This Week in DC The Senate is in session while the House is out, returning next week.
The Senate convened Monday and on Tuesday continues consideration of an administration nomination followed by a vote on a motion to invoke cloture on a substitute amendment to housing legislation. Committee activity scheduled for the week includes the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on increasing domestic consumption of U.S.-grown agricultural products, the Finance Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on the fiscal outlook, and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on foreign influence in higher education. |
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Partial Shutdown ContinuesThe partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues. Last week the House voted 221-209 to advance a DHS spending bill but at this time it is unlikely to garner the 60 Senate votes needed for approval. According to a fact sheet released last week by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Britt (R-AL), the balance of the Disaster Relief Fund is approximately $4 billion.
Reconciliation ResourcesFollowing enactment of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a number of resources have been released examining the legislation's impact and providing implementation guidance. Newly released resources are included below.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a State Medicaid Director letter (SMDL) to describe the changes to eligibility redeterminations made by Section 71107 of OBBBA. The provision requires states to complete eligibility redeterminations every six months, beginning with renewals scheduled on or after January 1, 2027, for most individuals enrolled in the Medicaid adult group. The letter describes the changes and addresses operational considerations for states when implementing the changes.
- The Department of Education (ED) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish the new Workforce Pell Grant program, authorized by OBBBA. Workforce Pell will enable students to use federal grant funds to enroll in high-quality, short-term programs that offer education in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations, starting in July 2026. Comments on the proposed rule are due by April 8.
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed regulations providing guidance on the contribution pilot program for Trump Accounts, a new type of traditional individual retirement account for eligible minors. The proposed regulations address the one-time contributions of $1,000, how children become eligible, and identifying the program-electing individual. The IRS also issued proposed regulations providing general requirements for Trump Accounts.
- KFF published an issue brief entitled “A Look at the Intersection of SNAP and Medicaid as States Implement Medicaid Work Requirements”. The brief discusses how information from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may be leveraged by states when implementing the new Medicaid work requirements.
GSA Soliciting Comments on Financial Assistance Certification ChangeThe General Services Administration (GSA) is collecting public comments on a revision to an existing information collection requirement regarding the pre-award requirements for prime financial assistance recipients. The proposed amendment would update the Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications to align with updated executive branch guidance including the Department of Justice’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination” and an executive order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”, applicable to all entities receiving grants, cooperative agreements, and financial assistance such as loans, insurance, and direct appropriations. According to GSA, the impact of the change could affect all 222,760 registrants in SAM.gov. Comments are due by March 30.
FDA Holds Meeting with States on Importation of Lower Priced DrugsLast week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a meeting with several states to discuss the section 804 importation program (SIP), which allows states and Tribes to import certain prescription drugs from Canada to reduce the cost of these drugs to the American consumer. The meeting provided a forum to exchange information, with the goal of making it easier for states that have expressed interest in the program to obtain authorization while protecting safety and quality. Following the President’s executive order on lowering drug prices, the FDA has offered individual states and Tribes the opportunity to submit a draft SIP proposal for pre-review and receive feedback. Presentations from the meeting can be found here.
SAMHSA Announces $69 Million for Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention GrantsOn Friday the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $69.1 million in funding opportunities across three grant programs. The Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), with $43 million available, provides comprehensive community mental health services to children, youth, and young adults. Implementing Zero Suicide in Health Systems (Zero Suicide), with $16.1 million available, provides resources for health care systems to implement the Zero Suicide Framework for adults who are at risk for suicide. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), with $10 million available, facilitates the implementation of AOT for adults with serious mental illness. Applications for all three funding opportunities are due by April 20.
FNS Releases SNAP State Options Report DashboardThe Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently released the State Options Report Dashboard, an interactive version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) State Options Report. The dashboard provides information on all 53 SNAP state agencies’ implementation choices on a selection of SNAP policy options and waivers. SNAP state agencies include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Data is current as of October 1, 2025.
