Department of Education Drops DEI Appeal, Senate and House Agree on a 4 Bill Minibus, ICYMI: Community College Priorities (Green Sheet) is Now Available
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January 22, 2026
Leading the News this Week
With the looming government funding deadline of January 30th, the House and Senate appropriations committees have agreed on the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Read on to the next section for additional information.
News in Higher Education
Department of Education Drops DEI Appeal
Yesterday, the Department of Education dropped its appeal of an August 14th court ruling that found the Department acted unlawfully when it issued a Dear Colleague Letter on February 14, 2025, stating that institutions participating in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and programming would lose access to federal funding. With this development, the August 14th ruling, which specifically made the letter null and void, the Dear Colleague Letter still stands.
Senate and House Agree on a 4 Bill Minibus
With the January 30th government funding deadline quickly approaching, lawmakers have been steadily voting in their chambers on the remaining appropriations bills. Within the final set of four appropriations bills bundled together in what is called a minibus, lies the agreed-upon Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. In this negotiated piece of legislation, both Senate and House appropriators have agreed to direct $78.79 billion and $13.46 billion in discretionary funding to the Departments of Education and Labor, respectively.
Overall, the final LHHS mirrors the original Senate proposal in that most programs are level-funded. While this is a victory as a result of strong advocacy from community college and other higher education advocates, it must be noted that the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) is set to face a $10 million reduction, double the amount both the House and Senate originally proposed. This cut would be in addition to the $10 million decrease SIP saw in FY 24. As such, one of ACCT's legislative priorities for FY27 is to advocate for SIP funding that matches FY24 levels. Please take a look at our ACCT Now blog for a deeper dive on the LHHS bill.
With the Senate in recess this week and the House scheduled to be in recess next week, it remains to be seen if this minibus will be passed and signed into law before the January 30th deadline.
ICYMI: Community College Priorities (Green Sheet) is Now Available
Today, ACCT's Government Relations Team was joined by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in an hour-long webinar unveiling the 2026 Community College Legislative Priorities, also known as the Green Sheet. Please take a look at our NLS Resource Page, where you can find the Green Sheet, a recording of the webinar, and the slide deck. Finally, reach out to the ACCT government relations team at publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.
Webinar: Preparing for Workforce Pell: Overview of Draft Regulations
Join the ACCT Public Policy team and Jobs for the Future on January 29 at 1: 00 PM ET for a presentation and discussion on the draft rules from the U.S. Department of Education to regulate the Workforce Pell program. Approved by consensus by the negotiated rule-making committee, these rules will govern the program when it begins on July 1, 2026. Register here.
Preparing for NLS
With the Community College National Legislative Summit (NLS) happening from February 8 to 11, now is the time to start thinking about how to best prepare. To assist you in this process, visit ACCT's website, where you can find resources that include a timeline of steps to take each month leading up to NLS, a short video guide on how to set up a meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, and a federal funds worksheet that assists with narrowing down the key data points to collect for your Hill meetings.
Outreach Efforts
Is your institution meeting or hosting an event with federal elected officials?
We created a Congressional Contact Form that will help us track outreach efforts of community college leaders across our membership. By filling out the form, you are better informing ACCT's advocacy efforts and our advocacy team is able to continue those conversations with congressional staff in DC.
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. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW:
Bipartisan Education and Labor Spending Bill Protects Nearly All Critical Community College Programs for FY26
Transatlantic Exchange Expands as U.S. and U.K. Students Drive Sustainability and Workforce Innovation
Two Futures, One Campus: How Supporting Student Parents and Their Children Creates Lasting Change
Would you Like a Federal Update Session for Your Team?
Both this new presidential administration and new Congress have brought with them a flurry of developments in the federal landscape that can make keeping up a monumental task. ACCT's Government Relations team is here to help by offering a 45-minute to an-hour federal update session to community college leadership teams who are ACCT members. To request a session, fill out this form and please email publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.
Have a Question?
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. For more information about ACCT's advocacy services, visit acct.org/advocacy
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) Alert network. To join, simply register here.
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