The Legislative Issues Committee continues to track legislation of relevance to judicial affairs specifically and student affairs in general. We are using this page as a resource for ASCA members who are seeking to be informed or are looking for additional resources.
Please check back often! New updates will be available on this page starting March 1, 2012.
Click Here to visit the Legislative Database (Please note this web page will remain under construction until March 1, 2012).
For any additional questions, feel free to contact the ASCA Legislative Issues Chair:
Brian Glick
Assistant Director, Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct
Northern Illinois University
815-753-9288
Interested in tracking legislation from your state?
Here is the latest spreadsheet that you can download to track Federal and State Legislation:
*Please remember to follow your institution's protocols when offering any feedback on legislation.
CAMPUS SAVE ACT INFORMATION- CHECK IN HERE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE CAMPUS SAVE ACT
12/07/2011- On November 30, 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy from Vermont introduced Senate Bill 1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011. Many provisions of the Campus SaVE Act (S. 834 and HR 2016) are included in Section 304 of this bill introduced by Senator Leahy. Section 304 contains information specifically related to the institutions of Higher Education who participate in Title IV funding from the U.S. Department of Education about what institutions must do to comply with this law if and when passed. The link just below this paragraph contains the text of Section 304 of Senate Bill 1925. The Legislative Issues Advisory Committee will update this link and website as additional information becomes available. As of December 7, 2011, the legislation was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
06/15/2011- Representative Carolyn Maloney (NY) introduced HR 2016 on May 26, 2011. This is the House version of the Campus SaVE Act. It is currently sitting in committee in the House. It appears to be tied to the Senate version of the bill, S. 834.
Here is the press release on the newly introduced DREAM Act legislation in the 112th Congress:
Dream Act Press Release
04/18/2011-The link to the PDF file contains the concerns expressed by the membership of ASCA to the Board of Directors and also to the Consortium for Governmental Relations in Student Affairs.
The Campus SaVE Act has been reintroduced in the 112th Congress. The text of the reintroduced legislation is not currently available, but once it is, it will be published here on our website.
02/15/2011- ASCA President Daniel Swinton has asked for comments and thoughts on the pros and cons of the Campus SaVE Act, HR 6461 from the 111th Congress. You can read the text of the bill by clicking on
this link and downloading the file. Please send any thoughts or comments to the Legislative Advisory Committee by e-mailing Brian Glick, at bglick@niu.edu Here is budget information from Carol Holladay:
Higher Ed Budget Fact Sheet Obama Administration Budget Information
Additional Legislative Issues
06/03/2011- This link provides information to The Chronicle of Higher Education, which discusses recently failed conceal-carry legislation in Louisiana and Texas.
Chronicle Blog
02/11/2011- Download and read the information published in the Federal Register about the Health Care Law passed by Congress last year. This document also outlines how comments can be made to Congress. Remember to follow your institution's protocols when offering feedback on legislation. Health Care Law Information from the Federal Register February Washington Information
02/11/2011- Download the latest information on Washington D.C. from Carol Holladay in this document:
01/13/2011- Many thanks to Chris Schmidt for bring this article about open carry gun laws at the University of Utah. University of Utah News
11/18/2010- This is information from Carol Holladay about the DREAM Act. FYI – the movement with the CA courts on the issue really supported this being moved as a stand alone and Reid’s close win as a result of the supporters of this movement.Harry Reid announced Wednesday on Twitter what immigration reform advocates have been waiting to hear: The Nevada Democrat will bring the DREAM Act to the floor in the coming weeks.“I will move the DREAM Act as a standalone bill in the lame duck. It’s good for the economy & Pentagon says good for natl security,” Reid wrote.Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and President Barack Obama have also thrown their support behind the bill, which would give children who are illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they go to college or join the military.
