Weekly Update 6/01/2026

Weekly Update 6/01/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

OMB Grant Administration Update

The 3 goals of OMB’s rewrite of grants regulations: OMB released a proposed update to 2 CFR 200, the federal government's Uniform Guidance for grant administration, marking the second major revision in two years. The proposal is intended to (1) strengthen transparency and accountability in federal grantmaking, (2) align grant administration with current federal policy priorities, and (3) streamline and standardize grant regulations across agencies to reduce administrative burden on recipients and federal grantmakers. Key changes include requiring senior political appointees to review discretionary grant awards…

President and Administration:

Judge temporarily blocks administration's anti-weaponization fund: Senate Republican leaders delayed a vote on a package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until June, in part because of concerns with the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, which a federal Judge in Virginia temporarily blocked on May 29. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema barred the administration from transferring, claiming, or disbursing any funds until at least June 12. The judge acted before the administration had formally established the fund, citing concern that disbursements could become irreversible before the court could weigh a legal challenge filed by the group Democracy Forward. As of June 1, the President is retreating from the fund after the fierce backlash, with White House…

The President pushes a record defense budget split between appropriations and reconciliation: A proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027 is testing congressional appetite for a second round of partisan reconciliation spending, with the President seeking $1.1 trillion through the regular appropriations process and an additional $350 billion through reconciliation. The request for reconciliation would fund priorities including $18 billion for the Golden Dome missile…

Appropriations: 

Senate panel begins fiscal year 2027 markup process: Three fiscal year (FY) 2027 spending bills are (running from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027) headed to the Senate floor for debate, with the Appropriations Committee announcing markups on the Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch, and Commerce-Justice-Science measures on Thursday June 4th. The Commerce-Justice-Science bill is particularly relevant to CAP clients, as it funds public safety, scientific research…

Congress:

Senate closes in on FISA renewal ahead of June 12 deadline: Months of failed attempts to reauthorize a key government surveillance authority may be nearing resolution, with Senate negotiators hoping to finalize bill text as soon as June 2. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) renews the government's authority to surveil foreign targets abroad for three years, without requiring a warrant to search Americans' data that gets swept up in the process. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) are leading talks on extending Section 702 of the FISA, set to expire June 12. The forthcoming legislation…

JCT releases technical report on Republicans' 2025 tax law: Roughly a dozen technical errors in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended and expanded 2027 tax cuts, are flagged in a new report from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation JCT). Problem areas include a new deduction for seniors aged 65 and older designed to reduce taxable income for retirees on fixed incomes; the President’s Accounts; revised state and local tax (SALT) deduction rules…

Bipartisan Senate deal takes shape on college sports: Various conflicting state laws governing college sport compensation and transfer have produced what lawmakers describe as an unregulated semi-professional market, prompting Senate negotiators to advance federal legislation after the House pulled a similar bill from the floor following bipartisan revolt. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced…

Hearings:

• On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security is expected to hold a hearing examining proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Homeland Security.

  • Note: A portion of the funding for FY26 for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) is still pending. 

• On Wednesday, 6/3, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is expected to hold a hearing examining the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2027 for the Federal Highway Administration.

• On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold a hearing examining gender transition procedures on minors.

• On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution is expected to hold a hearing examining protecting American citizenship, focusing on denaturalization and its constitutional limits.

California: 

Medi-Cal enrollment freeze for undocumented adults survives legislative challenge: Efforts to reopen Medi-Cal to new undocumented adult enrollees stalled last week after amendments gutted the core of a bill aimed at reversing Gov. Gavin Newsom's enrollment freeze. State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) declined to bring Senate Bill 1422 to a vote after the Appropriations Committee replaced immediate enrollment restoration with a study requirement and a phase-in by age starting at 49. Durazo's…

California cap-and-invest program extended with industry concessions: Affordability concerns reshaped California's signature climate policy last week when the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted 10 to three to extend the state's cap-and-invest program through 2045 with significant concessions to oil refineries and other industries. The centerpiece of the overhaul is a new incentive program allowing companies to offset permit obligations by investing in lower-emission technologies…

State Senate panel rejects Newsom's climate spending plan: In a rebuke of pending California Air Resources Board changes, state senators voted last week to block Gov. Newsom's proposed spending plan for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), which receives roughly $3 billion to $4 billion annually from carbon permit auctions. The Senate Budget Subcommittee…

