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

  • Congress reaches deal on FY 2023 funding package.
  • Mental health in US is focus of HHS Secretary’s national
  • Alcohol use among girls and young women SAMHSA fact sheet
  • Fentanyl drug use protection bill, the “SAFE Act of 2022,” (HR 6946)
  • Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act (HR 6161) adds 2 new
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities funding bill, the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act (S 1945), adds a new
  • New paid leave tax credits FAQ sheet released by IRS

State and Local Government

California

  • California Supreme Court rules UC Berkeley must limit new
  • California collegiate athletics coaches guilty of misconduct hiring prohibition bill
  • California Olympic/Paralympic student athletes resident classification bill
  • California college students with dependent children supporting bill
  • California public college housing projects exempt for certain environmental reviews bill passes

Colorado

  • Colorado college students with disabilities support bill introduced.
  • See also: Colorado college students with disabilities strategies suggesting committee and data reporting bill to be

Connecticut

  • Connecticut college legacy preferences in the admissions process prohibiting bill introduced.

Hawaii

  • Hawaii college tenure limiting bill introduced.

Indiana

  • Indiana school sports participation by gender assigned at birth bill passes the state legislature.
  • Indiana college “free speech” protecting bill passes the state legislature and is now before the state house for amendment

Iowa

  • Iowa school sports participation based on gender assigned at birth bill signed into law.

Kentucky

  • Kentucky urging the federal government to take steps to allow international college athletes to benefit from name, image, and likeness agreements resolution passes committee.
  • Kentucky school sports participation by gender assigned at birth bill, the “Fairness in Girls Sports

Act,” passes the state senate and is now before the state house

Louisiana

  • Louisiana free expression on college campuses bill
  • Louisiana college and school sports participation by gender assigned at birth bill, the “Fairness in

Women’s Sports Act,” introduced.

Missouri

  • Missouri college and school sports participation by gender assigned at birth bill

New Jersey

  • New Jersey teen and adolescent self-harm rates are on the rise according to state

New York

  • New York college students’ mental health is a growing concern according to

South Carolina

  • South Carolina college faculty tenure elimination bill withdrawn by sponsor.

Virginia

  • Virginia college hazing prevention bill passes the state legislature.
  • Virginia college student athlete NIL bill passes the state senate and passes the state house with

Washington

  • Washington college hazing defining and prohibiting bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate.
  • Washington college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) bill passes the state senate and passes committee in the state

West Virginia

  • West Virginia college Student Basic Needs Campus Initiative bill

Wisconsin

  • Wisconsin college free speech and qualified immunity for administrators eliminating bill passes the state house, introduced in the state senate.

Funding

  • College domestic violence prevention grant program funding is available from US of Justice.

Other Updates

  • Tuition-free college movement gains momentum despite President Biden’s stalled
  • College federal student loan payment extension requested by advocacy
  • College presidents survey results reported by Inside Higher Ed
  • Two national educator organizations, AAUP and AFT, pursue official
  • College mental health concerns addressed in report from The Chronicle of Higher
  • College mental health support use of data subject of EdScoop
  • Yale University settles wellness program lawsuit, according to Inside Higher
  • Saving college sports: A history lesson for today’s NCAA reformers (op ed from Sportico).
  • Mental health crises impacted by hot weather according to study

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.

Executive Assistant at  | NIRSA Profile

Elishea Borin is currently the Senior Executive Assistant at NIRSA.