1/16/2010- See information below posted yesterday on Politico regarding Lame Duck schedule and issues to be addressed:DREAM ActReid and Pelosi have vowed to push for a lame-duck vote on the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow some undocumented young people who came to the United States as children to gain legal status for attending college or serving in the military.In the House, the vote could come as early as this week, Democrat sources told Politico. Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) were reportedly tasked by Pelosi with determining whether the caucus would be able to pass the bill.If the act does not pass in the lame-duck session, it has very little chance of passage before 2013. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who is expected to head the House subcommittee on immigration, refers to the DREAM Act as “amnesty” and promised he would use his authority in the GOP-led House to block the act. GOP gains in the Senate also lessen the likelihood of passing the bill next session.Reid recently said he would need support from “a handful of Republicans” to pass the bill during the lame duck, echoing estimates by bill sponsor Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that at least five Republicans would need to support the bill for it to pass. A spokesman for Reid confirmed last week that he plans to bring up the DREAM Act for a vote during the lame-duck session, although it is still unclear whether it would be as a standalone measure or as an attachment to another bill.The problem is that Reid doesn’t have much time — or sure support for the DREAM Act from his caucus. The act last came up for a vote in 2007, and seven of the eight Democrats who voted against it then are still in the Senate. While a few might support the bill this time around, five told The Hill in September they are still undecided on the DREAM Act.Complicating matters, Mark Kirk’s assumption of Roland Burris’ seat in the Senate turns a sure “yes” vote into a likely “no.” Kirk has been lobbied heavily by DREAM Act supporters, but said before the election that he would vote against the act unless border security measures were pushed first. “It’s not time for the DREAM Act right now,” he told reporters in October. “If the DREAM Act came up for a vote right now, I would vote ‘no.’”All current Republican senators voted in September to filibuster the defense authorization bill after Reid announced plans to attach the DREAM Act. But given the additional controversy over that bill — it included a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and would have allowed for only limited changes from Republicans — it’s tough to extrapolate much from it about how senators would vote on the DREAM Act as a standalone bill.Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) said he would support the bill if it were brought to the floor on its own, even though he opposed it as part of the defense authorization bill. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who co-sponsored the bill, would also almost certainly vote for it if it comes up in the lame-duck session.Several other Republicans voted for the DREAM Act in 2007, but their support this year remains uncertain because of rightward shifts on immigration policy and the possibility of the bill again being attached to other legislation. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was an original sponsor of the bill when it was first introduced in 2001 and voted for it in 2007. This year, he said the government should secure the borders before it focuses on the DREAM Act.Carol G HolladayHurt, Norton & Associates503 Capitol Court, NE Suite 200Washington, DC 20002ph: 202.543.9398fax: 202.543.7844 11/11/2010- Here are the slides that Carol Holladay provided as a follow up to the conference call from last week. Election Slides
11/05/2010- Here is the summary of information provided by Carol Holladay in the Consortium conference call today. Conference Call Notes In a surprise vote last night – the Senate approved a $600 million emergency spending bill to beef up the country’s borders. This bill was thought to be dead to hold it to work on a larger, broader immigration reform policy. With this piece of the puzzle being passed, it could be possible that the issue of immigration will be addressed in multiple smaller bills which could prove beneficial in the movement of the DREAM Act in the fall Congressional session. It is possible that when the House returns in a rare recess session to vote on the Education Jobs and Medicaid bill they will also take up this immigration bill.Recess
Currently Tracked Legislation The Senate voted in favor of sending Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court last night with a vote of 63-37. She will be the fourth woman to sit on the US Supreme Court. Five Republicans — Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Olympia Snowe (Maine), Dick Lugar (Ind.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) — voted for her nomination, while Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) broke with his Democratic colleagues to vote “no.”More on Immigration
09/15/2010- Please click here for a spreadsheet of the currently tracked legislation being followed for ASCA by this committee.
Supreme Court Nominee
08/09/2010- Here is some updated information from Carol Holladay, about the latest happenings in Washington, D.C.
04/13/2010-From Carol Holladay-
In an effort to stave off massive school layoffs, Democratic leaders are proposing $23 billion in emergency aid to the nation’s school districts and public colleges.
Tom Harkin , D-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced legislation Wednesday to create a special fund that would counter state budget deficits and the winding down of the federal stimulus package. His bill matches the education provisions of a much broader House jobs bill that has not yet passed.
“This bill will prevent layoffs, create jobs and keep our kids learning all while growing our economy,” the Iowa Democrat said.
The proposal drew strong support from Education Secretary Arne Duncan , who urged quick congressional action because state officials are now drawing up their budgets for next year.
“What we’re trying to do here is avert an education catastrophe,” Duncan said. “This is not something you can do in October. We are projecting between 100,000 and 300,000 layoffs [if nothing is done]. . . . Ideally this needs to be passed in May or June. It’s not too late [for a bill], but there is a short window of opportunity.”
