Education

Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID–19 Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2020

Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID-19 Act This bill provides FY2021 supplemental appropriations for grants to assist states in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities and for specified early childhood education programs for children with disabilities. Additionally, the bill specifies reporting requirements related to the use of these funds. It also requires the Department of Education to publish on its website, and the Department of Health and Human Services to release, certain expenditure reports related to these funds. The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule.

Safer Communities Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2020

Safer Communities Act This bill requires a state or local government that receives funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to maintain a system for sharing disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. It also requires the Department of Justice to award a one-time grant to states to establish a system for sharing disciplinary records. Additionally, the bill expands death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to retired public safety officers (e.g., law enforcement officers) and survivors of retired public safety officers who die while engaging in a public or private security obligation. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty. Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on settlement or collaborative agreements entered into pursuant to litigation arising out of allegations of police misconduct.

Expressing the sense of Congress that responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by the education system must be narrowly tailored to protect the well-being of children in different parts of the country.

United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2020

This resolution states that the (1) consequences of remaining out of school are different for children of varying geographic regions or economic status, and (2) decisions related to opening and operating school districts should be made at the local level and be informed by expert opinion and data.

HBCU Capital Finance Debt Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2020

HBCU Capital Finance Debt Relief Act This bill requires the Department of Education to, within 30 days, cancel the obligation of historically Black colleges and universities to repay the balance of principal and interest due on their capital financing loans.

AI Careers Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020

AI Careers Act of 2020 This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to (1) develop taxonomies and lexica to describe the skills, jobs, and workforce requirements related to artificial intelligence to guide career development, education, and training activities in industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and the federal government; (2) identify gaps in the artificial intelligence workforce, including in the public and private sectors; and (3) create criteria and measurements for credentials in careers related to artificial intelligence.

Improving College Affordability for our Guard and Reserve Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020

Improving College Affordability for our Guard and Reserve Act This bill authorizes all members of the Armed Forces—including reservists or those in the National Guard and regardless of their duty status—to claim independent student status when applying for federal financial aid. Currently, active duty service members and veterans of the Armed Forces may claim such independent student status.

Reopen Schools Safely Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020

Reopen Schools Safely Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies and institutions of higher education to comply with the guidelines, recommendations, and other public health communications issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local governments to mitigate the hazards of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in schools. Subgrants must be used for certain activities, such as implementing exposure control plans, hiring personnel and purchasing equipment for health screenings, providing students and staff with personal protective equipment, and purchasing sanitation supplies. Unexpended funds must be returned to ED. Additionally, unused supplies and materials that were purchased with grants may not be resold.

RISE Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020

Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act or the RISE Act This bill authorizes the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, the Interior, and Health and Human Services and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation, and Environmental Protection Agency to provide support for research regarding COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or research disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support under this bill shall be provided through federal science agencies with at least $50 million in basic and applied research obligations in FY2020. Support may be used to provide supplemental funding to extend the duration of a grant to a research institution or national laboratory that was awarded prior to the enactment of this bill, or to expand the purposes of such a grant as specified; provide supplemental funding through existing competitively awarded cooperative agreements and contracts to cover the increased costs of construction of scientific facilities and equipment that have been delayed because of COVID-19; and award grants and cooperative agreements to institutions of higher education to conduct research on the behavioral, social, or economic effects of COVID-19 and the responses to the disease or on the effectiveness of such responses. Agencies must provide the support as rapidly as possible. Provided funds shall remain available for expenditure for up to two years.

Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020

Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill establishes measures related to expanding broadband infrastructure and access in unserved and underserved communities. The bill creates the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and it provides funding for programs that (1) promote digital equity and broadband capacity building, (2) provide discounts on broadband service for low-income consumers, and (3) subsidize internet services for schools and libraries. The bill establishes specified transparency requirements, such as making federal broadband data available to local governments. It also requires the Federal Communications Commission to expand broadband access for unserved and underserved communities and make the provision of Wi-Fi access on school buses eligible for support under the E-Rate program.

