June 23, 2021 House Ways and Means Committee Unveils Trade Adjustment Assistance LegislationLate last week, House Ways and Means Committee Democrats introduced the TAA Modernization Act of 2021. The measure would reauthorize and fund Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs to support workers impacted by international competition. Notably, the measure includes $9.1 billion over seven years in new funding for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program, which was first authorized by Congress in 2010. TAACCCT grants aimed to increase the capacity of community colleges to provide employer-aligned education and training programs. Full text of the TAA Modernization Act of 2021 can be found here, as well as a section-by-section and fact sheet prepared by the committee. House Education and Labor Committee Holds Department of Education HearingOn Thursday, June 24th at 10:15 AM ET, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Education.” Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona will serve as a hearing witness. To access a webcast of the hearing, click here. Application Deadline for Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) Awards ApproachingThe Department of Education (ED) is inviting applications for new awards for FY 2021 for the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). The purpose of SIP is to provide grants to eligible colleges to help expand their capacity to serve low-income students. ED is prioritizing applications that outline projects aimed at expanding tutoring, counseling, and student service programs, as well as projects designed to provide work-based learning experiences to students that align with in-demand sectors. The deadline for submitting applications is July 13, 2021. For a full description of the funding opportunity and detailed application information, click here. House Appropriators Announce Fiscal Year 2022 Markup ScheduleChairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) announced the House Committee on Appropriations will begin marking up funding bills for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 discretionary budget this week. Subcommittee and full Committee markups for the 12 annual appropriations bills are scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 24 and conclude on Friday, July 16. Notably, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) subcommittee is scheduled to markup its bill on July 12th, with the full committee marking up the LHHS bill - which funds the Departments of Education and Labor - on July 15th. ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Spread the word. Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) E-Alert network. To join, simply e-mail publicpolicy@acct.org with 'LAW Alert' in the subject of the e-mail. For more community college news from inside the beltway, follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/CCTrustees) or like us Facebook (facebook.com/CCTrustees). Have questions? Contact us with any questions or concerns about public policy and ACCT's advocacy on behalf of two-year colleges and two-year college trustees. ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts are sent to interested ACCT members to keep you up to date on important legislative activities that impact community colleges. If you no longer wish to receive ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. |