Harkin said in an interview that funding for education jobs was being split off from broader jobs bills because of its urgency. He said that Senate Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., had agreed to bring the bill to the floor, but couldn’t be specific about the timetable. It was unclear where efforts stood in the House.
The stimulus law provided a one-time appropriation of $56.3 billion to local and state governments that has funded more than 300,000 education jobs, including teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors.
Even with that support, however, many school districts and institutions of higher education have laid off workers, Harkin said, and the job outlook is worse for the 2010-2011 school year.
Harkin admitted that if the new funding is approved by Congress, it “won’t keep every educator on the job this fall, but it will go a long way to preventing the worst of the layoffs.”
Carol G Holladay
Hurt, Norton & Associates
503 Capitol Court, NE Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
03/31/2010- From Carol Holladay-
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is asking the vice president's wife to convene a White House summit on community colleges.
White House officials said Tuesday that Jill Biden's office would release details about the summit in coming weeks.
Biden, who teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College, just outside Washington, is set to introduce Obama when he signs into law a measure increasing Washington's role in student loans.
Biden earned a doctorate at the University of Delaware in 2007 as has been an educator for 29 years.
03/26/2010- The following is from Brett Sokolow, regarding two (2) bills passed by the Georgia Senate on March 24, 2010 regarding the carrying of concealed weapons on state university property. Senate passes two bills to expand where permit-holders can take their guns_http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/6831887/article-Senate-passes-two-bills-to-expand-where-permit-holders-can-take-their-guns?instance=home_news_lead_
03/26/2010- The following is from Carol Holladay, about changes to the Health Care bill signed into law on Monday. This is from her e-mail to our association, dated March 25, 2010:
The Senate passed the Reconciliation bill this afternoon with three Democrat Senators voting against it. It now goes to the House again for final passage which is expected to be about 9:30 pm tonight.
The two provisions changed in the student aid section were two technical provisions on the actual formula for Pell increases – since it was not to go into effect for 2 years – Senators noted they had time to work the fix into another bill. So there are not structural changes to the packages for aid through these adjustments to the bill.
Carol G Holladay
Hurt, Norton & Associates
503 Capitol Court, NE Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
03/25/2010- The following is from Carol Holladay, about changes to the Health Care bill signed into law on Monday. This deals specifically with the student aid provisions of the bill.
"As I have said many times before – as for the updates – hang on because it could change in 24 hours. Well it did! Will send more details later as we hear them but an update for right now -
As I shared a weekly update of the reconciliation bill going through Congress that impacts health care and student aid – there were unexpected changes about 3 am…hopefully most of you were asleep but am sure you have heard about it this morning…here is the latest detail from congressional staff and Congressional Quarterly reports –
“Democratic staff said early Thursday morning that a couple minor changes dealing with Pell Grants will have to be made to the measure. Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters the changes are related to “hold harmless” provisions associated with Pell grants as well as changes to strike obsolete language. Republicans consulting with the Senate parliamentarian had identified those provisions as violating congressional budget rules for inclusion in a reconciliation measure — which means they can be struck by Byrd rule points of order. The Senate will resume consideration of amendments when the chamber reconvenes at 9:45 a.m., and Democratic leaders said they expect final votes on amendments and consideration of points of order will be completed around 2 p.m. Manley said of the soon-to-be-modified measure: “I’m confident it can be addressed quickly in the House.” The bill is intended to modify the comprehensive health care overhaul that President Obama signed into law Tuesday (PL 111-148).
CQ Today Story
By “hold harmless” they mean the provision that prohibits a drop in the maximum Pell award in the outyears if appropriations for the maximum Pell grant do not stay at the required level."
Carol G Holladay
Hurt, Norton & Associates
503 Capitol Court, NE Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
This Week In Washington 03/24/2010
03/24/2010- This link will take you to an updated This Week In Washington. It was released by Carol Holladay on March 24, 2010.
03/24/2010- The following link will take you to a document prepared by Carol Holladay, from Hurt, Norton & Associates (The Consortium for Governmental Relations in Student Affairs) This document is from March 23, 2010. March 23, 2010 This Week In Washington
3/17/09:
Negotiated Rulemaking for the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. Negotiated Rulemkaing was finalized shortly after the conference. There is no student affairs representation on either the general panel or the single issue negotiators. The negotiations began at the beginning of March. We will still have the opportunity to comment on the draft regs so we will still have input. You can find the list of the Negotiators on this page--including the single issue ones: http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/gen-program.html
For review:
H.Res 167: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting the goals and ideals of Campus Fire Safety Month, and for other purposes.