Bill to expand California Air Resources Board's CARB regulatory authority dies in Assembly: For the second time, Assemblymember Robert Garcia's effort to give state air regulators authority over emissions from warehouses, ports, trucks, and trains fell short last week when Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas declined to bring AB 1777 to a floor vote. The bill would have extended the CARB’s indirect source rule authority statewide, a concept that gained traction after the…

Newsom's final budget navigates surplus and structural deficit: Despite a $16.5 billion revenue windfall driven by tech sector growth, California faces an anticipated $22 billion deficit in 2027-28, complicating the governor's final budget proposal. The $350 billion May revision introduces roughly $2 billion in new cuts while preserving major health and education funding, relying on reserves, borrowing, and earmarked surplus funds to cover the gap. Newsom has staked out a no-new-taxes position consistent…

Newsom signs election protection measure ahead of June primary: Uniformed law enforcement cannot disrupt election proceedings or seize voter rolls and ballots without a court order under legislation signed May 27 by Newsom. The bill was fast-tracked after Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco moved to seize ballots during a special election last year, and in…

Teen social media ban clears California Assembly: A bipartisan majority in the California Assembly voted last week to prohibit children under 16 from holding accounts on social media platforms state regulators deem "addictive," advancing a measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. AB 1709, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D)…

Education: 

U.S. Department of Education finalizes "Promoting Patriotic Education" priority: The Department of Education finalized a new grant priority focused on civics, founding documents, and primary-source-based instruction, effective June 22. The priority may be used in discretionary grant competitions across the Department. The final rule reflects revisions…

College oversight revamp could increase costs for accreditors and schools: A new Education Department rule set to take effect July 1, 2027, would significantly expand what accreditors are required to oversee, adding responsibilities around civil rights compliance, First Amendment standards, academic freedom, and mandatory cost-benefit analyses of school…

Administration again proposes elimination of rural education fund, a move Congress rejected last year: Small districts across the country may lose a direct federal funding lifeline if the administration succeeds in folding the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) into a $2 billion block grant alongside 16 other funding streams. Congress approved $220 million for REAP this year. Rural superintendents say the program does not require competitive grant applications…

Weekly Update 5/26/2026

Weekly Update 5/26/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

Appropriations: 

Legislative Branch funding bill clears House Appropriations Committee: The House Appropriations Committee voted 34-28 last week to advance a $7.3 billion fiscal year 2027 bill funding Congress and its support agencies. The debate focused heavily on sexual misconduct accountability measures following allegations against several current and former…

President and Administration:

Suspect killed after firing shots near White House security checkpoint: A man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday (5/23) is dead after being shot by officers who returned fire, the U.S. Secret Service said. It was the third time shots were fired in the vicinity of President Trump in the past month…

Congress:

Budget chair wants House to advance a budget blueprint in June: House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington said he wants the House to pass a budget resolution in June to launch a third budget reconciliation package, informally called Reconciliation 3.0. The bill would be narrower than last year's "big, beautiful bill" but broader than the current immigration enforcement…

Republicans, Democrats are in legislative dealmaking mode: With midterm campaigns approaching, lawmakers from both parties are pushing to pass stalled bipartisan housing affordability, college athletics reform, energy…

Senate panel backs party-line ICE, Border Patrol bill for floor action: The Senate Budget Committee voted 11-10 last week to advance a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill, teeing it up for floor debate…

House GOP leaders plan housing bill vote despite Trump ultimatum: House Republican leaders moved forward last week on a bipartisan housing affordability bill without adding the SAVE America Act aimed at restricting voting and requiring government issued photo identification, which the President demanded be attached via Truth Social. GOP aides…

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI: In his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo XIV called last week for robust legal frameworks and independent oversight of artificial intelligence, arguing that voluntary ethics commitments from developers are insufficient. The pope denounced the concentration of AI power and data in the hands of…

California: 

California moves to address AI in the workplace: The California Assembly voted 41-14 last week to pass AB 1979, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), which would bar hospitals and clinics from using AI to replace medical decisions made by licensed providers and require health chatbots to comply with existing medical privacy laws. The measure passed the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom released an executive order addressing AI-driven job displacement, outlining new task forces, updates to the state's WARN Act strategies, and pilots to scale unemployment insurance through the Employment…

Assembly passes ballot measure to reshape California Public Utilities Commission: The California Assembly passed ACA 9 last week, a constitutional amendment that would significantly restructure the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The measure would expand the commission's membership from five to nine and give the Senate Rules Committee and the Assembly speaker authority to appoint two commissioners each, shifting power away from exclusive gubernatorial…

