On June 14, 2023, the Supreme Court released a decision in Haaland v. Brackeen, upholding the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in a 7-2 decision. ICWA was adopted by Congress in 1978 because of an abusive history by the US government that frequently resulted in the placement of Indian children in boarding
On June 13, 2023, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Health and Human Services.” Committee members asked Secretary Becerra of the Department of Health and Human Services questions about children’s health-related to gender-affirming care and unaccompanied children at the border.
On June 12, 2023, First Focus on Children started their Child Week 2023 programming with a webinar titled “Protecting our Students – A Conversation with FL State Rep. Anna Eskamani & PEN America’s Jonathan Friedman.” This event focused on the increasing efforts to pass policies that censor students in public schools across the United States.
On June 7th, 2023, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement held a hearing with the Department of Homeland Security to determine if recent immigration policies violate the law and encourage undocumented immigration. The hearing began with an opening statement from Subcommittee Chairman McClintock (R-CA), and Ranking Member Jayapal (D-WA).Testimonies were given
A publication released by the Child Welfare Information Gateway in 2023 provides a legal overview of the rights and supports available to youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or other gender or sexual identities), children who are often subjected to adverse experiences while in care.
On April 18, 2023, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing concerning the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) unaccompanied children program. The witness, director of the ORR, Ms. Robin Dunn-Marcos defended the current system used to care for unaccompanied migrant children. However, congressmen from both sides of the aisle raised concerns and were
In addition to the Biden administration’s proposed rule that was announced last week (see below), the House voted on H.R. 734 the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The bill passed along party lines in a 219-203 vote. The bill is not expected to pass in the Senate or
On Thursday April 6th, 2023, Secretary Miguel Cardona of the Department of Education announced a proposed rule that would update Title IX to clarify guidelines for participation in school athletics. Title IX aims to protect students in schools that receive federal funding from sex-based discrimination and ensure fairness, and this rule aims to expand upon
On March 8th, 2023 the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held its first full committee markup on H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, and H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. Ranking Member Bobby Scott [D-VA] opened the markup by explaining his opposition: “Neither of
On February 28, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee hosted a hearing entitled, “The Equal Rights Amendment: How Congress Can Recognize Ratification and Enshrine Equality in Our Constitution.” Presiding Chair, Senator Dick Durban (D-IL), led the hearing and was followed by two rounds of panelists and a period of Q&A time with committee members. The hearing