FY24 President's Budget Request
On Thursday, March 9th, the White House released President Biden's FY24 budget request to Congress. The President's budget request is a policy document that highlights the Administration's funding priorities for federal programs, recommendations on spending and tax policy, and federal fiscal policy. The House of Representatives and Senate determine the final spending amounts for the agencies and programs included in the budget request.
The FY24 budget request proposes increasing the maximum pell grant by $820 (a $500 discretionary increase and a $320 mandatory increase), and provides $21 billion in discretionary spending for CHIPS and Science Act-authorized activities, including support for artificial intelligence, quantum information sciences, and microelectronics research at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. Although the budget request released this week provides a broad overview of federal funding, appendices with detailed requests for specific programs are expected to be released on Wednesday, March 15th.
The U-M Office of Federal Relations will compile a comprehensive analysis of the President’s budget request, including funding levels for specific federal education and research agencies and programs, once those materials are public. The full text of the budget request is available here, and fact sheets and additional information is available here.
The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities released a statement in support of the budget request.
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Congressional Calendar
The U.S. Senate will be in session next week, while the U.S. House of Representatives will be in recess.
Committee Hearings
Tuesday, March 14th, 2023
Senate Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Hearing: Hearing to examine Space Force Programs in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY24
3:45 PM, 222 Russell
Wednesday, March 15th, 2023
Senate Committee on the Budget
Full Committee Hearing: The President's FY24 Budget Proposal
10:15 AM, 608 Dirksen
Thursday, March 16th, 2023
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Govonmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing: Examining the Cybersecurity Risks to the Healthcare Sector
10:00 AM, 562 Dirksen
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U-M Faculty Member Participates in White House Forum
On Wednesday, March 8th, University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute Director, and U-M Law School Professor from Practice Jennifer Haverkamp participated in a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) forum titled “Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions”. The event brought together college and university leaders, educators, and federal agency leaders to showcase how innovative actions on climate change currently being employed on college campuses can further benefit the surrounding communities and beyond.
“Speaking to campus culture, it is important to have demonstrable examples of how you are moving toward greater campus sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction,” said Jennifer Haverkamp. “And an important thing to do is to encourage these creative, smart students that we have to go forward with their own ideas… finding ways to elevate and accelerate transformation.”
A recording of the forum is available here.
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Request For Information and Public Comment Opportunities
Government agencies and other organizations issue Requests for Information (RFIs) that allow stakeholders to provide input, shaping the decisions that the federal government makes. The below RFIs have been issued and are currently accepting input. If you are planning to submit a response, we would love to know! Please email us at UM.FedRel@umich.edu.
U.S. Department of Education Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Related to Religious Student Organizations and First Amendment and Free Inquiry Related Grant Conditions RFI
Last September, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced it was conducting a review of regulations related to First Amendment freedoms. Pursuant to that review, ED issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to rescind a portion of the regulation about religious student organizations. ED stated that the regulation is not necessary to protect the First Amendment’s rights to free speech and free exercise of religion given the sufficiency of well-established existing legal protections afforded religious student organizations.
The U.S. Department of Education also issued a Request for Information regarding other parts of the regulations, known as the "free inquiry rule." These regulations mandate that public institutions of higher education (IHEs) receiving certain U.S. Department of Education grants comply with the First Amendment. They also stipulate how ED will determine public IHEs to be in violation of ED’s grant conditions in cases where a public IHE has been found by a court to have violated the First Amendment. This RFI seeks input on how these regulations have affected decisions surrounding First Amendment and free speech-related litigation in Federal and State courts, how the regulations have affected public IHE’s approach to designing institutional policies regarding freedom of speech, and other issues.
Comments are due March 24th, 2023, and can be submitted here.
DOE National Laboratories as Catalysts of Regional Innovation RFI
The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Request for Information regarding opportunities to strengthen place-based innovation activities leveraging the DOE National Laboratories and Sites. The objective of this RFI is to identify both opportunities and challenges for developing place-based innovation ecosystems anchored by the DOE National Laboratories and Sites, and what ongoing activities would benefit from additional support. The DOE is seeking information related to regional characteristics, descriptions of existing place-based innovation activity in the region, and descriptions of potential new or expanded place-based innovation activities in the region.
Responses to the RFI must be received by March 28th, 2023. Comments can be submitted here.
U.S. Department of Education Extends Deadline for Comments on Third-Party Servicers
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) extended its comment period for its Dear Colleague letter on Third-Party Servicers (TPS) to March 30th, 2023. ED had previously announced that it was revising its guidance concerning TPS that are used to perform various functions for institutions of higher education (IHEs), including student recruiting and retention, providing software and services involving the administration of Title IV financial aid, and the provision of curriculum on campus. Companies providing such services are sometimes referred to as “online program managers” or OPMs.
The Higher Education Act provides ED with oversight authority over any agreements IHEs make with TPS to administer the IHE’s Title IV activities. Due to an increase in the use of OPMs at IHEs and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighting the need for more oversight of OPMs, ED’s Dear Colleague details how it plans to update its guidance involving TPS. The Dear Colleague letter also details various reporting requirements IHE’s will have to comply with related to their use of TPS.
Comments are due March 30th, 2023, and can be submitted here. The guidance in the Dear Colleague Letter and the reporting requirements will not become effective until September 1st, 2023.
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Nomination Announcements
Federal Advisory Committees provide an opportunity for the public to serve the federal government, providing their expertise and influencing the operations of federal agencies.
New and Upcoming Openings
USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). This committee provides impartial scientific advice to Federal food safety agencies for use in the development of an integrated national food safety systems approach that assures the safety of domestic, imported, and exported foods. USDA is seeking nominees with scientific expertise in the fields of microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines.
Nominations are due March 15th, 2023. Further information is available here.
EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting nominations to be considered for the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC). This council was chartered to provide advice regarding issues related to environmental justice. Nominees will be selected to represent: academia, business and industry, non-governmental organizations, among others.
Nominations are due March 17th, 2023. Further information is available here.
Committee of Scientific Advisers on Marine Mammals
The Marine Mammal Commission is seeking nominations for membership on the Committee of Scientific Advisers on Marine Mammals. The committee consists of scientists knowledgable in marine ecology and marine mammal affairs, and consults the Marine Mammal Commission on all studies and recommendations for research programs. In particular, the Commission requires a high level of knowledge with respect to the biology and ecology of certain marine mammal species that require special attention due to their small population size or threats they face.
Nominations are due April 1st, 2023. Further information is available here.
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