Bay Area braces for Trump's tougher CalFresh rules: More than 665,000 Californians are expected to lose CalFresh food assistance starting June 1 under new work requirements in H.R. 1, President Donald Trump's domestic policy law. The law expands existing requirements to cover veterans, homeless people, adults between 55 and 64, and parents…

Education: 

White House blocks $2 billion for education: The administration is withholding more than $2 billion in congressionally approved Education Department funds by not releasing routine budget apportionments through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As of May 21, OMB has apportioned little or no fiscal year 2026 funding for 33…

House passes bill mandating parental consent on student pronoun use: The House passed the PROTECT Kids Act last week on a 217-198 vote, a measure that would strip federal funding from public elementary and middle schools that change a student's name, gender, or pronouns in school records without parental consent. Eight Democrats…

Current admin OKs another state's ask for school funding leeway: The Education Department approved Louisiana's request to merge state-level portions of four federal K-12 grant programs into a single flexible fund for statewide school improvement, the second such Every Student Succeeds Act waiver granted under the current…

Pressure mounts for ED to release research funds: A bipartisan group of 19 U.S. senators and a coalition of 97 education organizations sent separate letters to Education Secretary Linda McMahon this month urging the release of nearly $300 million in unspent Institute of Education Sciences funds from fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The fiscal year 2025 funds will expire…

Surgeon General advisory urges caution on youth screen use: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a surgeon general's advisory last week, calling harmful screen use among children and teens a public health concern, citing negative effects on cognitive development, mental health, and academic performance. The advisory was accompanied by a toolkit urging…

12.6M kids lack access to summer programming: A report released last week by the Afterschool Alliance found that about 12.6 million children lack access to structured summer programming, with cost cited as the top barrier by 38% of surveyed families. Children from high-income households are three times more likely to be enrolled in summer programs than those from low-income…

National Assessment Governing Board to restore previously cut NAEP exams: The National Assessment Governing Board voted last week to restore state-level 12th-grade reading and math assessments in 2032, which had been cut last year due to staffing reductions and shifting resource allocations at the Education Department. The board also announced that beginning…

Title IX rescissions throw resolution agreements into uncertainty: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights last month rescinded parts of Title IX resolution agreements, a federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding, with five school districts and one college entered under the Biden and Obama administrations, saying those agreements distorted the law by extending sex-based protections to gender…

20-plus states sue Education Department over graduate loan caps: More than 20 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Maryland last week challenging the Education Department's rule defining which graduate students qualify for higher federal loan limits. Congress capped graduate loans at $20,500 per year in last year's reconciliation bill, with a higher $50,000 cap for students in professional programs. The department designated …

Rural apprenticeship programs offer a model for workforce development: A growing number of rural communities are using registered apprenticeship programs to address critical labor shortages in fields like special education and manufacturing, allowing workers to earn wages while completing degrees close to home. Missouri State University's Pathways for Paraprofessionals…

Weekly Update 5/18/2026

Weekly Update 5/18/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

Appropriations: 

House Committee advances Commerce-Justice-Science bill: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $77.3 billion fiscal year 2027 funding bill for the departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, federal science programs, and several trade agencies on May 13 by a 32-28 vote. The measure represents roughly a 1% cut from current funding, with the Commerce Department facing a nearly 9% reduction to $10.2 billion and the Justice Department receiving a roughly 4% increase to $38.6 billion. The committee adopted an amendment barring federal law enforcement agencies from purchasing personal data from third-party brokers, and rejected several…

Senate votes to withhold member pay during government shutdowns: The Senate voted last week by voice vote to withhold senators' paychecks during future government shutdowns, with back pay to be restored once funding lapses end. The rule change takes effect after the November midterm elections. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), the measure's sponsor, framed it as a shared sacrifice after a period of repeated funding lapses, including a record 43-day shutdown last fall, a brief partial shutdown in late January, and a 76-day lapse in Department…

President and Administration:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) imposes moratorium on new home health and hospice Medicare enrollments: CMS announced May 13 a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollments for home health and hospice providers, the latest in a series of fraud enforcement actions under CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz. The agency cited systemic exploitation of vulnerable Medicare patients in both sectors and said it will use the moratorium period to investigate suspected fraudulent providers and prevent bad…

