Federal Updates

On December 9, the House passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes the program for FY24-FY26. As a reminder, the program provides critical resources for counties and schools that are near National Forest Land and are unable to generate property tax revenue.

Federal attention on children and technology has surged in recent weeks, with Congress and federal agencies advancing a wide range of proposals. The House Commerce Committee introduced 19 tech-related bills—several affecting schools—and described them as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect children online. However, House versions of COPPA 2.0 and the Kids Online Safety Act diverge sharply from their bipartisan Senate counterparts, introducing partisan elements, broad preemption of state laws, and weaker safeguards for children and teens. Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced a December 10 listening session on excessive screen time and signaled interest in linking federal broadband and technology funding to outcomes tied to children’s well-being, potentially affecting programs such as BEAD and E-Rate.

The Nation’s Children Need You – Urge Congress to Maintain Education Funding for Vital Programs Now

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed reissuing a regulation that could penalize noncitizens who use Medicaid and other income-based public benefit programs.

On November 18, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with four agencies to “break up the federal education bureaucracy, ensure efficient delivery of funded programs, activities, and move closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return education to the states.”

The Trump administration under Secretary McMahon has indicated a willingness to entertain expanded waivers of certain requirements under ESEA. A handful of states have already begun testing the limits of that potential flexibility, authorized under Section 8401.

November 12 marked the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The House reconvened for the first time since mid-September to consider the funding bill the Senate passed on Monday night. The President and House Republican leaders support the measure, while most Democrats and some Republicans oppose it for different reasons.

The FCC voted 2 to 1 on orders that would make both Wi-Fi on school buses and Wi-Fi hotspots ineligible for E-Rate support.

Despite the federal government remaining closed for more than a month now, multiple new bills related to AI and students have been introduced in the past several weeks.