Educator Preparation Reform Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020

Educator Preparation Reform Act This bill modifies federal grants and requirements for educator preparation programs. Specifically, the bill revises the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant program to require a partnership (e.g., a high-need local educational agency or school and an institution of higher education) to use grant funds to carry out a program for the pre-baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate preparation of teachers, a teaching or principal residency program, or a combination of such programs. Currently, such grants must be used for programs specific to teachers. A partnership may also use funds to carry out other educator development programs, including programs for school librarians, counselors, and paraprofessionals. The bill further revises requirements for teacher residency programs and prescribes requirements for the establishment of principal residency programs. A partnership carrying out a principal residency program must perform activities for high-need schools. The bill revises requirements for state reporting on the quality of teacher preparation programs and specifies that a state must conduct an assessment to identify at-risk and low-performing teacher preparation programs as a condition of receiving certain federal funds. It also modifies student eligibility for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program.

DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020

DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act This bill revises the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program of the Department of Energy (DOE). The objectives of the EPSCoR must include (1) increasing the number of researchers in specified jurisdictions (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), especially at institutions of higher education (IHEs), capable of performing nationally competitive science and engineering research in support of the mission of DOE in the areas of applied energy research, environmental management, and basic science; and (2) improving science and engineering research and education programs at IHEs in such states and enhancing their capabilities to develop, plan, and execute research that is competitive. The EPSCoR must provide grants to such jurisdictions to carry out and support applied energy research and research in all areas of environmental management and basic science sponsored by DOE. DOE must contract with a federally funded research and development center, the National Academy of Sciences, or a a similar organization to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of EPSCoR, including an assessment of the progress made towards achieving the objectives of the program.

Impact Aid Co­ro­na­vi­rus Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020

Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act This bill allows local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the Impact Aid Program to use the student count and federal property valuation data from their FY2021 program applications for their FY2022 program applications. The program provides funding to LEAs that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or to those that have experienced increased expenditures due to enrollment of federally connected children (e.g., children living on Indian lands or military bases).

Fair and Accurate Census Act

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2020

Fair and Accurate Census Act This bill extends the deadline for the U.S. Census Bureau to complete the 2020 decennial census of population and related tabulations and provides $400 million to address the impacts of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) on the census and to support enhanced census activities. The bill requires the bureau to report specified information, such as (1) the total number of field staff, sorted by category; (2) the anticipated schedule of census operations; (3) total spending on media, advertisements, and partnership specialists; and (4) post-enumeration survey schedule and completion progress, including anticipated schedule for release of results from the coverage measurement survey. An institution of higher education may provide to the bureau information requested for purposes of enumeration for the 2020 decennial census of population, subject to certain public notice requirements. The institution may not provide any information to the bureau on an individual's immigration or citizenship status. The bureau may not compile, produce, or publish any data product or tabulation as part of, in combination with, or in connection with the 2020 decennial census of population or any such census data that includes topics specific to the 2020 census that were not part of a report submitted on March 28, 2017, and the 2018 End-to-End Census Test conducted in Providence County, Rhode Island. The bill provides funding for specified activities, including expanded communications and advertising targeted to low self-response communities in rural and urban areas, Alaska Native villages, and on tribal lands.

INEQUITIES EXPOSED: HOW COVID-19 WIDENED RACIAL INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND THE WORKFORCE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 22 June 2020

STANDUP Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2020

Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act of 20 20 or the STANDUP Act of 2020 This bill requires state, tribal, and local education agencies that receive grant funding for priority mental-health needs, including through the Project AWARE State Education Agency Grant Program, to establish and implement evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training policies. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in coordination with the Department of Education, must provide educational agencies with best practices for these trainings.