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to enforce housing assistance income adjustments in 2027: HUD notified public housing authorities last week that it will begin enforcing congressionally mandated changes to how tenant income and assets are calculated for federal housing assistance starting January 1. The changes, passed by Congress in 2016, raise the threshold for tenants to qualify for a medical expense deduction from 3% to 10% of household income, and bar households that own another home or hold more than $100,000 in net family assets from receiving public housing or housing choice voucher…

White House seeks to reduce cost of living: The administration is reportedly looking for ways to reduce the cost of living. It is reportedly considering a gas tax holiday and increasing affordable housing. Concurrently, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL 13) plan to introduce legislation to suspend federal gas taxes for three months, with a provision to allow the president to extend the tax…

Congress:

Legislation would require Surgeon General to issue screentime guidelines for children: House lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation last week that would require the U.S. Surgeon General to develop age-based screentime recommendations for children, with input from an independent entity free of conflicts of interest. The SMART Kids Act, or Screentime Management and Recommendations for Teens and Kids Act, is cosponsored…

House Republicans eye third reconciliation bill before summer recess: A group of House Republicans discussed pursuing a third party-line reconciliation bill before the summer recess begins July 23, according to reporting from last week. Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism that the chamber could act on the measure, which would be separate from the immigration enforcement bill currently moving through the…

Senate parliamentarian strikes key provisions from GOP immigration enforcement bill: The Senate parliamentarian ruled May 14 that four major provisions in the Republican immigration enforcement package do not comply with budget reconciliation rules, dealing a setback to GOP leaders racing to meet a June 1 deadline set by the president. The rulings affect $19.1 billion in Customs and Border…

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) loses Louisiana primary, advances runoff to June 27: The senator failed to advance to a June 27 runoff after Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming claimed the top two spots. Cassidy, who is completing his second term, has faced significant political headwinds since…

Hearings:

• On Tuesday, 5/19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies is expected to hold a hearing examining proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Labor.

• On Tuesday, 5/19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies is expected to hold a hearing examining proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Transportation.

• On Wednesday, 5/20, the Senate Committee on Budget is expected to hold a business meeting to consider S.Con.Res.33, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.

• On Wednesday, 5/20, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold a hearing examining meeting the individual needs of all students, focusing on the role of charter schools. 

• On Thursday, 5/21, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold a hearing examining gender transition procedures on minors.

California: 

Newsom proposes $350 billion budget with school funding deferral: Gov. Gavin Newsom released his $349.9 billion final budget proposal May 14, projecting $16.5 billion in revenues above expectations while pursuing structural balance through austerity rather than new programs. Despite the surplus, Newsom maintained a plan to defer $3.9 billion in constitutionally guaranteed school funding under Proposition 98, a reduction from the $5.6 billion deferral he proposed in January, framing it as a hedge against future revenue…

Education: 

(NACSA, CLE, BGCPR, Vimenti, PSI) Influential choice advocate argues blue states should opt into federal education tax credit: Thomas B. Fordham Institute President Michael Petrilli argued last week that blue-state governors should opt into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit despite its design flaws, pointing to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement of intent to participate, as did Colorado Gov. Jared…

McMahon testifies before House committee on ED priorities: Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee on May 14, defending the department’s interagency agreements to transfer program oversight to other federal agencies. Republican members praised the moves as creative cost-cutting, while Democrats called the arrangements illegal and…

ED shuts Office of English Language Acquisition: The U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED) formally shuttered the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) on May 14, completing a closure it notified Congress of in February. The office oversaw $890 million in Title III funding, the federal program that supports English learners and immigrant children and youth, serving more than five million students nationwide…

ED releases $144 million in additional IDEA funding: U.S. ED announced May 13 it will release $144 million in additional special education funding drawn from non-expiring returned funds. Roughly $123.6 million will go toward Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants for students ages…

DOJ finds Yale medical school discriminated against white, Asian applicants: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced May 14 that a yearlong investigation found Yale School of Medicine intentionally selected applicants based on race, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court's 2023…

Clients that have workforce training programs and education (BGCPR) McMahon unveils final Workforce Pell Grant rule: U.S. ED released its final regulation expanding Pell Grants to workforce training programs as short as eight weeks, down from the previous 15-week minimum. New programs require approval from the state’s governor and the education secretary and must meet annual outcome…

Weekly Update 5/11/2026

Weekly Update 5/11/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

Appropriations: 

OMB has yet to disburse over $2 billion in fiscal 2026 education grants: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not yet to apportion more than $2 billion that Congress approved in February for 35 K-12 and higher education programs. This is generally a routine process that involves OMB transferring funds into their corresponding accounts at US ED, but months after the passage of FY26 appropriations this step has still not occurred. Affected programs include $235 million for education research, $220 million for teacher preparation, $150…

