The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is Officially Law, Office of Civil Rights Dismissed a High Volume of Complaints
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July 7, 2025
Leading the News this Week
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is now law. ACCT wishes to thank you for the work you have put into reaching out to your elected officials, sharing relevant data and stories with them, and asking others to do the same. This work has moved the needle in a direction where community colleges have been able to avoid the enactment of adverse higher education proposals, as seen in the earlier forms of the reconciliation bill.
Any questions on this matter should be directed to publicpolicy@acct.org.
News in Higher Education
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is Officially Law
On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law. While this megabill has been the subject of controversy due to its provisions in the healthcare and food security space, this law does accomplish a few items on ACCT and AACC's Community College Federal Legislative Priorities, also known as the Greensheet. The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" addresses the Pell shortfall by adding funds to the Pell Grant program. This act also codifies Workforce Pell into law, which allows eligible students to become Pell Grant recipients when enrolling in accredited workforce-focused programs that are between 8 and 15 weeks long.
Please take a look at ACCT's statement on the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" as well as our fact sheet, which provides additional details on this law.
To stay informed on this and other federal developments, check out ACCT’s Advocacy page and sign up for our Latest Action in Washington updates at ACCT Now.
Office of Civil Rights Dismissed High Volume of Complaints
Between March 11th and June 27th, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) dismissed over 3,000 complaints. Critics claim that to achieve this massive quantity of dismissals, it is highly unlikely that the agency is following proper procedure for case dismissal. OCR stated that it has partnered with the Department of Justice to review the high volumes of Title IX complaints. All this comes in the wake of March's reduction in force (RIF), which closed seven of the twelve OCR's regional offices. Meanwhile, a Massachusetts judge ordered that employees terminated as a result of OCR's RIF be reinstated, stating that the mass layoffs had left OCR with the ability to only address a fraction of complaints.
Grant Opportunities
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program
The Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) has opened several grants in which grantees, such as institutions of higher education, are to award at least 65 percent of project funds as scholarships to students enrolled in the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training (RLTT) program. The closing date for these opportunities is July 17, 2025. Click here for more information.
- July 11, 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- July 17: Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program Closing Date
- Aug 1, 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- Sep 5, 01:00 PM ET - LAW Live Webinar
- October 22 - 25 - ACCT Leadership Congress
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:
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.
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Spread the Word.
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