What Did I Miss in Washington? November 14-November 29, 2017

The steady stream of news emerging from the nation’s capital can be overwhelming. NACUBO highlights key actions and provides the status of top higher education business officer concerns.

Advocacy

Tax Reform Advances. Republican lawmakers in the Senate are working to pass their own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a bill that would have widespread consequences for nonprofit organizations—including colleges and universities—as well as for individuals and corporations. Text ACTNOW to 52886 or click here to join the movement to protect giving and ask lawmakers to fix the provisions that create new taxes that will raise operating costs or badly hurt the ability of nonprofits to educate, heal, nourish, and serve our nation. Access all of NACUBO's tax reform resources here.

FCC Moves Forward on Net Neutrality Vote. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai announced plans to move forward with his proposal to eliminate net neutrality by scheduling a vote on the issue at the FCC’s next Open Meeting on December 14. NACUBO and other associations in the higher education community expressed strong opposition to this plan in comments sent to the FCC in July.   

Borrower Defense Rulemaking Begins at ED. Efforts to modify the Department of Education’s current borrower defense regulations are underway. The first of three weeks of new negotiated rulemaking has ended. NACUBO’s director of accounting policy, Sue Menditto, is representing the association on the subcommittee responsible for reevaluating financial responsibility regulations. A full list of negotiators and the meeting schedule can be found on ED’s website.     

Administrative Action

DHS to Accept Delayed DACA Applications. Dozens of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who scrambled to meet the October 5 deadline for renewal requests after the program’s elimination were dismayed to learn that their applications were rejected due to mail delays that caused their materials to arrive late. The Department of Homeland Security has now announced that these individuals will be permitted to resubmit their applications if they can prove their original documents were delayed in the mail. NACUBO is working with other higher education associations to urge Congress to pass legislation to protect DACA recipients before the program’s full wrap-up is complete.   

Previous Edition
What Did I Miss in Washington? October 30-November 14, 2017