Treasury deficit hits $2.1 trillion as reconciliation negotiations intensify: Congressional Republicans are accelerating work on several reconciliation packages as internal negotiations expand beyond immigration enforcement to include defense spending, tax policy, and affordability ahead of the 2026 midterms. Treasury Department…

President and Administration:

President revives the Presidential Physical Fitness Award and annual fitness test for Schools on Military Installations: The President signed an order last week reviving the Presidential Physical Fitness Award as part of a broader push to return an annual physical fitness test to American schools, making the test mandatory for students at 161 schools located on U.S. military installations. The test, created in the 1950s and phased out under former President Barack Obama in favor of a program focused on long term health, originally measured students on exercises including a one mile run and sit ups, with students scoring above the 85th…

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalizes rule requiring SNAP retailers to stock more staple foods: A final regulation set to publish this week will require retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to more than double the available staple foods they stock in grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables to keep accepting SNAP dollars. Retailers will also no longer be able to count certain snack foods toward those quotas; if retailers don’t meet the new standards, they will no longer remain authorized to accept SNAP…

Congress:

House and Senate GOP rifts threaten the Republican legislative agenda: Intraparty tensions between House and Senate Republicans have spilled into public view over the past month, with both chambers trading blame over the prolonged Department of Homeland Security funding fight, a soon-to-expire surveillance law, a stalled bipartisan housing bill and a Federal Reserve digital currency proposal. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)…

Hearings:

• On Tuesday, 5/12, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary is expected to hold a business meeting to consider proposed budget reconciliation.

• On Wednesday, 5/13, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies is expected to hold hearings to examine the President's fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency.

• On Wednesday, 5/13, the Senate Special Committee on Aging is expected to hold a hearing "Supporting Families in the Sandwich Generation."

• On Thursday, 5/14, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies is expected to hold hearings to examine the President's fiscal year 2027 budget request for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• On Thursday, 5/14, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement is anticipated to hold a hearing “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.”

• On Thursday, 5/14, the House Education and Workforce Committee is expected to hold a hearing “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.”

California: 

California needs $4.3 billion loan to keep Medi-Cal solvent: California's Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) must borrow $4.3 billion from the state's general fund to cover its bills, state finance officials told lawmakers last week. The loan from the general fund to the Department of Health Care Services covers increased health care costs, delayed federal payments to hospitals and $1.7 billion in costs associated with non-emergency…

California Assembly avoids new spending or taxes in cautious budget roadmap: California Assembly Democrats released a budget outline last week that holds the line on funding new programs or backfilling previous cuts, and proposed no new corporate taxes despite progressive pressure in both chambers. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) said tax debates should wait until after the midterm elections, signaling potential reassessment if Democrats fail to win back Congress and reverse federal cuts. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO)…

Leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates roll out housing plans: California's leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates released housing plans last week with ambitious round-number commitments. Tom Steyer is promising to build 1 million new homes in four years, a construction rate the state has not seen in nearly 40 years and one that researchers are skeptical he can hit. Xavier Becerra said he will expedite construction…

Education: 

At an 'inflection point': California’s education system lacks coherence, study finds: A major Stanford University report found that while California has made progress in funding equity, early childhood education, and literacy initiatives, outcomes remain uneven across the state’s nearly 950 school districts. Researchers identified fragmented governance, burdensome mandates, lack of implementation guidance, and teacher shortages as ongoing challenges, estimating that local administrator…

Administration finds UCLA’s medical school used race-based admissions practices: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Civil Rights Division determined last week that UCLA’s medical school used race-based admissions practices following a yearlong investigation, alleging the school admitted applicants based on race. The DOJ also claimed admitted Black and Hispanic students were, on average, less academically…

Education Department scrutinizes Los Angeles district over teacher reassignment policies: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) last week over a 2024 district agreement with United Teachers Los Angeles that allows teachers accused of sexual misconduct, including engaging in sexual or romantic relationships with students, to be reassigned…

Federal judge declines to block immigration enforcement near Minnesota schools: U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino denied a preliminary injunction sought by two Minnesota school districts and the state's main teachers union seeking to stop Department of Homeland Security agents from conducting immigration enforcement at or near schools and bus stops. The current administration rescinded Biden-era guidance…

