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 this 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 Government News

• President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan explored in article

Federal Education

• College COVID-19 guidance ordered by President Biden
• Title IX and sex discrimination executive action under President Biden explored in article
• US Department of Education appointments announced
• College loan relief extended by Biden Administration through September

Other Federal News

• President Biden’s first round of Executive Orders and directives explored in article
• President Biden lifts transgender military ban
• Presidential cabinet appointment status tracker put out by Brookings Institute

State and Local Government News

Arkansas

• Arkansas athletic trainer bill introduced

Connecticut

• Connecticut college free speech policy requiring bill introduced
• Connecticut automatic external defibrillator at health clubs and athletic facilities bill introduced

Florida

• Florida hairstyle discrimination bills introduced
• Florida college campus carry bill introduced
• Florida college epinephrine auto-injectors bill introduced

Indiana

• Indiana college free speech bill introduced

Iowa

• Iowa athlete agent conduct bill subcommittee recommends amendment and passage
• Iowa student athlete agent bill introduced

Kentucky

• Kentucky sports official intimidation crime bill introduced
• Kentucky sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination bill introduced
• Kentucky college student code of conduct creation, punishment for, and appeals process creation bill introduced
• Kentucky single sex school and college sports requiring bill introduced

Maryland

• Maryland college and military voting access bill has hearing scheduled for Feb. 4

Massachusetts

• Massachusetts college sexual assault bill signed into law

Mississippi

• Mississippi public college free speech and association bill introduced
• Mississippi college athletic compensation bill introduced

Missouri

• Missouri college athletes compensation bill under consideration
• Missouri COVID-19 civil actions protection bill has hearing
• Missouri Uniform Athlete Agents Act modification bill introduced

Montana

• Montana sex at birth school sports participation bill passes out of committee

New Hampshire

• New Hampshire college freedom of speech and association bill introduced

New Jersey

• New Jersey school and college student ID to contain suicide prevention hotline bill moves out of committee

New Mexico

• New Mexico college hazing crime bill introduced

North Dakota

• North Dakota athlete agents prohibited conduct bill introduced

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma single-sex sports bill introduced

Oregon

• Oregon Title IX Rule studying bill introduced

Tennessee

• Tennessee school sports participation based on sex at birth bill introduced

Texas

• Texas school and college suicide prevention information on student ID cards bill filed

Virginia

• Virginia sports official assault crime bill passes through subcommittee review

Wyoming

• Wyoming state college hazing policy requiring bill introduced

Funding

• Women with disabilities violence prevention and training services funding available from the US Department of Justice (DOJ)

Other News

• Activities and other COVID-19 updates 12
• College faculty mental health challenges explored in study by The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Emotional support animals to be banned by Southwest Airlines in March
• Concussion symptoms parallel insufficient sleep and stress, study finds
• US Supreme Court denies UNC’s petition for review of Title IX records release

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.