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 Budget

• Federal budget proposal for FY2025 announced by the Biden Administration

Federal Education

• Title IX Rule change delay by Biden Administration continues reports K-12 Dive
• College antisemitic issues at Columbia University focus of hearing to be held by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Federal Legislation

• Higher education assistance eligibility expansion for National Guard service members bills (HR 7543/S 3873) introduced
• Federal Pell Grant award increasing bill, “Degrees Not Debt Act” (HR 7488), text becomes available
• Suicide prevention youth and young adult safety grants bill, “Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act” (S 3779), receives press coverage

Federal Commentary Opportunity

• College campus safety and security survey open to comment collection from the US Dept. of Education
• College Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) open to comments through the US Dept. of Education
• College Affordability and Transparency Explanation Form (CATEF) management open to comments through the US Dept. of Education

Other Federal News

• Overtime pay Rule advances in the review process

State and Local Government

Alabama

• Alabama public entities diversity offices and divisive concepts promotion prohibiting and college gender- based restrooms requiring bill passed the state legislature

Florida

• Florida public college DEI ban prompts NAACP to discourage Black athletes from considering schools in the state reports the Associated Press
• Florida gender identity employment practices bill introduced

Idaho

• Idaho college and school use students’ legal names and non-conforming preferred pronouns compelling prohibiting bill passes committee
• Idaho colleges diversity statements as a condition of employment requiring prohibiting bill introduced
• Idaho college diversity statement requirement for admission or employment prohibiting bill introduced

Illinois

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

Indiana

• Indiana college website information requirements bill signed into law
• Indiana college free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity bill passes the state legislature

Iowa

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

Kentucky

• Kentucky college “divisive” concepts and intellectual diversity as part of diversity, equity, and inclusion bill passes the state senate and is now in the state house

Maryland

• Maryland public college student extenuating circumstances withdrawal policy bill (Cameron Carden Act of 2024) introduced

New Mexico

• New Mexico college affirmative consent policies bill signed into law

Utah

• Utah DEI requirements prohibiting bill signed into law

Virginia

• Virginia college legacy admission prohibition bill signed into law

Washington

• Washington out-of-state telehealth provider allowing bill passes the state legislature and sent to the governor
• Washington AEDs at fitness centers requiring bill passes the state legislature and sent to the governor

West Virginia

• West Virginia school and college DEI requirements prohibiting bill, “Restoring Sanity Act,” fails to pass the state legislature before adjournment

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin public college student immunization requirement waiving bill passes the state senate and has hearing in the state assembly
• Wisconsin college gun carrying prohibiting bill introduced

Other Updates

• College safety ranking survey published by Academic Influence
• College students increasingly interested in substance-free living on campus reports ABC News Boston affiliate

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.