Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The House and Senate are in Session this week.
Hearings
On April 21, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee held a hearing on the FY27 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the hearing, Subcommittee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said that one of the most important investments at HHS is in biomedical research and noted that the final FY26 budget included an increase in funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A copy of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony may be found here . A recording of the hearing may be found here.
On April 21, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the President's FY27 budget request for HHS. Indiana Representative Erin Houchin (R) participated in the hearing, asking Sec. Kennedy about FDA approval processes for pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States. Watch the hearing here.
On April 22, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing to examine the President's FY27 budget request for HHS. During the hearing, Indiana Senator Jim Banks (R) raised concerns about pharmaceutical trials occurring in China. Watch the hearing here.
On April 22, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the President's FY27 budget request for HHS. Indiana Senator Todd Young (R) participated in the hearing, asking Sec. Kennedy about the impacts of long COVID and HHS’ efforts to advance treatments for the disease. Sen. Young also asked Sec. Kennedy about how the HHS would partner with Congress to advance American biotechnology. Watch the hearing here.
Bills Introduced
The Stop DEI Act (H.R. 8445) was introduced by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA). The bill would prohibit federal funds from being available to institutions of higher education that consider race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin in violation of civil rights law. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
The End H1-B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 (H.R. 8443) was introduced by Rep. Elijah Crane (R-AZ). The bill would pause the issuance of H-1B visas for three years and overhaul the H1-B visa system. Some reforms outlined in the bill include reducing the H-1B cap to 25,000, replacing the lottery system with a wage-based system, and setting a minimum H1-B wage to $200,000 per year. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
The FAFSA Verification Act (S.4365) was introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). The bill would require all student loan applicants to complete background checks to participate in federal student aid programs. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
The Promoting Access and Revenue Integrity Through Institutional Transparency Act, or PARITY Act (S. 4348) was introduced by Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN). The bill would repeal the 90/10 rule as it pertains to proprietary schools under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Read the bill text here.
Executive Branch activities of interest
Department of Education Proposes New Accountability Measures
On April 17, the Department of Education (ED) issued a proposed ruleimplementing the accountability and transparency provisions Congress enacted in last year’s H.R. 1 reconciliation bill. The rule is based on the regulatory language that the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee discussed and debated earlier this year.
Under the proposed rule, starting July 1, ED will apply a new accountability metric to measure return on investment of college education. It will require undergraduate programs currently eligible for Title IV funds to show that their graduates are earning more than individuals with high school diplomas. It will also require graduate and professional programs to show that their graduates are earning more than graduates of bachelor’s degree programs. Programs that fail the earnings thresholds for two of three consecutive years will lose access to federal student loans. Comments on the proposed rule are due May 20, 2026.
Department of Education Publishes Section 117 Information Collection Request
The Department of Education has published a new notice in the Federal Register proposing a revision to the currently approved information collection request (ICR), “Foreign Gifts and Contracts Disclosures.”
The notice explains that Federal Student Aid (FSA) “is seeking renewal for substantially the same information collection, utilizing a new, more user-friendly portal.” The portal was launched in January 2026.
In its supporting statement, ED notes – in relation to the collection of personal identification information – that “it intends to publish the contents of reports made by institutions to the fullest extent required by 20 U.S.C. § 1011f(e), including publication of details about specific counterparties, such as the counterparty’s name.” Comments on the ICR are due June 15, 2026.