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

  • College student relief funding through the CARES Act examined in GAO study
  • High school transgender sports lawsuit dismissed by federal judge
  • College admissions discrimination provision inclusion in the Asian hate crimes bill attempt by Republicans fails
  • Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7) passes House
  • College joint loan options for married couples bills (HR 2460 & S 1098) reintroduced
  • College hazing reporting bill (HR 2525) reintroduced
  • College sports spending transparency/SCORE Act (HR 2610 & S 1225) introduced
  • Pell Grant extension act (HR 2627) reintroduced
  • Free college bills (HR 2730 & S 1288) reintroduced
  • Free College and Federal Pell Grant extended to DREAMer students bill (HR 2804) introduced

State and Local Government News

Alabama

  • Alabama student athlete compensation for use of name, image, or likeness (NIL) state senate bill sent to the governor

Arkansas

  • Arkansas college “Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act” bill sent to the governor
  • Arkansas school and college employees gender pronoun usage governing bill passes the state house and is now before the state senate
  • Arkansas school and college student ID cards hotline numbers bill passes the state house, is amended, passes the state senate, and is returned to the state house as amended
  • Arkansas school and college sports participation by birth sex bill, the “Gender Integrity Reinforcement Legislation for Sports (GIRLS) Act,” passes the legislature and sent to the governor

Connecticut

  • Connecticut free speech on college campus policy bill still under consideration

Illinois

  • Illinois school and college public health emergency bill passes the state house and introduced in the state senate

Maine

  • Maine college and school sports participation sex at birth bill carried over to the 2022 session

Maryland

  • Maryland college ID helpline number bill sent to the governor
  • Maryland “Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program” bills sent to the governor

Minnesota

  • Minnesota college season ticket purchasing rights tax exemption authorization bill introduced

New Mexico

  • New Mexico college athlete endorsement compensation bill signed into law

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma college and school transgender sports bill, also known as the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” passes the state senate and is now before the state house

South Carolina

  • South Carolina college athletes compensation for name, image, or likeness (NIL) bill passes the state senate and is now before the state house

Texas

  • Texas school and college suicide prevention information on student ID cards bill passes favorably out of committee

Other News

  • Colleges providing incentives for COVID-19 vaccination ethics explored by Insider Higher Ed article
  • School indoor sports are most likely to spread COVID-19 according to new 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.

  • 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.