Weekly Update 9/14/2026
Weekly Update 9/14/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners
Grant Management:
Upcoming Federal Fiscal Year-End: With September 30 approaching, if you have a grant or No-Cost Extension (NCE) ending on September 30, all program activities…
President and Administration:
Judge rules Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to halve FEMA workforce unlawful: A federal judge ruled last week that DHS acted unlawfully in ordering the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cut its workforce by more than 11,000 employees by the end of the month. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California wrote that the plan was arbitrary and capricious and that the 11,000 figure appeared to have been “pulled from thin air.” The reduction targeted Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees, temporary full-time staff who help communities prepare for and…
Administration announces $500 rebates to some Affordable Care Act enrollees: The administration last week announced that it will send $500 rebates to nearly one million people enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage through healthcare.gov who did not receive a federal subsidy, describing the payments as a one-time refund of marketplace user fees. Eligible enrollees are in 30 states, and California is not among them. Consumers in California and 20 other jurisdictions…
Congress:
House to vote Sept. 15 on bill requiring data center operators to cover grid costs: The House will vote on the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, H.R. 9340, intended to require technology companies to pay for the electric infrastructure required by data centers rather than shifting those costs onto utility customers. The bill, led by Reps. Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Kathy Castor (D-FL), passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously this summer…
Education:
Bill would redirect federal literacy grant to lowest performing states: The READ Act would restructure the Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant, most recently funded at $194 million, to give absolute priority to states with the lowest fourth grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Participating states would have to develop literacy plans covering early screening and intervention, teacher professional development…
White House clears final Title IX rule for release: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) signed off last week on the Education Department's final rule recodifying its sex discrimination regulations under Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance…
Education Department special education leader resigns amid transfer of staff to HHS: Kelly Rogers, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, announced on September 8 that she is stepping down. The office administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)…
American Bar Association (ABA) repeals diversity standard as accreditation authority faces review: The ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted on September 8 to repeal Standard 206, which required law schools to show a commitment to diversity and had not been enforced since 2024. Education Department staff…
Federal officials find UC Berkeley law school violated civil rights law in admissions: The Justice Department (DOJ) and Education Department found on September 9 that the Berkeley School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions. Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, wrote that admissions data for the classes of 2024 and 2025 showed Black applicants had nearly six times the odds of admission compared with white applicants who had similar…
Education Department releases playbook as states take on more program decisions: The Education Department announced a Learning Agenda Playbook on September 8, a set of optional case studies, templates, and guidance to help state education agencies set goals, measure progress, and direct funding. Kirsten Baesler, Assistant…
California:
Federal agency blocks California ban on single-use propane cylinders: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) ruled on Sept. 7 that California's ban on single-use propane cylinders is preempted by federal law, siding with Worthington Enterprises, an Ohio manufacturer, along with the attorneys general of Kansas and Ohio. SB 1280, authored by state Sen. John Laird (D-17) in 2024, would have replaced single-use cans with refillable and…
CalPERS pension clawbacks over post-retirement work draw lawsuit: A lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court challenges how the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) recovers money from retirees it finds violated limits on working after retirement. Linda Samsom, who worked as a consulting specialist for the Yolo County Sheriff's Department after retiring from Riverside County, received a CalPERS notice demanding repayment of her…