategic values areas.

NIRSA has joined with a subset of SAHEC members (ACUHO-I, ACPA, ASCA, NASPA, and NIRSA) in hiring Active Policy Solutions to assist with monitoring, tracking, analyzing, and determining appropriate action on issues relevant to our associations. Through our partnership with SAHEC, NIRSA continues to monitor policy, legislation, and advocacy work that affects both the higher education and physical activity space. Active Policy Solutions provides government relations and advocacy support to NIRSA and the Association’s SAHEC partners.

Headshot of Erin O'Sullivan
Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at  | NIRSA Profile

Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.