Defense Communities Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2020

Defense Communities Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 This bill establishes and modifies Department of Defense programs that provide financial assistance to communities that support military installations and personnel, including programs for community infrastructure projects and for schools and small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

COVID–19 Perkins Loan Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2020

COVID-19 Perkins Loan Relief Act This bill suspends payments and interest on Federal Perkins Loans through September 30, 2020. (Currently, payments and interest are suspended on certain Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans through this period.) Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must require holders of Federal Perkins Loans to (1) suspend the accrual of interest on such loans until September 30, 2020, and (2) confirm to ED that no interest has accrued on such loans as of March 13, 2020. ED must make suspended interest payments to holders of such loans on behalf of borrowers. Further, ED must require institutions of higher education to (1) suspend all payments due from borrowers through September 30, 2020; (2) suspend all involuntary collections; (3) notify borrowers, within 15 days, that their loan payments have been suspended and interest has been waived; and (4) carry out a program, beginning on August 1, 2020, to provide not fewer than six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume. Additionally, ED must deem each month for which a loan payment was suspended as if the borrower of the loan had made a payment for the purpose of any authorized loan forgiveness program or loan rehabilitation program, ensure that any suspended payment on such loan is treated as a regularly scheduled payment made by a borrower for the purpose of reporting information about the loan to a consumer reporting agency, and suspend involuntary collections related to such loans.

Space Research Innovation Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020

Space Research Innovation Act This bill directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to (1) establish a university-affiliated research center to facilitate NASA capabilities, and (2) use the research center to fund analyses and engineering support related to cis-lunar and deep-space missions and interplanetary research. The bill lists the following entities as eligible to participate in the research center: (1) an institution of higher education, (2) an operator of a federally funded research and development center, and (3) a nonprofit or not-for-profit research institution.

National Security Innovation Pathway Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020

National Security Innovation Pathway Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide special immigrant status to a qualified alien involved with research critical to U.S. national security. Generally, a qualified alien is one who (1) is employed by a U.S. employer to work and protect the National Security Innovation Base, (2) is engaged in Department of Defense-funded research at a U.S. institution of higher education, or (3) possesses scientific or technical expertise that will advance the development of certain technologies critical to national security. In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) must confirm to DHS that the alien's admission is essential to developing critical technologies or otherwise serves national security interests. The spouse and children of a qualified alien may also be admitted. (The National Security Innovation Base is a network of persons and organizations engaged in research and production of technologies that support U.S. national security.) DHS may admit up to 100 principal aliens for FY2021 as special immigrants under this bill. This number shall gradually increase until FY2025. For FY2025 and each subsequent fiscal year, DHS may admit 500 principal aliens. Aliens admitted under this bill shall not count against various annual numerical limits. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on an evaluation of the program by October 1, 2025.

A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide that COPS grant funds may be used for local law enforcement recruits to attend schools or academics if the recruits agree to serve in precincts of law enforcement agencies in their communities.

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2020

This bill authorizes using certain grants to provide training to law enforcement recruits who agree to serve in their communities. Specifically, the Department of Justice (DOJ) may provide such a grant for a local law enforcement agency to provide training for a recruit who agrees to serve as a full-time law enforcement officer (1) for at least four of the eight years after completing the training, and (2) at a local law enforcement agency within a certain distance of the place where the recruit has resided for at least five years. The recruit must repay the costs of the training to the local law enforcement agency if the recruit does not meet these conditions. DOJ shall establish categories of extenuating circumstances that may excuse a recruit from repayment.

Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2020

Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act of 2020 This bill revises the aircraft certification process of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Among other requirements, the FAA must require certain aircraft manufacturers to have in place a safety management system that is consistent with the standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization; initiate a review of its existing regulations and policies to integrate and emphasize human factors and human system integration, particularly those related to pilot and aircraft interfaces; address the integration of human factors in the design and certification of transport category aircraft; develop a Center of Excellence focused on flight automation and human factors in aircraft that are intended for use in air transportation; revise existing policies for manufacturers of large transport category airplanes that are expected to be operated for passenger air transportation to ensure that pilot operational evaluations use pilots from foreign and domestic air carriers; establish an Office of Continuing Education to provide continuing education and training to FAA personnel who hold positions involving aircraft and flight standards certification, including engineers and inspectors; and maintain a safety reporting program for FAA employees to anonymously and voluntarily report instances where they have identified safety concerns during the certification process.

American Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2020

American Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the position of Domestic Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator. The Administrator must carry out activities in the interest of assisting farmers in entering their products into the domestic market; act as a liaison to connect farmers with food banks, schools, grocers, restaurants, and nonprofit organizations to expand domestic market access for organizations that are in need of agricultural products; identify barriers, either regulatory or legal, that prevent or inhibit farmers from entering their products into the domestic market through food distribution networks or other entities; and make recommendations to USDA regarding the means by which to remove such barriers. Additionally, USDA must establish a catalog or data resource that is capable of recording (1) farms that have excess agricultural products, and (2) food distribution organizations that are in need of certain agricultural products.

BUDGET CUTS AND LOST LEARNING: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PUBLIC EDUCATION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 15 June 2020

A resolution designating June 2020 as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month" and June 27, 2020, as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day".

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

This resolution designates June 2020 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2020, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. The resolution supports (1) the education of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about post-traumatic stress; and (2) efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress. The resolution also encourages the leadership of the Armed Forces to support treatment of members of the Armed Forces who suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2020 This bill addresses provisions related to surface transportation research, development, and deployment programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Among other provisions, the bill reauthorizes through FY2025 DOT highway research and development programs, including highway safety, technology and innovation deployment, training and education, and intelligent transportation systems; sets forth a program to provide awards to institutions of higher education or nonprofit research organizations to establish regional road weather research and development centers; reauthorizes through FY2025 the university transportation centers program, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the public transportation research and development program, the National Cooperative Rail Research Program, the hazardous materials research and development program, and the National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program; establishes Centers of Excellence to advance research and development that improves the resilience of regions of the United States to natural disasters, extreme weather, and the effects of climate change on modal and multimodal transportation and infrastructure; directs DOT to carry out and publish the results of a study for the purpose of informing land use and transportation planning for accessible health, food, education, and other essential services and activities; and requires DOT to establish a multimodal national cooperative freight transportation research program, a Heavy Freight Autonomous Trucking Research Initiative, and an Advanced Transportation Research and Innovation Program.

Safe Reopening Tax Credit

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

Safe Reopening Tax Credit This bill allows an eligible employer a payroll tax credit for 30% of qualified virus transmission prevention expenses. The bill defines qualified virus transmission prevention expenses as expenses for reducing or preventing the transmission of communicable viruses, including the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Such expenses include amounts paid for barriers erected to prevent virus spread between customers and employees, contactless point-of-sale systems, enhanced sanitation, ventilation or air filtration, and employee health education. The bill limits the amount of expenses that may be taken into account in computing the credit and the credit's period of applicability to calendar quarters beginning on or after the enactment of this bill and before January 1, 2021.

Child Care is Infrastructure Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

Child Care is Infrastructure Act This bill establishes grants for child care facilities and higher education loan repayment and scholarship programs for child care educators, among other provisions. The Administration for Children and Families must conduct long- and short-term assessments of child care infrastructure, including the effect of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on such facilities. The bill provides grants to (1) states to acquire, construct, or improve child care facilities, and (2) intermediary organizations with demonstrated experience in child care facilities financing to develop or finance child care facilities. The bill further provides for education loan repayments of up to $6,000 per year for up to five years for early childhood educators who agree to work for certain child care providers. Additionally, the bill establishes a program for institutions of higher education to award grants of up to $3,000 per academic year to individuals who are enrolled in early childhood educator programs and agree to serve in a state-licensed early learning program. Finally, the bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2026 supports for campus-based child care for low-income parents enrolled in institutions of higher education, requires the Government Accountability Office to report about the impact of the tax credit for employer-provided child care, and requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider early learning facilities in planning and implementation grants under the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

