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 Education & Health

• Title IX sexual harassment proposed Rule by US Dept. of Education receives more than 100K comments reports Politico
• Annual report released by US Dept. of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
• COVID-19 vaccination revised recommendations issued by the CDC
• New mental health and substance abuse issues resource website launched by US Dept. of HHS
• Sports Eye Safety Month resolution (HRes 364) introduced

State and Local Government

Alabama

• Alabama college sport participation by sex assigned at birth bill passes the state legislature

Arizona

• Arizona college diversity, equity, inclusion program participation prohibiting bill passes the state senate and passes committee in the state house

Colorado

• Colorado college student youth mentors stipend pilot program bill passes the state legislature and sent to the governor
• Colorado college epinephrine auto-injectors requiring bill passes the state legislature

Florida

• Florida professional counselors licensure compact fee bill substituted by FL HB 385, which passed the state legislature
• Florida bathroom and changing spaces access restricting bills, “Safety in Private Spaces Act,” passes the state legislature
• Florida ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion statements in hiring and tenure on college campuses bill passes the state legislature
• Florida COVID-19 investigation confidential information bill partially incorporated into FL SB 238, which passed the state legislature
• Florida higher education omnibus bill passes the state legislature
• Florida public college foreign agreement prohibition bill becomes law

Illinois

• Illinois college transcript denying if owed debt prohibiting bill passes the state legislature
• Illinois college emergency contraceptive vending machine bill passes the state senate and passes committee in the state house

Iowa

• Iowa professional counselors licensure compact bill passes the state legislature

Maine

• Maine public college COVID-19 vaccine mandate prohibiting bill fails to pass the state house, effectively killing the bill

Maryland

• Maryland college mental health advisory committee creation bill signed into law
• Maryland Access to Mental Health Advisory Committee creating bill signed into law

North Carolina

• North Carolina college US history requirement bill, the REACH Act, passes the first chamber and is in committee in the state senate
• North Carolina college tenure elimination bill re-referred to committee
• North Carolina public college political litmus test ban bill passes the state house and now in the state senate

Ohio

• Ohio college omnibus bill gets press attention

Tennessee

• Tennessee college ID suicide prevention contact information containing requirement bill became law

Texas

• Texas college student women’s health programs notifying bill passes committee
• Texas college opioid reversal drugs on campus requiring bill passes the state house and now in the state senate
• Texas college sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill passes the state senate and passes committee in the state house
• Texas college student DEI belief requirement prohibiting bill gets press attention
• Texas college hiring DEI statement prohibiting bill passes the state senate and has hearing scheduled in the state house
• Texas public college tenure ban bill passes the state senate and has hearing scheduled in the state house
• Texas school and college sexual behavior survey ban bill passes the state senate and now in the state house

Vermont

• Vermont interstate mental health provider compact bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate

Washington

• Washington hazing penalty increasing bill signed into law

Other Updates

• Colleges’ efforts to prevent mass shootings on campus subject of article in Higher Ed Dive
• Engaging male college student-athletes in sexual assault prevention efforts subject of new report

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.