This week in legislative affairs---

Shared by SASFAA Legislative Relations' Committee and NCHER.

Week of March 21

·       This week, the U.S. House is in session for legislative business, though it is not expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation. The U.S. Senate is in recess and will return on Monday, April 4.

·       Today through Wednesday, all day, the 2016 Debt Collection Forum, created to provide debt collection professionals with a foundation of direction, insight, and actionable solutions, is held in St. Louis, MO. Forum sessions include: Creating a Culture of Compliance; The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is Talking, Are You Listening; No Account Left Behind: Developing a Cradle to Grave Workforce Strategy; Vendor Management: How Much Diligence Is Due; and 20/20 Collections: What Will Collections Look Like in 2020.

 

·       Tuesday through Thursday, all day, insideArm and Compliance Professionals Forum present ARM-U, a free virtual conference aimed at education for compliance, operations, and training professionals in the collections space. ARM-U is a six-part webinar series that takes place over the course of three days and is designed to focus on pressing industry topics in an online classroom-like setting. Discussion topics include: How Much is Too Much: Consumer and Collection Attorneys Discuss Debt, Fees, and Interest; Five Things Learned from the Small Business Review Panel to Apply to Debt Collection Rule Making; Convenience Fees and Consumer Debts; Data-Driven Strategies to Improve Operational Efficiencies and Reduce Telephone Consumer Protection Act Risk; Meeting the CFPB’s Objectives for Your Compliance Management System; Vendor Compliance and Audit Practices; and ARM-U Wrap Up for Members: Peer Discussion. For more information and to register, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies holds a hearing on the Department of Education’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget proposal. The sole witness will be Education Secretary John King, Jr.

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Education and the Workforce Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Strengthening Education Research and Privacy Protections to Better Serve Students.” Witnesses will be announced at a later date. To view a live webcast of this hearing, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing entitled, “The Annual Testimony of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the International Financial System.” The sole witness will be The Honorable Jacob Lew, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

·       On Tuesday at 10:15 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology holds a hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).” Witnesses include: The Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chairman, FCC; The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner, FCC; The Honorable Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner, FCC; The Honorable Ajit Pai, Commissioner, FCC; and The Honorable Michael O’Rielly, Commissioner, FCC. To view a live webcast of this hearing, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government holds a hearing on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) FY 2017 budget proposal. The sole witness will be SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

·       On Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy holds a hearing on Member of Congress proposals relating to fundamental reform of the income tax system. Witnesses will be announced at a later date.

 

·       On Wednesday starting 9:00 a.m., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hosts the National Conference on Talent Pipeline Management to bring together a wide audience of business leaders, policymakers, and communities in action to discuss employer-led solutions for closing the country’s skills gap. According to the event description, while many workers still face unemployment, U.S. businesses are leaving jobs unfilled because they cannot find qualified talent. The mismatch between the nation’s current education system and today’s economy has resulted in an ever increasing skills gap that threatens the security and growth of the U.S. economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has therefore launched the Talent Pipeline Management Initiative, a supply chain approach that calls on the business community and public policy leaders to transform education and workforce systems to be employer-led and demand-driven. The conference will include a major announcement by Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President for National Engagement and Philanthropy, USA Funds; a keynote address by The Honorable Doug Ducey, Governor, State of Arizona; and panel discussions on “The State of State Engagement” and “Priorities and Challenges to Building Capacity.”

·       On Wednesday at 9:10 a.m. PDT, Education Secretary John King, Jr. participates in a roundtable discussion on the Obama Administration’s efforts to protect student borrowers in San Francisco, CA.

 

·       On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., the Congressional Budget Office releases its updated baseline projections of federal revenues, spending, and budget deficits. The projections will reflect updated analyses and new information obtained since The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2016 to 2026 that was issued in January.

 

·       On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) hosts a webinar to review the key provisions of changes to MSRB Rule G-20 to extend restrictions regarding gift giving and the related recordkeeping requirements, currently applicable to brokers, dealers, and municipal securities dealers, to municipal advisors. The amendments include a new provision to expressly prohibit the seeking or obtaining of reimbursement by a dealer or municipal advisor of certain entertainment expenses from the proceeds of an offering of municipal securities.

 

·       On Thursday at 3:45 p.m., Education Secretary John King, Jr. delivers closing remarks at Championing Completion: Improving College Outcomes for Pell Students, an event hosted by the Department of Education to recognize colleges and universities that have achieved strong results or made significant strides in increasing college success for low-income students.