Last Week in Congress (5/4–5/8/26)
An update will be shared every week that Congress is in session. This will include a short summary of the past week in Congress, as well as a listing of all education-related bills introduced in the House and Senate, relevant Committee and Floor activity, and education-related hearings.
On May 1, the Department published Reimagining and Improving Student Education – Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations. The rules, which implement provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, P.L. 119-21, and take effect on July 1, 2026, dramatically change certain aspects of the federal student loan program. One of the more controversial provisions of the regulations is the definition of “professional” and “graduate,” with the impact of categorization being significant disparities in new federal loan caps. Since P.L. 119-21 was passed last summer some members of Congress have been seeking to adjust those changes. So far, eight different bills have been introduced to either raise loan limits or shift the definition of “professional” to increase the number of students eligible for higher loan limits; two of those bills were introduced last week, but nothing has advanced yet.
On a more entertaining note, with the Senate in recess and the House taking a slower pace after the marathon budget hearings of the past two weeks, we’re pausing to acknowledge the creativity with which some members name their bills. This week’s nods for extra effort in the numbering and naming of bills (available in the link) go to Rep. Green’s bid to increase the number of Justices on the Supreme Court, and Rep. Cloud’s call for increased user-ownership of digital data.
· H.R. 8647(Green, D-TX), Representative Green’s Original Legislation to increase from 9 to 13 the number of Justices of the Supreme Court (Judiciary).
· H.R. 8652 (Cloud, R-TX), the YODA (You Own the Data Act), to affirm user ownership of their data, prohibit entities from requiring the transfer or monetization of private data in exchange for services, and prohibit the collection of third-party contact information without written consent (Energy and Commerce).
· H.R. 8654 (Goldman, D-NY), to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize the Nita M. Lowey Community Learning Centers program for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 (Education and Workforce; Ways and Means).
· H.R. 8657(Houchin, R-IN), to amend the Public Health Act to enhance programs for youth suicide prevention and intervention (Energy and Commerce).
· H.R. 8659 (Kiggans, R-VA), to amend the definition of a professional student in the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8676 (Brown, D-OH), to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to State educational agencies to carry out wellness programs for school personnel (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8691 (Kiggans, R-VA), to amend the definition of a professional student in the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8705 (Owens, R-UT), to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prevent the American History and Civics program from funding radical indoctrination (Education and Workforce).