Federal and state policy and legislative updates

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

• More than half of college student loan borrowers say their financial stability relies on loan debt forgiveness reports CNBC

Federal Health

• K-12 school and college mental health support subject of President Biden’s recent State of the Union Address reports Education Week
• Suicides have increased after two decades of decline according to the CDC
• Recommended 2023 immunization schedules for children, teens, and adults now available from the CDC

Federal Legislation

• Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (HR 734) introduced
• US Department of Education termination bill (HR 899) introduced
• Title IX sex and sex-segregated spaces defining/requiring bill, “Safety & Opportunity for Girls Act” (HR 935), reintroduced
• Federal interpretations of sex and gender resolution (H.Res. 115) introduced
• Federal student loan reform bill (S 300) introduced
• College foreign threats protection bill (S 360) introduced

Other Federal News

• Federal research rule change limits scientists’ ability to discuss their work reports The Guardian

State and Local Government

Alabama

• Alabama college and public entity divisive concept teaching and promoting prohibition bill to be introduced

Arizona

• Arizona college tuition waiver scholarships for family members dealing with post-traumatic stress or suicide bill passes committee
• Arizona college free speech zones limiting bill passes committee
• Arizona college sexual consent definition policy requirement bill introduced

Arkansas

• Arkansas college freedom of expression bill amended

California

• California college hazing civil liability bill introduced
• California community college student housing approval bill introduced

Colorado

• Colorado school sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill, “Women’s Rights in Athletics Act,” introduced

Connecticut

• Connecticut in-state tuition for refugees bill introduced
• Connecticut college domestic violence investigations participation by non-student or employee victim bill introduced
• Connecticut college tuition waivers for Native American students bill introduced
• Connecticut college free speech bill introduced
• Connecticut out-of-state telehealth providers to provide telehealth services permanently bill introduced
• Connecticut college opioid harm reduction bill introduced
• Connecticut public college political events paying prohibiting bill introduced
• Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education eliminating bill introduced
• Connecticut college transcripts withholding prohibiting bill introduced

Florida

• In Florida, more than half of LGBTQ+ parents are thinking about moving out of state reports The 74

Iowa

• Iowa college course terms provided by colleges to state legislature for review bill passes committee and renumbered as IA HF 182
• Iowa pregnant college student limiting participation and housing prohibition bill passes committee and renumbered as IA SF 252

Kansas

• Kansas campus free expression bill, “Campus Free Speech Act,” introduced
• Kansas college and school sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill, “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” introduced
• Kansas campus concealed carry exemption security bill introduced
• Kansas cigarette and tobacco products minimum age increasing bill introduced

Maryland

• Maryland Access to Mental Health Advisory Committee creating bill introduced
• Maryland college Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program bill introduced

 Minnesota

• Minnesota college student information privacy bill introduced
• Minnesota higher education policy change bill introduced

Mississippi

• Mississippi college classes registration preferences for in-state students bill fails to pass committee
• Mississippi hairstyle anti-discrimination in schools and workplaces bill fails to pass committee
• Mississippi college tuition waiver for foster children or wards of the state bill fails to pass committee
• Mississippi vaccination freedom bill dies in committee
• Mississippi college free speech bill, “Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act,” dies in committee
• Mississippi federal Title IX terms clarifying bill, “Defense of Title IX Act,” dies in committee

Missouri

• Missouri hairstyle anti-discrimination bill introduced
• Missouri school and college sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill, “Save Women’s Sports Act,” hearing held
• Missouri counseling interstate compact bill passes committee

New Hampshire

• New Hampshire mental health care providers permitted to treat via telemedicine bill introduced
• New Hampshire college freedom of speech and association bill introduced

New Jersey

• New Jersey college opioid prevention by having naloxone chloride policy bill introduced
• New Jersey public college fiscal monitoring report bill gets news coverage
• New Jersey college and school student-athlete mental health specialist on staff requiring bill introduced
• New Jersey college fiscal monitoring bill introduced
• New Jersey college requirements for public information on its websites bills get news coverage
• New Jersey college menstrual products providing bill introduced

New Mexico

• New Mexico interstate mental health provider compact bill introduced

New York

• New York employee access to their personnel records permitting bill introduced
• New York school discrimination based on religious attire prohibiting bill introduced
• New York college student loan borrower bill of rights bills introduced
• New York college freedom of expression bill introduced
• New York college students with disabilities support and services grant bill introduced
• New York college food assistance grants bill introduced
• New York college sexual harassment prevention and response policy bill introduced
• New York college admissions not allowed to be prohibited by individuals convicted of one or more crimes bill introduce

North Dakota

• North Dakota false allegations of sexual harassment or discrimination criminalization bill passes the state house and introduced in the state senate

Oregon

• Oregon sexual activity consent bill hearing held
• Oregon “sexual contact” definition modifying bill introduced and hearing held

Texas

• Texas college student pregnancy resources information provision bill introduced

Utah

• Utah college in-state tuition for non-citizens of certain immigration status bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate
• Utah vaccine passport prohibition bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate

Virginia

• Virginia school and college sports participation by gender assigned at birth bill, “Save Girls and Women’s Sports Act,” passes the state house and introduced in the state senate
• Virginia college housing no cost for students enrolled in foster care bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate
• Virginia Counseling Compact entrance authorization bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate
• Virginia COVID-19 immunization requirement prohibition bill passes committee

Washington

• Washington hazing penalty increasing bill passes committee
• Washington counselor compact authorization bill passes the state house and introduced in the state senate
• Washington telehealth provision from out-of-state healthcare providers bills have hearing

West Virginia

• West Virginia college campus concealed carry bill awaiting committee action
• West Virginia college campus concealed carry bill awaiting committee action
• West Virginia campus carry bill passes the state senate
• West Virginia college social media privacy requirements bill introduced

Federal Comment Opportunity

• Federal college financial aid system overhaul called for by ACE and other groups as part of comments on US Dept. of Education’s income-driven student loan repayment plan

Funding

• Sexual assault victim support services grant opportunity is now open
• Violence against women research support funding opportunity available from the US Department of Justice
• Mental health training grant awarded to Illinois College from the GEER Fund
• North Carolina college mental health funding investment announced by Gov. Roy Cooper

Education

• Eight college students at North Carolina State University have died since the start of the 2022-23 academic year reports local news
• The college student child care availability action by Congress called for by Temple University’s HOPE Center for College, Community and Justice

Activities

• Sports betting addiction may be worse than the opioid crisis reports The Hill

Civil Rights

• Title IX protections in K-12 schools do not include gender identity according to federal circuit court of appeals ruling reports The Sentinel
• One in five Black college students feel discriminated against in their college programs reports Higher Ed Dive
• College graduate students on strike have tuition assistance and health insurance removed by Temple University reports Diverse Education
• College Ph.D. students at Johns Hopkins University vote to unionize reports Inside Higher Ed
• Wisconsin free speech college survey highlights students’ discomfort in expressing their viewpoints in the classroom

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.