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 NIRSA 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

• Joe Manchin (D-WV) holds roundtable on mental health with WVU students and officials following the US Dept. of Education’s funding announcement
• Title IX proposed rule changes would forbid wide-scale bans on transgender athlete participation in school and college sports reports The 74
• Colleges ask Supreme Court to stop $6 billion college student loan debt settlement reports NBC News
• US Dept. of Education sued by 2U over recent third-party guidance reports Higher Ed Dive

Federal Legislation

• College students with disabilities bills, “Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act (HR 2401/S 1071),” introduced
• College religious organizations discrimination prohibition bill (S 985) introduced
• College students with disabilities college sexual violence “Safe Equitable Campus Resources and Education SECuRE) Act” bill (HR 2421/S 1070) introduced
• Colleges and schools inclusive emergency protocols requiring, “Promoting Responsible Emergency Protocols for All Students Act”, bill (S 1072) introduced
• Sports participation by sex assigned by birth, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, bill (HR 734) scheduled for House vote and Members asked to submit potential amendments for consideration

Federal Comment Opportunity

• College student child-care assistance funding program application public comment being solicited by the US Dept. of Education

State and Local Government

Arkansas

• Arkansas school and college opioid overdose reversal kits requiring bill passes the legislature and sent to the governor
• Arkansas school and college AEDs at sporting events requiring bill passes the legislature and sent to the governor
• Arkansas college sustainable building maintenance loan program bill passes the committee of referral
• Arkansas college freedom of expression bill passes the legislature and sent to the governor
• Arkansas college hiring and extra help employees protocol bill passes committee

Illinois

• Illinois college emergency contraceptive vending machine bill passes committee

Indiana

• Indiana college in-state resident tuition applicability bills fail to pass before legislative deadline

Iowa

• Iowa pregnant college student limiting participation and housing prohibition bill passes the state senate and passes committee in the state house

Kansas

• Kansas college and school sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill, “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” has governor’s veto overridden by the legislature, bill now to become law

Kentucky

• Kentucky telehealth providers not required to have in-state physical location bill signed into law

Louisiana

• Louisiana public college facility hiring, evaluation, and promotion guidelines bill referred to committee

Maine

• Maine public college COVID-19 vaccine mandate prohibiting bill in committee
• Maine COVID-19 prohibition mandate for five years bill referred to committees

Maryland

• Maryland college contracting with gambling entities prohibiting bills pass the state legislature and sent to the governor
• Maryland Access to Mental Health Advisory Committee creating bill passes the state legislature and sent to the governor

Nevada

• Nevada public college expansion of physical space per student bill referred to committee

New York

• New York college textbooks and computer tax exemption bill referred to committee

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania college homeless and foster youth housing preference bill referred to committee

Tennessee

• Tennessee prohibition of criminal background checks for college admissions purposes bill amended in the state house while the state senate bill has failed in committee

Texas

• Texas homeless college student housing and food aid initiatives bill passes committee
• Texas public college tobacco ban bill has hearing scheduled

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin free speech issue at the University of Wisconsin may lead to state legislation

Other Updates

• Four-year college degree not perceived to have value by most Americans according to new survey
• Higher education employees’ pay increases improve but still fall short in keeping up with inflation according to CUPA-HR
• College student depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic cross-sectional study published
• College students’ mental health attitudes as found in Healthy Minds Study 2021-22 Data Report focus of article from Higher Ed Today

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.