Washington Update, April 2, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

Last week, with no time to spare, Congress passed the second and final package of six fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills that will fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year- September 30th. The package makes a $500 million cut below the FY 2023 level of funding provided for the Department of Education, which is a $201 million cut after accounting for earmarks. The cuts were expected given the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The bill increases the federal debt limit, establishes new discretionary spending limits, rescinds unobligated funds, and expands work requirements for federal programs.

Key Programs Related to Educator Support and Preparation

• Legislative text – The Labor-HHS-Education bill is Division D beginning with the Department of Labor on page 427.

  • Title I, DOL, starts on page 427, with the Employment and Training Administration starting on that page

  • Title II, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), starts of page 479

  • Title III, Department of Education (ED), is on pages 559-588

  • Title IV, Related Agencies, includes the Institute of Museum and Library Services on page 597

• Statement of Managers – This is the report language describing the intent of Congress for the Labor-HHS-Education bill.

  • The section for ED programs starts on page 75

  • HHS starts on page 9.

  • DOL employment and training programs are on pages 3 through 5.

  • The very helpful funding table starts on page 200 of the PDF (hand marked page 98); the ED table is on pages 244- 258 of the pdf, which corresponds to the handwritten page numbers 142156.

  • Congressional earmarks – officially called Congressionally Directed Spending by the House – for the Department of Education, earmarks are listed on pages 167-199 of the PDF.

Prior to the passage of FY24 last week and given the unique nature of this appropriations cycle, President Biden released his FY2025 budget release following the State of the Union Address. Given the budgetary constraints put in place the marginal increases for some programs seen below are reflective of your ongoing advocacy to support critical programs that address the educator workforce.

Critical programs that address the educator workforce saw proposed increases in the President’s budget request, include :

• $95 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), which funds comprehensive educator preparation programs such as residencies.

• $30 million for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, which funds educator preparation programs at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.

• $115 million for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part D – Personnel Preparation program (IDEA-D-PP).

Of note, the National Center for Special Education research funding remained level for both FY24 and the FY 25 request at $64 million. We will be mobilizing efforts to support increasing this bucket of funds that is not only historically underfunded, but level funded.

Congress is on recess this week, we will be back in your inbox next Friday with undoubtedly a chock-full update.

Until next time, see you on X (formerly Twitter),

Kait

@brennan_kait

Have questions about the Washington Update? Suggestions? Send me an email, lets have virtual coffee: kbrennan@kbstrategies.org