Census Bureau Releases State Government Finance DataLast Thursday the U.S. Census Bureau released new data tables for the Annual Survey of State Government Finances. The statistics provide a summary of the finances of state governments for fiscal year 2024. Tables include data for each state, along with detailed information on revenue sources, spending, and debt.
NTIA Releases Statement on Approach to Use of BEAD Savings On Friday the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator released a statement regarding the use of the $21 billion in savings achieved in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program through the Benefit of the Bargain reforms. NTIA noted the high level of interest and feedback regarding their approach shared over the past few weeks, including more than 1,700 attendees and 175 speakers across three listening sessions. This week the State Broadband Leaders Network Winter Summit will take place, gathering state officials from across the country. NTIA had expected to release guidance by this week but instead is taking additional time to review the comments and finalize their approach to ensure the funds are spent efficiently and responsibly. Information on common themes heard across public feedback can be found here.
EPA Launches Real Water Technical Assistance InitiativeLast week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) initiative, an approach to support drinking water and wastewater systems using proven, best-practice approaches to effectively address local needs while partnering with states and Tribes. In a memorandum from the agency, EPA issued a call to action to align all technical assistance for drinking water and wastewater systems with proven services; the memo also rescinds a March 2023 memo that broadened the scope of work. The 2026 memo is intended to refocus federal funding and resources back to the core tenets of technical assistance for water infrastructure under the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
DOL Issues Guidance on the Registered Apprenticeship SystemOn Monday the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance on the Registered Apprenticeship system, designed to improve flexibility and reduce burdens for program sponsors, promote clarify and consistency in the registration process across states, elevate quality standards, and increase transparency. The guidance gives apprenticeship program sponsors clearer direction on how to design Registered Apprenticeship programs that fit their workforce’s needs, outlines the roles and functions of state apprenticeship agencies and councils, and clarifies how to determine apprenticeship completion rates. The agency also announced the launch of an online portal featuring data on apprenticeship program completion rates and a webpage highlighting apprenticeship registration timelines and transparency on registration performance.
DOT Announces Next-Gen Aircraft Pilot Program SelectionsOn Monday the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced eight proposals were selected as part of the new Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program. The pilot projects are intended to create a large real-world testing environment for next-generation aircraft and data from the projects will be used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop new regulations that safely enable this technology at scale. The eight selected projects span 26 states and involve aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners including state departments of transportation. The public will start to see operations begin under this program by summer 2026.
Administration Announces Ratepayer Protection Pledge for Data CentersOn Wednesday the President issued the Ratepayer Protection Pledge Proclamation. Pursuant to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, hyperscalers and AI companies guaranteed that data centers’ energy needs will not increase household electricity costs for Americans. Instead, the seven companies will build, bring, or buy the new generation resources and electricity needed to satisfy their energy demands and pay for all new power delivery infrastructure upgrades to service their data centers. The companies will also voluntarily negotiate new, separate rate structures with their utilities and relevant state governments, paying those rates whether or not the electricity is used. A fact sheet on the pledge can be found here.
White House Releases National Cyber StrategyLast Friday the White House released President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America. The strategy outlines the administration’s priorities for ensuring the U.S. remains unrivaled in cyberspace, calling for coordination across government and the private sector. There are six policy pillars underpinning the strategy: shape adversary behavior, promote common sense regulation, modernize and secure federal government networks, secure critical infrastructure, sustain superiority in critical and emerging technologies, and build talent and capacity.
House Passes Bill to Expand In-State Tuition Access for Territorial StudentsOn Wednesday the House voted 351-72 to approve H.R. 6472, the Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act. The bill requires public institutions of higher education that participate in federal student aid programs to charge no more than in-state tuition and fee rates to students who are residents of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
House Committee Advances Farm BillLast Thursday the House Agriculture Committee voted 34-17 to advance the 2026 Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) out of committee. The bill would authorize $1.3 trillion over ten years, with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) accounting for $1.1 trillion. The committee voted down amendments that would reverse SNAP changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Congress has not passed a full farm bill since 2018. The bill now moves to the House floor for a full vote.
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