Federal Updates

Congress released a bipartisan, bicameral Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding package as part of a larger “minibus” that includes funding for three other spending bills.

On January 7, the Department of Education (ED) granted Iowa a waiver from a variety of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) regulations through FY2028.

Congress is back in DC with a hyperfocus on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending as the January 30th deadline to fund the federal government looms.

AESA, joined by ten other education organizations, submitted comments to the Department of Homeland Security urging them to rescind the new public charge rule.

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.”