S.Res. 40: A resolution designating September 2009 as "Campus Fire Safety Month".
H.R. 748, a bill "To establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety"; otherwise known as "The Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act of 2009" (or the "CAMPUS Safety Act of 2009")
8/14/08
H.R.3746 !!!
Title: To amend and extend the
Higher Education Act of 1965.
Sponsor: Rep McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [CA-25] (introduced 10/4/2007)
Cosponsors (8)
Note: For further action, see
H.R.4137, which became Public Law 110-315 on 8/14/2008.
5/2/08 - The latest news on HEA:
The Senate has passed a measure to extend the Higher Ed Act to May 31st, since they have not completed conference work. The House has not yet passed an extension, despite expiration on May 1st. It is believed that an extension will be passed and that work will continue until the Memorial Day recess.
for a summary of the document. Please see Thomas for the full text.
10/4/07
Reauthorization Update: HR 3746, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2007, introduced in the House on 10/4/07, has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
6/18/07
Reauthorization update: The Senate higher ed subcommittee will be marking up their version of the HEA Reauth this Wednesday (6/20/07). It was postponed from last week due to Sen. Enzi's return to Wyoming for the funeral of fellow Senator Craig Thomas who passed away earlier this month.
*See below under the Resource section for answers to FERPA questions submitted to Lee Rooker, Director, FPCO.
5/10/07
Reauthorization - it looks as though mark up in the Senate will be pushed back, probably until June. Other bills (including those new ones listed below) may be included in it. More details to follow.
House Education and Labor Committee (previously rescheduled) now: Hearing on "Best Practices for Making College Campuses Safe," scheduled at 10:00 a.m. on 5/15/07 in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B. Witnesses to be announced. Full Committee
*See 2 new "Legislation to Watch" below.
4/30/07
Spellings seeks public input on student safety
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has announced plans to expand the discussion on school/student safety via a new Web site designed to register public comments on the issue.
As part of a multiparty effort with Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to develop recommendations for President Bush on tragedy prevention strategies for schools, Spellings met with state and local leaders, educators, mental health experts, parents, students, and local law enforcement officials in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday. The Department of Education has noted that Secretary Spellings plans to incorporate public suggestions on school safety into a report for the White House next month.
"Nothing is more important to American parents than the safety of their children," said Spellings. "Together, we can strengthen our best practices, raise awareness of warning signs and help prevent tragedies."
To submit comments, email the department at safeschools@ed.gov or visit: www.ed.gov/admins/lead/
**Thursday, April 26, 2007**
Full Committee
Hearing on "Best Practices for Making College Campuses Safe," scheduled at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses to be announced.
This hearing has been postponed until further notice.
*Hearings are scheduled for 4/23, 4/24 and 4/26 in the US Senate and House regarding safety on college campuses. Additionally, there is the potential for an amendment to FERPA. Dr. John Lowery provides a comprehensive summary of the latest events in the email sent from the ASJA Central Office on 4/23/07 with subject "ASJA - Legislative Updates re: Protecting College Campuses."
Updates from Washington (3/20/07):
Legislation to watch:
College Access and Opportunity Act of 2007 (HR 3746)
David Shick Honesty in Campus Justice Act (HR 128)
College Life Safety and Fire Prevention Act (HR 1409)
Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2007 (HR 592 and S 354)
Student Privacy Protection Act of 2007 (HR 1346)
Mental Health Security for America's Families in Education Act of 2007 (HR 2220)
CAMPUS LAW ENFORCEMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT of 2007 (S1228)
Check the link to the Thomas website (below) for current language and status of each piece of legislation above.
Resources:
Engaging with Washington
Presentation by: Dr. John Wesley Lowery, Associate Professor, Educational Studies - Oklahoma State University
FERPA Questions and Responses by Lee Rooker, Director, FPCO:
2010 Election Analysis HNA.PPT 1047.04 KB (1047040 bytes) 
2012 Higher Ed Fact Sheet.pdf 169.679 KB (169679 bytes) 
Bills Committee 01142011.xls 137.728 KB (137728 bytes) 
Campus SaVE Act 112th Congress Introduction.doc 47.616 KB (47616 bytes) 
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