In the House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing titled "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education," on May 16, 2023, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended the proposed education budget of the Biden administration. The proposed budget includes an increase of $10.8 billion from fiscal 2023, with increased funding for programs
On May 18th, 2023, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)—alongside Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA)—reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, legislation to protect students from seclusion and restraint discipline practices in school. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would prohibit any school receiving federal taxpayer
On May 17, 2023, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) reintroduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program. The bill would ensure that every worker, no matter the size of their employer or if they are self-employed or part-time,
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Administration (APHSA), have released new resources aimed at improving collaboration between the alcohol and other drug (AOD) and child welfare systems. Research has shown that if left untreated, parental substance use disorders (SUD) can have a
The Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ended on May 11th, 2023. Many of the health policies were changed or extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2023 last December, allowing for more gradual transitions. One item decided in the CAA omnibus was that Medicaid and CHIP redeterminations could begin on April 1st, 2023,
A new study from researchers at Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NI), suggest that well-funded anti-poverty measures can improve both brain development and mental health in children. Past research has shown that childhood poverty has a negative long-term impact along various outcome measures, like lower
On April 28th, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2021 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This survey is the largest public health surveillance system in the United States, monitoring a broad range of health-related behaviors among high school students. The 2021 surveys were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and
On April 12, 2023, Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) wrote a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries informing them of their creation of the Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group. This letter indicated that ensuring paid family leave must be a bipartisan effort, as the future of
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 Thursday, April 13, 2023, President Biden announced that hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children will be eligible for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. This action will allow participants in the Obama-era’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to access government-funded health
