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 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
Budget/appropriations
- Senate appropriations taking up of bill to fund the U.S. Department of Education abruptly postponed
Education
- GAO Report released looking at Public Service Loan forgiveness
Federal legislation
- File Once FAFSA Act (HR 4240) introduced
- Student loan contract act (hr 4241) introduced
Other federal news
- Monitoring persons with mental illness being considered by Trump administration as way to prevent shootings, The Washington Post reports
State & local government
California
- California lawmakers pass bill allowing college athletes to profit from endorsements
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts: new school year brings push by students for college campus sexual assault bills
New York
- New law in New York requires tackle football programs to provide concussion information
Tennessee
- Tennessee state senator calls for end of higher education
Education and Schools News
- U.S. News & World Report makes changes to its annual college rankings
- Aging higher education staff workforce subject of College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) report
- College program for son with Down syndrome created with help of Texas mother, former state legislator
Civil rights news
- Article discusses student with disability losing caregiver benefits if she accepts college scholarship
- Title IX concerns raised by UMaine athletes and coaches after the interruption of a field hockey game
- Opinion piece addresses free speech on private college campuses
- Opinion piece: Guns on campuses: let colleges decide
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.
- Want to share with your colleagues how this proposed legislation might impact your campus? Pitch us your ideas.
Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.
