Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The Senate is in Session this week.
Markups
On June 18, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a markup of the Protect College Sports Act. The bill seeks to establish a federal framework for intercollegiate athletics by codifying student-athletes’ rights, including name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities, and the revenue-sharing framework established through the House v. NCAAdecision. The committee-approved bill includes provisions that would prohibit the formation of “super leagues” and require that Division 1 institutions reporting over $80 million in athletic revenue maintain scholarship and roster levels for Olympic and women’s sports. The bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 19–9, with seven Democratic senators and two Republican senators, including Indiana Senator Todd Young (R), voting against the bill. Watch the full markup here.
Bills Introduced
On June 8, Reps. Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY) and Laura Gillen (D-NY) introduced the Student Protection and University Accountability Act (H.R.9203). The bill would require universities to establish procedures for handling Title VI discrimination complaints, designate an official responsible for compliance, and provide complainants with status updates on their cases. Institutions that fail to meet these requirements could become ineligible for certain federal funding. Read the bill text here.
On June 11, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Postsecondary Student Success Act (H.R. 9300 and S. 4778). The bill would authorize the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program. The bill authorizes funding to colleges and universities for evidence-based retention programs, such as faculty and peer mentoring, academic advising, tutoring, re-enrollment and transfer student support programs, emergency financial assistance, career coaching, and experiential learning opportunities. Read Rep. Stansbury’s press release here. Read the bill text here.
On June 12, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) introduced the Student Athlete Act of 2026 (H.R. 9302 and S. 4177). The legislation would limit student-athletes to five consecutive years of intercollegiate athletic eligibility, allow one transfer without a loss of eligibility, and require athletes to sit out one season before competing following any transfer after their first. It would also require institutions to honor grant-in-aid agreements, provide the NCAA with a limited antitrust exemption, and preempt conflicting state laws governing college athletics. Read Rep. Steube’s press release here. Read the bill text here.
Executive Branch activities of interest
ED Approves Indiana’s ‘Returning Education to States’ Waiver
On June 16, the Department of Education (ED) approved Indiana’s ‘Returning Education to the States’ Waiver, which permits Indiana’s Department of Education (IDOE) to consolidate $50 million in federal funding and place a greater emphasis on college and career readiness metrics in Indiana’s high school accountability system. Indiana is the third state to receive a Returning Education to the States Waiver, alongside Iowa and Louisiana. Read the full press release here.
ED Announces New Partnerships with Department of Justice and Health and Human Services
On June 16, the Department of Education (ED) announced four new interagency agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), further expanding the Department's use of cross-agency partnerships to advance education policy. According to ED, the partnerships are intended to improve educational and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, enhance enforcement of civil rights laws, safeguard student information, and expand access to education through training and advisory services . The agreements build on ten similar partnerships that ED has established with other federal agencies over the past year. Read the full press release here.