PIPELINE Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

Pathway for Inclusive Participation of Emerging Leaders and Institutions in the NatSec Enterprise Act of 2020 or the PIPELINE Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Defense to establish a federal scholarship-for-service program to recruit, train, and diversify the next generation of national security professionals to meet the needs of federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Specifically, the program must (1) provide scholarships to students who are enrolled in programs of study related to national security at historically Black colleges and universities or at institutions of higher education with at least 50% of total student enrollment from ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering, (2) provide scholarship recipients with internship opportunities or other temporary appointments in the federal national security workforce, and (3) prioritize the employment placement of scholarship recipients in the federal government. Additionally, the post-award employment obligations of a scholarship recipient must include three years of work in a position related to national security at a federal, state, local, or tribal agency. A scholarship recipient may fulfill this condition by serving in the Armed Forces. Finally, a scholarship recipient who completes less than the required three years of service must repay the scholarship, or the scholarship must be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that is subject to repayment.

Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2020 as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month" and June 27, 2020, as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day".

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020

This resolution supports the designation of National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month and National Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day. The resolution supports (1) the education of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about post-traumatic stress injury; and (2) efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress injury. The resolution also encourages the leadership of the Armed Forces to support treatment of members of the Armed Forces who suffer from post-traumatic stress injury.

Coronavirus Relief Flexibility for Students and Institutions Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Coronavirus Relief Flexibility for Students and Institutions Act This bill allows additional uses for higher education emergency relief funds and requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to apply for such funds. Specifically, the bill permits IHEs to use emergency relief funds to defray expenses, including those related to lost revenue, incurred expenses, technology costs for distance education, faculty and staff training, and payroll. Currently, the use of such funds is limited to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Further, IHEs must apply to the Department of Education to receive such funds.

Senior Corps Distance Volunteering Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Senior Corps Distance Volunteering Act This bill directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to establish an online service platform to connect volunteers in the National Senior Service Corps with service projects, and enable the volunteers to carry out distance volunteering on an online network. The corporation shall provide outreach services to promote the platform, including outreach to institutions of higher education, the Department of Veterans Affairs for mentorship projects, and state and local governments for community engagement projects.

Helping Parents Educate Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Helping Parents Educate Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic This bill expands the types of educational expenses that may be paid from a qualified tuition program (commonly known as a 529 plan) for students enrolled at or attending an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. It also permits payments of certain education expenses for home schooling during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period beginning on March 13, 2020, and ending on the date the emergency period has ended. The bill also permits penalty free distributions from tax-preferred retirement plans for the period after February 29, 2020, and before January 1, 2021, if contributed to a 529 plan.

FLIGHT Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Fostering Leadership and Inclusion by Growing HBCU Training Act of 2020 or the FLIGHT Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to carry out two five-year pilot programs to assess the feasibility and advisability of mechanisms to reduce barriers to participation in the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at certain historically Black colleges and universities and certain other minority institutions of higher education (covered institutions) by creating partnerships between satellite or extension Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps units at such institutions and military installations, and assess the feasibility and advisability of providing financial assistance to members of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and members of the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative at covered institutions for participation in flight training.

SERVICE Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

STEM Education and Recruitment by Valuing Increased Community Engagement Act of 2020 or the SERVICE Act This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to promote interest in careers in STEM disciplines, including to maximize strategic partnerships between institutions of higher education and private sector organizations to build and strengthen communities involved in such disciplines. The term STEM disciplines means disciplines relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including disciplines that are critical to the national security functions of DOD and that are needed in the DOD workforce.

FLIGHT Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Fostering Leadership and Inclusion by Growing HBCU Training Act of 2020 or the FLIGHT Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to carry out five-year pilot programs to assess the feasibility and advisability of mechanisms to reduce barriers to participation in the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at certain historically Black colleges and universities and certain other minority institutions of higher education (covered institutions) by creating partnerships between satellite or extension Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps units at such institutions and military installations, and assess the feasibility and advisability of providing financial assistance to members of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and members of the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative at covered institutions for participation in flight training.

