NACUBO On Your Side: November 15–21, 2022
11/21/2022
As things move quickly in Washington, DC, NACUBO is your constant advocate in action. NACUBO On Your Side covers important legislative and agency activity NACUBO staff are tracking, what we’re currently advocating for, and how you can take action with us.
Here are the issues we are tracking and advocating for this week.
Agency Action
GAO Recommends that ICE Increase College and University Data Transfer Monitoring
Following a June 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that advised colleges and universities to more closely monitor intellectual property, the agency has issued another report addressing technology transfer risk at universities and calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to more closely monitor higher education institutions as well as foreign students.
Advocacy
NACUBO Supports Universal Charitable Deduction in Year-End Legislation
In a letter led by the Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC), NACUBO joined over 100 organizations in urging lawmakers to include the Universal Giving Pandemic Relief and Recovery Act (S. 618, H.R. 1704) in a year-end legislative package. The legislation would incentivize charitable giving among non-itemizing taxpayers by raising the cap on the expired non-itemizer charitable deduction created by the CARES Act and making gifts to donor-advised funds eligible for the universal charitable deduction.
Additionally, two members of NACUBO’s Federal Affairs team joined the CGC’s #GrowGivingNow advocacy gathering on Capitol Hill to support the effort.
Higher Education Associations Call for Action on Expiring Build America Bond Subsidies
In a letter led by the American Council on Education, NACUBO and six other higher education associations urged Congress to use year-end legislation to address the coming expiration of federal subsidy payments on Build America Bonds. Without legislative action, subsidy payments will be eliminated in January 2023 due to federal Pay as You Go Act requirements.
Higher Education Community Urges Congress to Protect Dreamers
A higher education community letter, including NACUBO and 50 other signatories, encourages Congress to pass legislation to protect Dreamers in any year-end legislation. Following recent court rulings against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, Congressional action is needed to ensure that these individuals, who came to the United States as children, are able to avoid uncertain legal status.
Take Action
GASB Seeks Input on its Pension Standards
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is conducting a survey that is part of an effort to help the board to determine whether its statements are accomplishing their stated purposes, to evaluate the statements’ implementation and continuing compliance costs and related benefits, and to obtain feedback to improve the standards-setting process. This is a lengthy survey, so pre-reading is recommended. Surveys should be completed by December 19.
