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 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 Education

• College rankings system criticized by US Secretary of Education Cardona
• Federal education policy focus by the US Department of Education outlined in new website
• College esports not covered under Title IX according to federal court ruling

Federal Legislation

• FAFSA exemptions for a family farm or small business bill (HR 1250) introduced
• College requirement to publish information on financial aid offer requirements and provide such information to prospective students bill (HR 1311) introduced
• College and school sports Title IX determination based on sex assigned at birth, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, (S 613) introduced

Federal Comment Opportunity

• College religious student organizations rule rescinding by the US Department of Education subject of call for public comments

State and Local Government

Arkansas

• Arkansas counseling compact bill passes the state house and passes committee in the state senate
• Arkansas college and school preferred pronouns use requirements prohibiting bill introduced

California

• California mental health professionals on college campuses contracting out bill amended and resubmitted to committee

Connecticut

• Connecticut Title IX toolkit creating bill passes committee
• Connecticut college student employee unemployment eligibility bill scheduled for hearing on 3/2
• Connecticut college reproductive health access bill scheduled for hearing on 3/2

Florida

• Florida college Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hiring and tenure statements requirement prohibiting bills introduced in both chambers
• Florida college critical race theory (CRT) ban bills referred to committees and gets press attention

Georgia

• Georgia assault weapon sales to those under 21 ban bill introduced

Hawaii

• Hawaii inclusive disciplinary and training guidelines bill passes the state house and now before the state senate

Illinois

• Illinois multi-occupancy restrooms as all-gender restrooms bill placed on the state house calendar for second reading

Iowa

• Iowa college equity diversity and inclusion office funding prohibition bill passes committee
• Iowa bathroom use designated by “biological” sex bill amended and renumbered as IA SF 482 which was favorably reported out of committee
• Iowa firearms on school and college property regulating bill approved by committee

Kansas

• Kansas college and school sports participation by sex assigned at birth bill, “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” passes the state house and hearing scheduled in the state senate

Maine

• Maine community college on-campus housing study bill referred to committee in both chambers

Minnesota

• Minnesota college free menstrual products bills referred to committees
• Minnesota college students with disabilities fee reimbursement bill referred to committee

Mississippi

• Mississippi psychology inter-jurisdictional compact bill passes the state senate but dies in state house committee

Missouri

• Missouri interstate medical compact bill passes committee
• Missouri college student basic needs benefit pilot program bill introduced
• Missouri college and school COVID-19 vaccine mandate prohibiting bill introduced
• Missouri telemedicine ban on abortive medications bill introduced

Montana

• Montana college vaccination policies and exemptions bill amended and passes the state house
• Montana interstate counseling compact enactment bill passes the state house
• Montana college counter viewpoint equal opportunity bill tabled in committee
• Montana immunizations religious exemptions bill passes the state senate

North Dakota

• North Dakota college “specified concepts” instruction ban bill passes the state senate, scheduled for hearing in the state house

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma college sexual harassment and hazard employee training requirements bill passes committee

Oregon

• Oregon college Hunger-Free Campus designation creating bill public hearing held
• Oregon college sexual misconduct procedures setting and Sexual Misconduct Survey Council creating bill referred to committee
• Oregon college student eviction and homelessness prevention program funding bill hearing scheduled

South Dakota

• South Dakota COVID-19 conscience exemption option requiring bill fails to pass the state house

Tennessee

• Tennessee college and school concealed carry of firearms bill scheduled for hearing
• Tennessee college ban on internet video platforms based in China bill passes the state senate as amended

Texas

• Texas COVID-19 vaccination compulsion or coercion prohibiting bill referred to committee
• Texas college polling places prohibiting bill gets news coverage

Utah

• Utah vaccine passport prohibition bill passes the state legislature
• Utah college requirement to allow legal representation of students during disciplinary proceedings bill fails to pass the legislature
• Utah college diversity, equity, and inclusion study bill fails to pass the legislature

Vermont

• Vermont colleges guaranteed living space for students requirement bill introduced
• Vermont college sexual misconduct management requirements bill introduced

Washington

• Washington Counselor Compact Authorization bill passes the state house and hearing scheduled in the state senate

West Virginia

• West Virginia college and school student identification cards with suicide prevention information bill passes the state legislature
• West Virginia college campus carry bill signed into law

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin annual state finances and appropriations bills that include a provision of vaccinations that health insurance plans in the state should cover introduced

Education

• College athlete promotes artificial intelligence school work assistance program and her school issues statement on academic misconduct reports Business Insider

Civil Rights

• College Title IX and sexual assault playbook map and tool developed by advocacy group
• Transgender female athletes must be allowed to compete in the USA Powerlifting women’s category per Minnesota court ruling

Health & Wellness

• College campus eating disorder treatment teams focus of article from Inside Higher Ed
• College campus safety recommendations published by Campus Safety Magazine

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.