America FIRST Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

America: Foreign Influence Resistance Starts with Transparency Act or the America FIRST Act This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose additional information related to gifts and contracts from foreign sources. Specifically, the bill requires IHEs, nonprofit departments within IHEs, and affiliates of IHEs (e.g., professors and researchers) to disclose in the byline of publications the total value of gifts, contracts, and financial assets received by them from foreign sources. The Department of Education (ED) must determine appropriate enforcement actions for failures to do so, such as imposing a probationary period or limiting eligibility for federal funds. Additionally, IHEs must report to ED a gift or contract from a foreign source that has an annual value of $50,000 or more, considered in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with a foreign source. The fair market value of in-kind gifts is included in such limit. (Currently, a report is due if the annual value is $250,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with a foreign source.) Such reports to ED must also include the content of the contracts.

National NEVER FORGET Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

National Nine-Eleven Victims and Emergency Responders Flag Of Remembrance, Gratitude, and Education for Tomorrow Act or the National NEVER FORGET Act This bill designates the Freedom Flag, designed by Richard Melito, as the symbol of the U.S. commitment to honoring and remembering the victims and emergency responders who died as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and requires that it be displayed each year on Patriot Day, September 11, through the end of September at specified locations.

Reopen Our Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Reopen Our Schools Act This bill generally prohibits a school or educational agency from receiving certain federal funds unless it provides a certification to the Department of Education (ED) related to resuming in-person instruction. Specifically, the bill prohibits an elementary or secondary school, institution of higher education, or local or state educational agency from receiving federal funds for the 2020-2021 school year unless the school or educational agency certifies to ED that it (1) will begin providing in-person instruction by September 8, 2020; and (2) has a detailed plan to protect the health of students and staff. However, ED may waive this requirement. Further, neither a school or educational agency that provides such a certification nor its employees may be held liable for in-person instruction that results in an alleged exposure to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19 or another coronavirus with pandemic potential).

Holding China Accountable Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020

Holding China Accountable Act This bill prohibits certain Chinese nationals from receiving visas, requires higher education institutions to disclose certain foreign gifts, and restricts the use of foreign public accounting firms by foreign issuers of securities. Specified visas may not be issued to Chinese nationals seeking to enter the United States for the purpose of (1) studying science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or a related field; (2) employment in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or a related field; or (3) attending a business meeting, conference, or academic or cultural exchange that includes activities related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or a related field. The bill also lowers the disclosure threshold regarding gifts to higher education institutions from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Additionally, the bill requires certain disclosures from foreign issuers of securities that use, for the required audit report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, a foreign public accounting firm that is not subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. If an issuer uses such a foreign public accounting firm, the issuer is generally prohibited from listing its securities on a national securities exchange.

Maritime Administration Authorization and Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2020

Maritime Administration Authorization and Improvement Act This bill revises provisions related to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps. The bill addresses several aspects of MARAD, including reauthorizing MARAD programs, including programs associated with maintaining the U.S. Merchant Marine; establishing a tanker security fleet of active, commercially viable, militarily useful, privately owned product tank vessels to meet national defense and other security requirements and maintain a United States presence in international commercial shipping; authorizing a grant program to award maritime career training grants to community and technical colleges for the purpose of developing, offering, or improving educational or career training programs for American workers related to the maritime workforce; assessing foreign subsidies to international shipping; and establishing a standing committee of experts to explore and advise on supply chain transportation system vulnerabilities and disruptions and how to minimize them in the event of emergencies and disasters such as the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Additionally, among other provisions, the bill sets forth new requirements for the corps concerning commissioned grades and operational strength numbers, obligated service requirements, training and physical fitness, education loan assistance, recruitment, hiring and promotions, separation and retirement, and other workforce issues.

