Spring 2019 Advocacy Meetings Focus on College Transparency Act, HEA Reauthorization, Proposed Legislation

Spring 2019 Advocacy Meetings Focus on College Transparency Act, HEA Reauthorization, Proposed Legislation

In April 2019, Dan Black, chair of the NACE Advocacy Advisory Committee; Sam Ratcliffe, incoming chair; Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director; and Edwin Koc, NACE director of research, public policy, and legislative affairs, met with legislative staff and public policy leaders in Washington, D.C., to discuss a range of issues affecting higher education and employment.

Chief among these issues were the College Transparency Act, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), and proposed legislation that would enable colleges and universities to use work-study funds to support eligible students taking part in cooperative education (Classroom to Careers Act).

HEA reauthorization and the College Transparency Act were key topics in discussions with:

Julia Sfrelazzo, education legislative assistant to Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Tim Carlton, policy adviser to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

Julia Cinquegrani, staff, Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-PA)

Jake Middlebrooks, staff, House Committee on Education and Labor

Mary Catherin Cook and Jake Baker, staff, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee

Black, Ratcliffe, Mackes, and Koc met with Halie Craig, a staff member in the office of Senator Patrick Toomey (R-PA), and with Jon Cardinal, who works in the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Senator Toomey and Senator Gillibrand are co-sponsoring the bipartisan Classroom to Career Act of 2019, S.830. NACE recently issued a position statement in support of the Act.

The NACE representatives held a meeting with Megan Baird, new division chief; Angela McDaniel, and Michelle Mills from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Apprenticeships, to discuss how NACE could support the DOL’s apprenticeship program.

The group also met with staff from the DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy about the Workforce Recruitment Program, Job Accommodation Network, and Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion.

In addition, the NACE representatives met with staff from the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to review immigration-related issues, including DREAMers, DACA, OPT regulations, H-1B visas, and USCIS. Committee staff included Betsey Lawrence, Majority Staff; and Andrea Loving, chief counsel, Minority Staff, for the House Judiciary Committee; and Stephen Giaier, Majority Staff, for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

April 2019