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Good afternoon,

The goal of this email is to provide a regular source of useful information to staff and faculty of the ��ҹӰԺ System regarding the federal government and higher education. We have put together a list of news articles that will keep you informed of the actions taken by the executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government. These articles are meant to be informative and are not a reflection of the views or stance of the system regarding these issues. 

If you would like more information regarding any of the stories we share, or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact Dusty Schnieders and/or Emily Lucas .

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Appropriations News

House Appropriations Committee – July 10, 2024
The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 29 to 26. Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available .
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available .
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available .

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations – July 11, 2024
The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, providing support for critical agriculture, rural development, nutrition, conservation, and food and drug safety programs. The measure, which was advanced by a unanimous vote of 27-0, to include $27 billion in discretionary funding. Agriculture Research: $3.8 billion for agricultural research programs, including $1.9 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $1.7 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which allocates $445 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – the nation’s leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences.

House Appropriations Committee – July 10, 2024
House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 31 to 25. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $185.8 billion, which is $8.6 billion (4%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted score, $23.8 billion (11%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 effective spending level, and $36.2 billion (15%) below the President’s Budget Request. 
A summary of the bill is available . Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available .

House Appropriations Committee – July 10, 2024
The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $90.400 billion, which is $7.084 billion (7.3%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level. The bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $90.022 billion and a defense discretionary total of $378 million. This bill prioritizes highway, railway, and aviation safety while maintaining housing assistance for our nation’s most vulnerable. 
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available . 
A summary of the bill is available .

House Appropriations Committee – July 9, 2024
The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 30 to 26. The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $59.190 billion, which is $999 million (1.7%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and $139 million (-0.2%) below the President’s Budget Request including emergency amounts requested. The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that bolster our national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness. The draft report to the House FY25 Energy and Water Appropriations bill can be found .

House Appropriations Committee – July 9, 2024
The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 29 to 25. 
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available .

House Appropriations Committee – July 9, 2024
The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 31 to 26. 
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available . 
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available .

Capitol Hill News

Senate Energy Committee – July 10, 2024
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), applauded unanimous Senate approval of S. 912, the Mining Schools Act of 2023. This legislation will help boost American energy and mineral security by supporting our mining schools so that they can recruit and train the next generation of miners. The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives. According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, “More than half the current domestic mining workforce will need to retireand be replaced by 2029 (roughly 221,000 workers). This number stands in stark contrast to the total of just 327 degrees awarded in 2020 in mining and mineral engineering and a 39 percent net drop in graduations in the United States since 2016.”

US Senate Committee on Armed Services – July 8, 2024
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced that they have filed S. 4638, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA). The Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA authorizes a topline of $911.8 billion for military and national security programs at the Department of Defense and Department of Energy. 
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Committee on Science, Space and Technology – July 9, 2024
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), along with Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) and Ranking Member Eric Sorensen (D-IL), released to reauthorize NASA.

Federal News

NIST – July 12, 2024
The Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), announced the processes for selecting the first three research and development (R&D) facilities funded through the CHIPS and Science Act. The facilities include a NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, a NSTC Administrative and Design Facility, and a NSTC Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Center. The Department and Natcast expect to announce information at a later date about the process for selecting affiliated technical centers.

The White House – July 9, 2024
The memo provides guidance to federal agencies on the 4 aspects of a research security plan – cybersecurity, tracking foreign travel, research security training, and export controls. The memo indicates that institutions will self-certify with a “written or electronic attestation to a federal research agency that the covered institution has met relevant research security program requirements.” The memo lays out circumstances in which agencies could develop additional requirements for the research security programs of covered institutions beyond the four initial aspects. The Guidelines for Research Security Programs at Covered Institutions can be found .