Computer and Internet Access Equity Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2020

Computer and Internet Access Equity Act This bill increases broadband service support for low-income consumers, establishes a grant program to provide internet safety education or training, and provides a tax credit for certain computer and education costs. Specifically, the bill modifies the broadband service support program known as Lifeline, which assists low-income consumers with access to telecommunications and broadband services, to (1) give up to $83.33 per month to a provider of Lifeline services for each low-income consumer to whom the provider supplies such services, (2) allow consumers with household incomes that are at or below 435% (rather than 135%) of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to qualify for participation in the program, and (3) allow a broadband service provider to receive Lifeline support for providing such service to a low-income consumer without being designated an eligible telecommunications carrier. The bill also requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a grant program to develop and implement internet safety education or training programs for low-income individuals. Further, the bill provides a tax credit, not to exceed $2,000 in a taxable year or $10,000 in a lifetime, for amounts paid or incurred for technology such as computers and printers and for education on how to use such technology. The Department of the Treasury must establish a program for making advance payments of this credit.

SECURE CAMPUS Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2020

Safeguarding Educational Institutions, Colleges, Universities, and Research Entities from China's Attempts to Misappropriate Property of the United States Act of 2020 or the SECURE CAMPUS Act of 2020 This bill prohibits certain Chinese citizens from receiving visas to participate in graduate or post-graduate studies in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and contains other related provisions. This prohibition applies to F (academic student) and J (exchange visitor) visas and does not apply to citizens or permanent residents of Taiwan or Hong Kong. (China considers Taiwan a Chinese province. Hong Kong is a special administrative region within China, and most of its permanent inhabitants are Chinese citizens.) The Department of State may waive this prohibition on a case-by-case basis for national security purposes or if the applicant is a member of a religious or ethnic group that is systematically oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party. A recipient of a federal STEM research grant must certify that the recipient (1) is not a Chinese citizen or a participant in a Chinese government foreign researcher recruitment program (a program that compensates individuals to conduct STEM-related research and development), and (2) will not knowingly use grant funds to employ such an individual. Entities that receive certain federal research or education assistance shall not knowingly employ any individual participating in a Chinese government foreign researcher recruitment program. An individual who recruits or performs research for such a program must register as an agent of a foreign principal.

A bill to protect the entitlement of individuals to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance who discontinue pursuit of a program of education during the national emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2020

This bill preserves the entitlement to education benefits under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for veterans who discontinue their program of education during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Specifically, the bill prohibits an educational assistance payment from being (1) charged against an individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or (2) counted against the aggregate period of such assistance (in most cases 48 months). An educational assistance payment is a payment to an individual for the pursuit of a course, if the individual discontinued the course due to COVID-19 and either failed to receive credit or lost training time toward completion of the program of education. Further, the bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue paying subsistence allowances (monthly housing stipends) for a specified amount of time following the discontinuation of courses. It also preserves the entitlement to tutorial assistance and assistance for relocation or travel.

Transparency for Confucius Institutes

United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020

Transparency for Confucius Institutes This bill requires an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs to enter into a program participation agreement if a Confucius Institute operates on the IHE's campus. (Confucius Institutes are Chinese government-funded centers for language education and cultural programming at IHEs.) The agreement must be entered into with the Office of Chinese Language Council International (i.e., Confucius Institute Headquarters, Hanban) and be made publicly available online. Among other requirements, the Confucius Institute must be physically located apart from the IHE's own Chinese language, history, and cultural programs.

Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020 This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program under which the VA must provide up to 12 months of nontransferable retraining assistance to up to 35,000 eligible veterans for the pursuit of a specified program of education. Under the bill, an eligible veteran is an individual who, among other requirements, is unemployed due to COVID-19. Veterans who receive retraining assistance may only use such assistance to pursue specified programs, including those designed to provide training for high-demand occupations. The Government Accountability Office must report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the retraining assistance program. The bill provides access to the National Directory of New Hires to the VA and the Department of Labor for the purpose of tracking the employment of veterans. The bill makes updates to the VA's High Technology Pilot Program, including by expanding the class of providers of high technology education programs. The bill reauthorizes and expands the program for the provision of off-base transition training for veterans and their spouses, including by requiring a preference for participation by states with economies significantly impacted by COVID-19. Finally, the bill implements a five-year grant program requiring the VA to make grants to organizations for the provision of transition assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.

