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 Legislation

  • Overtime pay federal rule challenged by US business groups reports Reuters
  • College antisemitism incident policy reporting requirement bill (HR 8389) introduced
  • College student loan discharge due to permanent disability bill (HR 8407/S 4333) reintroduced
  • College student loan institutional cosigning and responsibility on defaulting bill (HR 8461) reintroduced . 4 College Campus Safety and Security Survey open to comments
  • College education financial value and gainful employment reporting requirements open to comments
  • College affordability and transparency form from the US Dept. of Education open to comments

State and Local Government

Alaska

  • Alaska school athletic team and sports designation by sex assigned at birth bill passes the state house and sent to the state senate

California

  • California State University affordable housing program establishing bill passes committee
  • California college student basic needs resources requiring bill passes committee
  • California college LGBTQ+ students inclusion and support requiring bill, “Equity in Higher Education Act,” passes state senate

Connecticut

  • Connecticut colleges scholarship displacement policies disclosure to students requiring bill signed into law
  • Connecticut telehealth services bill signed into law

Hawaii

  • Hawaii college free menstrual products bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii Interstate Counseling Compact entering bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii college sex discrimination and sexual misconduct training requiring bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii school and college sports team gender assigned at birth requiring bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii AEDs in state buildings and training requiring bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii school and college AED and CPR training and placement requiring bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii college education legislation signifying bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii professional counselors compact bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii college legislation placeholder bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii college student meal dietary needs requiring bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii college tuition for non-citizen residents bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Hawaii community college legislation placeholder bill fails to pass the state legislature

Illinois

  • Illinois college cost-effective energy efficiency efforts qualifying bill passes state legislature

Louisiana

  • Louisiana healthcare support animals certifying requirements setting bill passed state legislature
  • Louisiana designation by sex assigned at birth for restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters requiring bill gets press attention following passing the state legislature
  • Louisiana college and school DEI program disclosure requiring bill passed state house and passed committee in state senate

Massachusetts

  • Massachusetts college and school student fire safety course requirement bill passed committee

Mississippi

  • Mississippi college housing separated by sex assigned at birth requiring bill, “Safer Act” gets press coverage after being signed into law

Missouri

  • Missouri college hazing immunity for reporting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Missouri COVID-19 vaccination requirement prohibiting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Missouri college transcript refusal due to owing college debt prohibiting bill failed to pass the state legislature

Nebraska

  • Nebraska social work multi-state practice permitting bill, “Social Worker Licensure Compact,” signed into law

New Jersey

  • New Jersey college mental health resources requiring bill, “Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act,” awaiting state assembly and state senate action
  • New Jersey college transcript withholding permitting bill awaiting state assembly and state senate committee action
  • New Jersey college antisemitism funding withholding bill, “Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act,” awaiting committee action
  • New Jersey college student scholarship prohibiting bill awaiting committee action
  • New Jersey college hiring practices cultural competency test prohibiting bill awaiting committee action
  • New Jersey college contracts with Palestine-controlled territories prohibiting bill awaiting committee action

New York

  • New York college menstrual products offering requiring bill awaiting state assembly and senate committee action
  • New York CUNY and SUNY college mental health and student investment requiring bill, “New Deal for CUNY,” awaiting committee action
  • New York college price calculator establishing bill awaiting committee action
  • New York college terrorist organization support prohibiting bill awaiting committee action

North Carolina

  • University of North Carolina redirects DEI funding to public safety measures reports USA Today

Ohio

  • Ohio school and college sports participation by sex assigned at birth and gender-affirming care for minors prohibiting bill gets press attention after going into effect following the legislature overturning the governor’s veto
  • Ohio college DEI and foreign funding prohibiting bill, “Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act,” passes the state senate and is awaiting state house action

South Carolina

  • South Carolina college DEI programs and initiatives reporting requiring bill failed to pass the state legislature
  • South Carolina interstate counselors compact entrance bill signed into law

Tennessee

  • Tennessee prohibition of criminal background checks for college admissions purposes bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college revenue from tuition and fees reporting requirements bill withdrawn
  • Tennessee college DEI participation as a condition for obtaining health care degree prohibiting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college student food security commission annual reports continuing bill signed into law
  • Tennessee college hazing policy bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college credit card revenue reporting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee state college administrator compensation reporting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college revenue from tuition and fees reporting requirements bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college discrimination oversight and complaint system establishing bill, “State Primacy in Designating Protected Classes in Higher Education Act,” fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college hunger-free campus program establishing bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college out-of-state students’ enrollment capping bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college tuition waiver for mature individuals permitting bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college tuition waiver eligibility clarifying bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college discrimination investigation timeline requiring bill, “Tennessee Higher Education Freedom of Expression and Transparency Act,” signed into law
  • Tennessee college discrimination prevention policies and practices allowing bill fails to pass the state legislature
  • Tennessee college equal protection oversight in audits requiring bill sent to governor

Other Updates

  • Dartmouth College investing $500M to lessen its environmental impact reports Higher Ed Dive
  • Transgender college student-athletes represented by National Women’s Law Center in federal lawsuit
  • NCAA votes to approve $2.8B settlement in House, Hubbard and Carter cases reports Yahoo Sports
  • Mental health concerns are more likely to be reported by college students than high school students finds United Healthcare report
  • College student-athlete sports betting impact on mental health initiative launched by NCAA
  • Mental health concerns cited as top reason for not completing college in 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.

  • For more information, please contact NIRSA Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships Erin O’Sullivan.
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.