20 States Sue the Department of Education, The Clock is Ticking, and There is Little Progress on Appropriations, Negotiated Rulemaking Materials Available, LAW is Going Live
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December 4, 2025
Leading the News this Week
Democratic attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia, as well as school districts and other entities, are legally challenging the Department of Education for transferring a number of its functions to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Interior, and State via a total of seven interagency agreements.
News in Higher Education
The Clock is Ticking, and There is Little Progress on Appropriations
Congress still needs to pass nine remaining appropriations bills, which include the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill. Both the LHHS bill and the Defense appropriations bill are the two biggest funding bills, which House Republican appropriators do not plan to make progress on this month. The Senate, on the other hand, aims to put these on the Senate floor for debate. However, it is not yet clear if they will have enough votes to finish the work in the next two weeks before their end-of-year recess begins.
Members of Congress have until January 30, 2026, to pass one or more funding packages to fully fund the government; otherwise, the government will reenter a shutdown.
Negotiated Rulemaking Materials Available
The U.S. Department of Education has released the proposed regulatory text for Workforce Pell, along with the agenda and negotiators' list for next week's session. See the materials section under the "AHEAD" Committee to read the documents in advance.
LAW is Going Live TOMORROW
Please join ACCT's Government Relations Team tomorrow, on December 5th at 1:00 PM ET as we dive into the new shape of the Department of Education and what it means for community colleges as well as updates from the Congress. Click here to register.
Join Us in Advocacy
As a reminder, in this appropriations cycle, ACCT is advocating for members of Congress to fund programs such as Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) and the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). These programs provide much-needed support for students and institutions.
To move forward with our advocacy and communicate with lawmakers the importance of CCAMPIS and SIP, we need your help! We urge you to please share with us how your campuses have benefited from CCAMPIS and SIP at publicpolicy@acct.org.
Also, we call upon you to participate in our Action Campaign and let your member of Congress know the devastating effects should CCAMPIS and SIP no longer exist.
- December 5, 01:00 PM ET: LAW Live Webinar
- December 16: Preparing for Workforce Pell: Workforce Alignment
- January 13: Preparing for Workforce Pell: Student Outreach
- February 8-11, 2026: National Legislative Summit
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.
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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