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FPA-110th CONGRESS
Fair Pay Act
April 23,
2008
Senate Unable to Get the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the Floor for a
Vote
On April 23rd, the U.S. Senate voted down a motion that would
bring the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, H.R. 2831/S. 1843, to a floor
vote. The Ledbetter Act, which has already been passed by the
House, would restore women's right to fight for fair pay by
overturning unrealistic time limits on pay discrimination claims.
To see how your Senators voted on cloture (a motion that would
have closed out debate on H.R. 2831 and brought it to a final
vote) go to
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00110.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised to
reintroduce the motion soon.
Additional background:
Prior to the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Ledbetter, victims of
pay discrimination were allowed to file suit against their
employers for up to 180 days after they received their last
discriminatory paycheck - a system called the paycheck accrual
method. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, ruled that the
filing limit is 180 days after the discriminatory practice begins.
This ruling makes it nearly impossible for unfairly treated women
to successfully sue their employers. Because many employers
discourage their employees from discussing wages, women are often
unaware of a pay discrepancy for months or even years after it
begins. The message the Supreme Court decision sends to employers
is this: if you hide your discrimination from the employee for six
months, you're in the clear. After that, the discrimination could
potentially continue for years, as it did in the Ledbetter case,
without any recourse for women to receive back pay or damages.
The Fair Pay Restoration Act and its House counterpart, the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, would amend Title VII of the 1964 Civil
Rights Act to clarify that an employer's liability for
discriminatory practice does not end after 180 days. The Fair Pay
Restoration Act restores the former practice of allowing a suit to
be filed 180 days after the victim received her last paycheck from
the employer.
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HEA-110th CONGRESS
Higher Education Act
July 31, 2008
Congress Approves New Version of the Higher Education Act
For the first time in 10 years, Congress
has approved a new version of the Higher Education Act. A deal was
imminent early in the week of July 27. However, final action wasn't
expected until September. Since then, several procedural issues were
cleared, and Members of Congress wanted at least a small victory
before the August recess.
The conference committee to negotiate differences between the
respective House- and Senate-passed bills met Tuesday night, July
29, to iron out the final issues. July 31, the House adopted the
agreed-upon conference report, the new Higher Education Opportunity
Act (H.R. 4137), on a 380-49 vote. Later in the day, the Senate
voted to approve it 83-8. The final bill now goes to the President
to be signed into law.
May 28, 2008
Congress Extends Higher Education Act
On May 20, the Senate passed a bill (S. 3035) to extend the Higher
Education Act (P.L. 105-244) for an additional two weeks. The House
passed the bill later the same day.
July 24, 2007
Senate Passes Higher Education Reauthorization, Extends Current Law
from Women's Policy, Inc.
The Senate approved, 95-0, the Higher
Education Amendments Act, a bill (S. 1642) to reauthorize the Higher
Education Act (P.L. 105-244). The Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions Committee approved the legislation on June 20.
Senate Passes Second Higher Education Bill
from Women Work! Economic Equity Insider The
Senate passed its second package of changes to the Higher Education
Act by an overwhelmingly positive 95 to 0 vote. The Higher Education
Act of 2007 is a long-term, five-year reauthorization renewing
numerous education programs under the current Higher Education Act.
The Senate's Higher Education Act of 2007 would, among other things,
impose new reporting requirements for tuition and cost of
attendance; create a “Higher Education Price Increase Watch List”
that would rank institutions by a still-to-be-determined “price
index”; streamline the application process for requesting federal
student aid; redesign the Leveraging Educational Partnership program
to strengthen partnerships between the states and institutions to
bolster graduation and persistence; and require institutions to
publish their policies regarding the transfer of academic credit.
November 15, 2007
House Panel Approves Bill to Reauthorize Higher Education Act
from Women's Policy, Inc.
The House Education and Labor Committee approved, 44-0, the College
Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137), after adopting, by
voice vote, a manager’s amendment by Chair George Miller (D-CA). The
Senate passed its version of the reauthorization bill, the Higher
Education Amendments Act (S. 1642), on July 24. H.R. 4137 would
reauthorize programs under the Higher Education Act (P.L. 105-244)
for the first time since 1998.
