This was another busy week in Washington for CTE-related measures, as both chambers of Congress introduced companion resolutions celebrating February as CTE Month. You can read more about the resolutions in the summaries below! Only the Senate will be in town for votes the week of February 14, and focus is likely to shift to the expiration of government funding The House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding until March 11, which is now awaiting a Senate vote. In the meantime, here are more headlines from Washington:
- Congressional CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Lead CTE Month Resolutions: On February 9, Congressional CTE Caucus co-chairs Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), along with Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Todd Young (R-IN), introduced resolutions to celebrate February 2022 as CTE Month in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. The resolutions highlight the impact of CTE programs on learners at all levels, as well as the role of CTE in supporting industries seeking to fill positions in high-demand, high-skill, and high-wage jobs and career fields.
- Advance CTE and ACTE Release Ninth Annual State Policy Review: On February 10, Advance CTE and ACTE released the ninth annual State Policies Impacting CTE: Year in Review report and 2021 State Policy Tracker, examining 2021 state legislation, executive orders and budget provisions that significantly impact CTE and career readiness. This year’s report provides an analysis that spans across 41 states that enacted 138 policies relevant to CTE. You can read the full report at the link above.
- Department of Education Announces Updates to College Scorecard: The Department of Education has released updates to the College Scorecard that make the tool more useful for students and families weighing college options. The tool also includes new and updated information that may be beneficial to school counselors, college access providers, researchers, and other critical stakeholders.
- Senate HELP Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Health Care Workforce: On February 10, the Senate HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety held a hearing titled, “Recruiting, Revitalizing & Diversifying: Examining the Health Care Workforce Shortage.” During the hearing, Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Mike Braun (R-IN) highlighted the need for health care professionals to be able to reskill and upskill as the health care industry faces workforce shortages.
- House Passes CR: On February 8, the House passed a stopgap appropriations bill to extend government funding through March 11. The Senate is expected to consider the measure during the week of February 14 so that it can be signed into law before the current CR expires on February 18. Congress is hoping to be able to finally complete work on FY 2022 appropriations bills by the new March 11 deadline, and House and Senate Appropriations Committees leaders have announced an agreement on overall spending levels that will allow for final negotiations on those bills.
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