Great American Outdoors Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

Great American Outdoors Act This bill establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year. The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies. Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.

Military Spouse Career Education Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

Military Spouse Career Education Act This bill (1) includes as qualified relicensing costs fees and continuing education courses, and (2) allows the reimbursement of a member of the uniformed services for the qualified relicensing costs of a spouse when such costs are imposed to maintain a license or certification to engage in the same profession that the spouse engaged in while in the state of the original duty station, and are imposed by the state of the new duty station to maintain a license or certification to engage in the same profession. The Department of Defense shall modify its My Career Advancement Account program to ensure that military spouses participating in the program may receive financial assistance for the maintenance (including continuing education courses) of a license, certification, or Associate's degree in any career field or occupation.

Economic and Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

Economic and Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2020 This bill extends the suspension of payments on student loans held by the Department of Education (ED). It also generally allows for an exclusion from taxable income of employer payments of student loans. Specifically, the bill requires ED to suspend all payments due on Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans held by ED through December 31, 2020. (Currently, this suspension period ends on September 30, 2020). Normal payment obligations and interest accrual resume at the end of this period. Additionally, ED must carry out a program, beginning on November 1, 2020, to provide at least six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume. (Currently, this program begins on August 1, 2020.) The bill also generally provides a permanent exclusion from employee income, for income tax purposes, of employer payments of student loans. (Currently, this exclusion from income is only for payments of student loans made before January 1, 2021.)

AI Scholarship-for-Service Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

AI Scholarship-for-Service Act This bill establishes a federal artificial intelligence (AI) scholarship-for-service program to recruit and train AI professionals to lead and support AI in federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Specifically, the National Science Foundation must establish criteria to designate qualified institutions of higher education (IHEs) as eligible to participate in the program. Such criteria must include (1) measures of an IHE's demonstrated excellence in the education of students in AI; and (2) measures of an IHE's ability to attract and retain a diverse and nontraditional student population in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Further, the program must (1) provide scholarships through qualified IHEs to students who are enrolled in programs of study related to AI, (2) provide scholarship recipients with internship opportunities, (3) prioritize the employment placement of scholarship recipients in executive agencies, (4) identify opportunities to promote multidisciplinary programs of study that integrate basic or advanced AI training with other fields of study, and (5) support education research programs to train AI researchers and practitioners. Additionally, the post-award employment obligations of a scholarship recipient must include three years of work for an executive agency; Congress; an interstate agency; a state, local, or tribal government; or a government-affiliated nonprofit that is considered to be critical infrastructure. A scholarship recipient who completes less than the required three years of service must repay the scholarship, or the scholarship must be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that is subject to repayment.

Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020

Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020 This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program under which the VA must provide up to 12 months of nontransferable retraining assistance to up to 35,000 eligible veterans for the pursuit of a specified program of education. Under the bill, an eligible veteran is an individual who, among other requirements, is unemployed due to COVID-19. Veterans who receive retraining assistance may only use such assistance to pursue specified programs, including those designed to provide training for high-demand occupations. The Government Accountability Office must report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the retraining assistance program. The bill provides access to the National Directory of New Hires to the VA and the Department of Labor for the purpose of tracking the employment of veterans. The bill makes updates to the VA's High Technology Pilot Program, including by expanding the class of providers of high technology education programs. The bill reauthorizes and expands the program for the provision of off-base transition training for veterans and their spouses, including by requiring a preference for participation by states with economies significantly impacted by COVID-19. Finally, the bill implements a five-year grant program requiring the VA to make grants to organizations for the provision of transition assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.