This Week in Legislation

Week of October 17

·       This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in recess. Lawmakers will return to legislative business on Tuesday, November 14, following the general election.

·       Today and Tuesday, all day, the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships holds its National Conference, which includes presentations, speakers, and discussions about the latest innovations and practices in the field, cutting-edge research, national trends and legislation, in Louisville, KY. During the conference, attendees will hear presentations on tuition free alternative diploma paths; concurrent enrollment disparities in rural areas; best practices and issues for high schools, community colleges, and private colleges; graduation rates for concurrent enrollment; bringing programs to scale; concurrent enrollment instructors; and trends in state policy.

·       Today at 12:15 p.m., Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer gives a speech titled, “Low Interest Rates,” at the Economic Club of New York Luncheon in New York City, NY.

·       On Tuesday through Friday, all-day, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) holds its 50^th Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL. During the conference, attendees will receive updates on federal higher education policy from NASSGAP Federal Liaison Frank Ballmann, NCHER President James Bergeron, and Deputy Under Secretary of Education Jeff Appel participate in discussions on the implementation of free community college, new ways to model affordability, strategies to serve adult students, early commitment aid programs, redesigning state financial aid, and Free Application for Student Financial Aid outreach.

·       On Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., the National Academy of Public Administration and the Brookings Institution host an event titled, “The Federal Budget Process: Turning Reform into Political Reality.” Panelists will provide insights from their experiences to identify the strategies and scenarios that are most likely to result in successfully reforming the budget process. Participants on the first panel, “Fixing a Flawed Federal Budget Process,” include: Daniel Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Academy of Public Administration; F. Stevens Redburn, Professorial Lecturer in Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University; and Phil Joyce, Senior Associate Dean, Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. Participants on the second panel, “Overcoming Political Obstacles in Reforming the Federal Budget Process,” include: Stuart Butler, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution; Roy Meyers, Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Molly Reynolds, Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution; Bill Hoagland, Senior Vice President, Bipartisan Policy Center; and Alice Rivlin, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Center for Health Policy. The event will be livestreamed on the Brookings website.

·       On Wednesday through Friday, all day, the Competency-Based Education Network holds its National Conference in Phoenix, AZ. The meeting will convene practitioners, researchers, students, employers, and vendors who will discuss the latest lessons, developments, and experiences in competency-based education (CBE). Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell will discuss what’s next in CBE and higher education innovation, and attendees will participate in discussions on: “Assessment in CBE: Research and Practice;” “What Does Quality Look Like: A Recipe for Responsible Innovation;” “EdTech’s Instrumental Role in CBE Transformation;” and “The Essential Element: Wraparound Student Support Services.” To learn more, to register, or to become a sponsor or exhibitor, visit the CBEExchange website.

·       On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its Beige Book. Eight times a year, the Fed releases its Beige Book, a summary of current economic conditions for the 12 Federal Reserve Districts based on anecdotal information gathered through reports from Bank and Branch Directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources.

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.