With the House and Senate both out of session this week, it was a light week for CTE-related policy. However, Congress is gearing up for a busy remainder of the month. They will be marking up subcommittee funding bills, and potentially considering the bipartisan infrastructure package that was recently negotiated before leaving for the traditional August recess. As we wait for Congress’ return to Washington, here is a recap of the most important news of the week.
- Department of Education Distributes American Rescue Plan Funds: On July 7, the Department of Education approved seven states’ ARP-ESSER state plans, and disbursed remaining ARP-ESSER funds to those states. The plans detail how states are using their ARP-ESSER funding to safely reopen schools and expand opportunities for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) Introduces Opening Doors for Youth Act: House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the Opening Doors for Youth Act (ODYA), legislation that will help support youth facing challenges as a result of losing connections to school and work. In 2020, researchers estimated that 6 million young people ages 16-24 were disconnected from one or both of their school and work environments. The bill will help provide summer employment, work experiences and work-readiness skills. Chairman Scott hopes to include the legislation in the upcoming reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
- House Appropriations Committee Releases Text of Labor-HHS-Education Bill: On July 11, the House Appropriations Committee released draft text of the Fiscal Year 2022 Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee funding bill. In total, CTE State Grants received a $50 million increase over the Fiscal Year 2021 enacted level, and $30 million over President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for a total of $1.38 billion. Adult Education State Grants received an increase of $50 million over the Fiscal Year 2021 enacted level and $25 million above President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for a total of $738.7 million.
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) Authors Piece on Skills and Higher Education: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, released an op-ed about the benefits of skills-based education, and noted that four-year degrees are not sufficient enough to sustain the economy; talented, hardworking people are needed in a wide variety of positions, including health care, information technology and construction.
- New CDC Mask Guidelines for Schools Released: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated guidelines on mask-wearing for students and teachers. Unvaccinated students and teachers should continue to wear masks and maintain three feet of distance in schools, while fully vaccinated students and teachers can go without masks in school buildings.
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