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NCLB-110th CONGRESS
No Child
Left Behind Reauthorization
September 10, 2007
House Committee Holds Marathon Hearing on Draft NCLB Legislation
from Women's Policy Inc.
The House Education and Labor Committee
held a hearing on draft legislation to reauthorize the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (P.L. 107-110), also known as the No
Child Left Behind Act.
September 12, 2007
Committee Releases Remaining Titles of Miller-McKeon NCLB Discussion
Draft
Representatives George Miller, and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, Chairman
and Senior Republican of the Committee on Education and Labor, and
Representatives Dale E. Kildee and Michael N. Castle, Chairman and
Senior Republican of the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary
Education Subcommittee released a staff discussion draft of
remaining titles for the reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. This follows the release last week of a
staff discussion draft of Title I.
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TANF-110th CONGRESS
Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families
January 30, 2008
New TANF Rules to Loosen Education & Training Restrictions
from Workforce Alliance
This week, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services will hand down new rules for adults
participating in education and training activities while receiving
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance. The
new rules will specify that TANF recipients can count up to one year
of vocational education or other degree-bound higher education as
work activity and loosen the initial supervision requirements for
time spent doing homework to reflect more traditional measures of
classroom progress.
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WIA-110th CONGRESS
Workforce Investment Act
Reauthorization
June 28, 2007
Workforce Investment Act: Recommendations to Improve the
Effectiveness of Job Training
Testimony by Evelyn
Ganzglass,
Center for Law and Social Policy,
CLASP’s Director of Workforce Development, before the House
Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and
Competitiveness.
July 19, 2007
Recommendations for WIA Reauthorization Legislation: Title I Youth
Provisions
by Linda
Harris. Reauthorization of
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is happening at a particularly
important time for state and local youth delivery systems. During
the past few years, increased attention has been given to the
unacceptably high dropout rates in districts across the country. As
local communities seek to put interventions in place, WIA can and
should play a pivotal role. It is important that the reauthorization
incorporate the past five years’ experiences and lessons learned
related to youth delivery, especially in economically distressed
areas.
July 26, 2007
Hearing on Reauthorization of Workforce Investment Act
from Wider Opportunities for Women
The Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness
Subcommittee (Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, R-TX, chair) of the House
Education and Labor Committee on Thursday held a second hearing on
reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. The first hearing
took a broad look at the implementation of the 1998 law and what
areas need to be strengthened. This week’s hearing took a closer
look at the implementation of the programs authorized under the
Workforce Investment Act from individual, local, regional and state
perspectives.
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BUDGET
AND APPROPRIATIONS
Federal
Budget and Appropriations
July
19, 2007
The House Passed its Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Bill for FY 2008
from ACTE
The bill, H.R. 3043, was approved by a
vote of 276-140, and provides almost $152 billion in discretionary
spending for education, labor and health programs. Of this total,
over $62 billion in funding is allocated to the Department of
Education, with Pell Grants, No Child Left Behind, and IDEA
receiving significant increases. The bill also includes a $25
million increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant, and restores
funding for most other education and workforce development programs
that were proposed for elimination by the Administration.
November 1, 2007
FY 2008 Education, HHS, and Education Conference Report Finalized
The conference report includes a $25 million increase in CTE basic
state grants.
November 15, 2007
The House fails to override President Bush's veto of FY 2008 Labor,
HHS, and Education appropriations bill fails by 2 votes.
December 20, 2007
Congress approves a FY 2008 Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations
bill as part of a larger $555 billion omnibus legislative package
(H.R.2764). The bill includes $59.2 billion for education and $1.175
billion for the Perkins Act, an approximate $11 million cut below
the FY 2007 Perkins level.
February 4, 2008
President Bush's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposes Elimination of CTE
from NASDCTEc
The President's FY 2009 budget proposal requests $59.2 billion in
discretionary appropriations for the Department of Education. Within
the $59.2 billion proposal for education, the President proposes to
eliminate funding for career technical education.
President's FY09 Budget Again Cuts Programs That Help Women and
Families Succeed
from Women Work Once
again, the Administration has made advancing economic opportunity
for women and families a low priority.
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