Delivered via email: July 17, 2026
COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference
The July 20 early bird registration deadline for the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference is quickly approaching, and the conference hotel is filling up fast. IASB will have a record number of participants who will carry the stories and needs of Illinois students to their federal legislators. Please join us at this critical time for federal advocacy!
FY 2027 Budget
With the House Appropriations Committee concluding action on each of the 12 FY 2027 appropriations bills by June 24, it is the Senate’s turn to act on its versions of the bills to fund the U.S. Government. Last year, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan education bill was largely enacted. However, with a one vote majority on the Committee, the illness of Sen. Mitch McConnell and the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham have kept the Senate Appropriations Committee from acting on the partisan legislation it hoped to consider. The lack of action sets the stage for a flurry of Senate bills at the end of July and throughout September, a potential short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) that would fund the federal government from the end of FY26 on September 30 through the 2026 elections on November 3, or a government shutdown in the weeks before the election. House leadership announced plans to consider a short-term CR on the House floor the week of July 20.
House and Senate Action
On July 15, the House Education and Workforce Committee adopted legislation, H.R. 9610, the Less Bureaucracy, Better K-12 Education Act. The bill codified the Secretary of Education’s Interagency Agreement (IAA) for K-12 education by transferring all education functions and the functions of any office or employee of the Department of Education related to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Department of Labor. The Committee adopted nine other similar bills codifying other IAAs, including transferring career, tech and adult education, higher education programs, student aid, and other educational programs. Notably, the Committee did not codify the Department of Education’s recently announced IAAs, which transferred the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Civil Rights to the Department of Justice. The bills will now go to the full House of Representatives for action. If enacted, the bills would endorse the controversial transfers, making additional legislation necessary to reverse the transfers. While the House may approve the proposals, the bills are unlikely to pass the Senate.
Resolution to Impeach Secretary McMahon
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), ranking member of the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee, introduced a resolution on June 25 to impeach Secretary Linda McMahon, for illegally transferring Department of Education functions to other federal departments. The resolution, H. Res 1391 was cosponsored by 20 other Representatives, including Illinois Representative Mike Quigley. While it is unlikely the House will consider the resolution, it escalates tension between the Department of Education and the Democratic members of the Education and Workforce Committee.
House passes Kids Internet and Digital Safety “KIDS” Act
On June 29, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Kids Internet and Digital Safety “KIDS” Act, H.R. 7757 by a vote of 267-117. This bill requires specified online platforms to establish safeguards for minors, including limiting access to sexual material, providing parental controls on social media and online video game platforms, implementing default settings for minors that limit compulsive usage features, and requiring artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to disclose certain information to users who are minors. The bill also requires studies about the impact of social media platforms on minors. On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has already adopted several bills and is evaluating additional legislation to regulate social media platforms that may be considered before the end of July. The bipartisan, bicameral interest in these issues, like the bipartisan interest in the State of Illinois, reflects growing concern in these areas and the potential for action. In a related arena, the Illinois State Board of Education released statewide guidance on the use of AI in education on July 1.
Administrative Action
Future of E-Rate Program
The E-Rate program, which helps schools and libraries obtain affordable broadband, is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the supervision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). From 2021-2025 E-Rate has provided more than $471 million in assistance to Illinois schools and libraries, and is the fifth largest funding stream for schools nationwide.
On June 25, the FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comments. Though the official comment period hasn’t opened yet, the FCC has begun taking comments on these questions:
- Whether the program should be narrowed, reoriented or ended to reflect the achievement of its connectivity objectives.
- How to ensure E-Rate-funded services are advancing educational outcomes and protecting children online.
- What measures the Commission can take to empower parents, guardians, and teachers to ensure the E-Rate program advances student learning, protects children when using E-rate funding networks, and remains consistent with the universal service principles established by Congress.
The rule also proposes actions to strengthen E-Rate program integrity, including increasing oversight of consultants, streamlining program administration, and sunsetting rules for the Emergency Connectivity Fund program.
This is a key advocacy issue for many organizations, including IASB and the Consortium of State School Boards Association (COSSBA), and will be a main advocacy topic during the Federal Advocacy Conference. COSSBA is also preparing comments regarding the issue on behalf of state school boards associations and the local school board members it represents. Stay tuned for more information from IASB on how you can register your support for E-rate with the FCC and Congress.
Office of Management and Budget Proposed Rule
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has wide discretion over the process federal departments use to select federal grant recipients. In a recently proposed rule, OMB outlined potential changes to the Uniform Grants Guidance strengthening the power political appointees will have to select grant recipients and deny grants to those who do not meet the agenda of the President and federal departments. The rule would also allow federal departments or agencies to immediately pause or terminate grants that have already been awarded. The rule proposes additional record keeping requirements for grant recipients. COSSBA has submitted comments on the proposed rule to OMB on behalf of state school boards associations. Over 496,000 comments were submitted during the comment period, which closed July 13. Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Collins released a statement on July 7 asking that the comment period be extended and that OMB withdraw burdensome record keeping aspects of the rule that would disproportionately impact small and rural communities.