Administration proposes rolling back Biden-era Head Start pay requirements: The administration has proposed rolling back portions of a 2024 Biden-era Head Start rule that would have required significant pay increases and expanded wage standards for early childhood educators. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the Biden regulation was overly costly and exceeded the federal…

Education Department resolved just 1% of civil rights cases in 2025: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reached resolution agreements in only 1% of pending cases in 2025, the lowest rate in over a decade. OCR reached no resolution agreements on sexual harassment, sexual violence…

Education Department launches $5.6 million special education spending study: The Education Department is moving forward with the $5.6 million National Study of Special Education Spending by requesting Office of Management and Budget clearance, according to a notice planned for Federal Register publication. The study will be the first comprehensive federally supported look at Individuals…

Weekly Update 5/4/2026

Weekly Update 5/4/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

California: 

Trump-aligned groups sue Bonta over California sanctuary policies: The Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and the city of El Cajon have filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Diego Superior Court, reviving conservative challenges to the state’s sanctuary immigration policies. The complaint targets the California Values Act, TRUST Act, and TRUTH Act, arguing they limit…

Newsom faces broad pushback over plan to delay billions in K-12 funding: Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing broad pushback from a coalition of teachers unions, school boards, superintendents, and administrators over his January budget proposal to delay $5.6 billion in funding constitutionally guaranteed to schools. Newsom's office has explained the move as a hedge against potentially weakening state revenues, but education leaders argue the governor is balancing other parts of the state budget by withholding money owed to schools. The proposal…

Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) report offers bleak outlook on California state spending: The LAO last week released a report concluding that California's spending has grown at an unsustainable rate over the last six years, forcing lawmakers to make difficult choices on raising taxes or cutting programs to address chronic deficits. The state has increased spending by $100 billion since the 2019-2020 fiscal year, but…

Education:

Education Department's massive rewrite of student loan programs draws swift backlash: The Education Department has finalized a sweeping overhaul of federal student loan programs, with most changes taking effect July 1. The rule sets new borrowing caps and introduces two repayment plans, allowing graduate students to borrow up to $20,500 annually ($100,000 total) and professional students up to $50,000 annually ($200,000 total)…

Supreme Court declines third gender identity case from parents: The Supreme Court declined to hear a Florida case brought by parents who said a school supported their child’s gender transition without their knowledge, marking the third similar case the justices have rejected, following similar disputes from Massachusetts and Maine. The decision suggests the court may avoid ruling this term on conflicts between parental rights and policies protecting LGBTQ student privacy. Earlier, the conservative majority temporarily backed California parents seeking notification policies but…

Department of Justice (DOJ) probes 36 Illinois school districts over sex discrimination, parental rights: The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division last week announced investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts over potential violations of federal sex discrimination laws and parental rights. The agency…

Education Department launches civil rights probe of Stanford teacher diversity program: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) last week launched an investigation into Stanford University over a program that supports teachers of color, following a complaint by the conservative nonprofit Defending Education. The probe will examine whether Stanford's National Board Resource Center violates the Civil Rights Act, the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race. At issue is the center's Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)…

McMahon faces bipartisan pushback at Senate Appropriations on civil rights, TRIO, special ed, and grant consolidations: Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended the department's $75.7 billion fiscal 2027 budget request before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday (4/28), facing bipartisan pushback on proposed cuts and program shifts. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) pressed McMahon on consolidating 17 programs totaling $6.5 billion, including the Rural Education Achievement Program, into a $2 billion block grant…

Education and Treasury departments trade employees as part of student loan program shift: The U.S. Department of Education and Department of the Treasury are exchanging staff as part of the Administration’s effort to transfer the federal student loan portfolio, valued at nearly $1.7 trillion, to Treasury. The initial phase focuses on moving responsibility for defaulted student loans, with several employees already detailed…

Trump administration excludes education degrees from professional definition: The new student loan rule excludes education from the list of professional graduate degrees, meaning education graduate students face caps of $20,500 annually or $100,000 total under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, rather than the $50,000 annual or $200,000 total cap for professional fields. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)…

Why Congress is struggling with Trump's education agency breakup: Education Secretary Linda McMahon is facing increased scrutiny from Senate Democrats over the U.S. Department of Education’s agreements with other federal agencies to manage major education programs, including student loans and Title I…

Congressional Hearing Update: K–12 Education Policy: The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, led by Chairman Kevin Kiley (I-CA), held a hearing examining the impact of equity-focused policies in K–12 education. Republican members and witnesses argued that prioritizing uniform outcomes over individual achievement may limit access to advanced…