ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES

EDU · Education

EDU S.740 - Affordable College Textbook Act - A bill to expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students and improve textbook price information. S.383 - JOBS Act of 2025 - A bill to extend Federal Pell Grant eligibility of certain short-term programs. H.R.1132 - TRAIN Act - To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the Secretary of Labor to award grants to community colleges for high-quality workforce development programs. H.R. 1 - An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14 - The bills Title VIII covered several higher education provisions; ACCT worked with lawmakers to reject several which would have negatively impacted community colleges and their students. The bill also authorized Workforce Pell - a top priority for ACCT. S. 2862 - Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act - A bill to amend the Child Care Access Means Parents In School Program under the Higher Education Act of 1965. This proposal would authorize the program for the next five years, increasing authorized funding to $500 million per year. H.R.5458 - Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act - A bill to amend the Child Care Access Means Parents In School Program under the Higher Education Act of 1965. This proposal would authorize the program for the next five years, increasing authorized funding to $500 million per year. S.2855 - Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act - A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and area career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training services programs for workforce development, and for other purposes. S.2511 - College Transparency Act - A bill to establish a postsecondary student data system. The proposal would allow for more data-informed decisions by students, prospective students and families, and institutions. H.R.4806 - College Transparency Act - To establish a postsecondary student data system. This bill aims to establish a secure and privacy-protected postsecondary student-level data system which would allow the accurate evaluation of student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and post completion outcomes; assist with transparency, institutional improvement, and analysis of Federal aid programs; provide accurate, complete, and customizable information for students and families; and reduce reporting burdens on postsecondary institutions. H.R. 3985 - Helping Student Parents Succeed Act - A bill directing institutions of higher education to develop policies around and communicate on (including the institution's website) for expectant and parenting students that specifically include: leave of absence and making up missed work related to pregnancy, birth, or adoption; and available resources for expectant and parenting students. H.R. 3994 - Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act - A bill that requires colleges and universities to collect and report comprehensive data on parenting students, including their enrollment, retention, and completion rates. This bill includes a provision in which the Department of Education's Commissioner of Education Statistics, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, is to establish a standardized definition of "parenting student." In addition, the Department of Education is to provide technical assistance to both states and institutions. H.R. 6968 - Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act - A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and area career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training services programs for workforce development, and for other purposes. S. 1558 - Understanding the True Cost of College Act - A bill to create a universal financial aid offer form and standardize terms used to describe financial aid to allow students to more easily compare financial aid packages between schools. This move aims to prevent troubling findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that over 90% of college financial aid offer letters currently understate the price students would pay. H.Res.1209/S.Res.686 "Recognizing the significance of Community College Month in April as a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States supporting access to higher education, workforce training, and more, broadly sustaining and advancing the Nations economic prosperity." H.R. 7158/S. ____ Expanding AI Voices Act - A bill that would create a competitive grant run out of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop or expand research programs in AI and related fields; recruit faculty and have professional development on AI; build education pathways and workforce development pathways in AI; among other purposes. In considering awardees, NSF would consider applicants resource constraints, geographic diversity of the institutions, and the institutions ability to expand AI research, education, and workforce development opportunities for students. H.R. 9300/S.4778 Postsecondary Student Success Act - This bill would provide long-term authorization for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program to dedicate "federal funding for evidence-based programs that help students stay enrolled in college, complete their degrees, and prepare for successful careers." H.R. 9414/S.4859 Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act - This bill would double the maximum Pell grant amount from $7,395 to $15,000 to restore the purchasing power of the program and then index the award for inflation to maintain the purchasing power of Pell; shift the Pell program from annual discretionary funding to guaranteed mandatory funding; extend the Pell Grant lifetime eligibility from 12 to 18 semesters; among other provisions. S. 4435 Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act - The goal of this bill is to equip students and families with transparent information on the cost of higher education opportunities they are considering before accepting an offer. A provision in this bill requires colleges and universities to submit to the Department of Education either the model template developed by the Department for presenting their financial aid offers or to develop their own, with the components and standardized language as would be required by this bill. S. 4578 Gateway to Careers Act- A bill that aims to provide grants for partnerships between technical and community colleges and state workforce development boards, industry associations, and community-based organizations. The goal of these partnerships is to connect employers to employees who would have access to robust workforce preparation programming supported by this bill.

Literal federal measure citations: S.740, S.383, H.R.1132, H.R. 1, H. Con. Res. 14, S. 2862, H.R.5458, S.2855, S.2511, H.R.4806, H.R. 3985, H.R. 3994, H.R. 6968, S. 1558, H.Res.1209, S.Res.686, H.R. 7158, H.R. 9300, S.4778, H.R. 9414, S.4859, S. 4435, S. 4578

IMM · Immigration

H.R.1589 - Dream and Promise Act - To authorize the cancellation of removal and adjustment of status of certain aliens, and for other purposes.

Literal federal measure citations: H.R.1589

TAX · Taxation/Internal Revenue Code

H.R.464 - Skills Investment Act of 2025 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for lifelong learning accounts, and for other purposes. H.R. 1 - An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14 - Unsuccessfully advocated for the inclusion of Tax-Free Pell provision in the bill. H.R.2543: Tax-Free Pell Grant Act - would allow community college students to use their portion of the Pell grant that is not used for tuition to go to other cost of attendance expenses without incurring tax liability for them. The bill would also modify AOTC and LLC to better serve community college students. S.1610: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the exclusion of Pell Grants from gross income - would allow community college students to use their portion of the Pell grant that is not used for tuition to go to other cost of attendance expenses without incurring tax liability for them. The bill would also modify AOTC and LLC to better serve community college students.

Literal federal measure citations: H.R.464, H.R. 1, H. Con. Res. 14, H.R.2543, S.1610

BUD · Budget/Appropriations

Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Legislation. H.R. 1968 - Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 - Funded the Departments of Education, Labor, HHS, and USDA, among other agencies that ACCT follows for programmatic grant opportunities to community colleges. Funding extends to the end of the fiscal year. Fiscal Year 2026 and 2027 Appropriations - met with appropriators to advocate on behalf of programs that support community college students. H.R.5304 - Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 - House proposal that funds the Department of Education and Department of Labor. Advocated on the need to provide funding for key higher education programs that support community colleges and their students. S.2587 - Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 - House proposal that funds the Department of Education and Department of Labor. Advocated on the need to provide funding for key higher education programs that support community colleges and their students. H.R. 7148- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 - A combination of five of the twelve appropriations bills that feature fiscal year 2026 funding for the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, among others. ACCT supported this bill as it level-funded most of the federal programs that are critical to community colleges, thus rejecting initial proposals of funding cuts and eliminations. H.R. 9260 - Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 - House proposal that funds the Department of Education and Department of Labor. Advocated on the need to provide funding for key higher education programs that support community colleges and their students, especially funding the Pell Grant Program to address the projected shortfall, Adult Basic Education, and Child Care Access Means Parents In School.

Literal federal measure citations: H.R. 1968, H.R.5304, S.2587, H.R. 7148, H.R. 9260

AGR · Agriculture

H.R.5468/S.4730 - Community College Agriculture Advancement Act - To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize capacity building grants for community college agriculture and natural resources programs. H.R.7567 - Farm, Food, and National Security Act The farm bill incorporates a new community college grant program, which would increase the capacity building grants for community college agriculture and natural resources programs. The Senate draft of the Farm Bill lacks this community college grant program.

Literal federal measure citations: H.R.5468, S.4730, H.R.7567