Washington Insights & Highlights September 12th

Update: Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Legislation

Yesterday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) delayed a vote on a six-month stopgap spending bill, which would have funded the operations of the federal government until March 28, 2025. The stopgap spending package drew criticism from some GOP lawmakers due to the lack of funding for defense programs. In addition, lawmakers in both sides of the aisle expressed concern about the inclusion of the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. These lawmakers are advocating for a clean short-term spending bill. Senator Majority Leader Charles Schumer and other members of the U.S. Senate are also pushing for a clean, three-month spending bill.

According to media reports, Speaker Johnson and his staff plan to work this weekend to produce a spending package that can pass the House of Representatives next week.
Congress has until September 30, 2024, to pass and enact a short-term spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown.

Update: Artificial Intelligence Legislation

On September 11, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed nine artificial intelligence (AI) related bills that seeks to ensure U.S. leadership in AI with several impacting higher education. The first bill of interest to the graduate education community is the bipartisan Expanding AI Voices Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Frank Lucas (R-OK). The bill supports a broad and diverse interdisciplinary research community to advance AI and AI-powered innovation through partnerships and capacity building at certain higher education institutions. Specifically, the bill codifies and expands the ExpandAI program at the National Science Foundation, which supports AI capacity-building projects for eligible entities including minority MSIs, HBCUs, and TCUs. Another bill of interest is the NSF AI Education Act of 2024, introduced by Representative Vince Fong (R-CA). The bill authorizes NSF to award undergraduate and graduate scholarships in AI with a focus on applications in agriculture, education, and advanced manufacturing.

On the Senate side, The Consumers LEARN AI Act was introduced on August 27, by Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD). The bill seeks to develop a national literacy strategy, providing specific AI use case guidance and conducting a national media campaign to help consumers make informed decisions about how they use and interact with AI.

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against McNair Scholars Program

On August 27, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of the Young America’s Foundation and two student members. The lawsuit alleges that the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is unconstitutional based on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the use of race-based policies in university admissions. In their lawsuit, the Young America’s Foundation and the two students allege that the McNair Scholars Program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The McNair Program provides about $60 million in grants to about 200 universities affecting nearly 6,000 students, through the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal TRIO program. The McNair Program prepares underrepresented first-generation undergraduate students with financial need for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

National Academies Releases Report on Immigration Reform

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently issued a report titled, “International Talent Programs in the Changing Global Environment.” This new report calls on the federal government to take action to reform the nation’s immigration system and foster greater scientific collaboration between U.S. and foreign universities, especially universities in low and middle-income countries in the Global South. In its report, NASEM calls on Congress to streamline the immigration process for foreign-born STEM graduates from U.S. universities, create navigable pathways to permanent residency and green card status for qualified STEM graduates, and remove the per-country cap limit for green cards. The report also calls on federal, state, and local governments to take a proactive approach to the development of domestic STEM talent. A pre-publication copy of the report is available on the National Academies website.

National Science Foundation Seeks Information on Research Ethics

On August 27, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Section 10343 of the CHIPS and Science Act. As explained in the RFI and NSF’s Dear Colleague Letter, Section 10343 “directs the agency to incorporate ethical, social, safety, and security considerations into the merit review process that is used to evaluate research projects or other activities for funding.” Through this RFI, NSF is seeking input from universities and other stakeholders on “incorporating ethical considerations into NSF’s merit review process to mitigate potential harms associated with emerging research areas and amplifying social benefits from such research.” The RFI invites respondents to answer several questions, including: “How might NSF work with stakeholders to promote best practices for governance of research in emerging technologies at every stage of research.” All written comments must be submitted to NSF by Friday, November 15, 2024.

HLC Proposes Three-Year Bachelor’s Degrees

On September 3, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) released new guidelines for reviewing bachelor’s degree programs that require fewer than 120 credits. These guidelines provide information to assist institutions in developing and implementing such programs and to help peer reviewers evaluate applications. The guidelines cover various aspects of the programs, including mission alignment, ethical conduct, teaching and learning, institutional effectiveness, and resources.