by Chris Kulow | Jun 27, 2022 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog, National Issue
From ABC News: “President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law the gun safety package passed by Congress this week.
“The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act broke a nearly 30-year stalemate on Capitol Hill, becoming the first major piece of federal gun reform to clear both chambers since the Brady bill.
“A bipartisan group of senators began crafting the legislation in the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 young children and two teachers dead. (more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | Jun 24, 2022 | Federal Budget, Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
A bipartisan effort is underway in Congress to extend school meal waivers that were enacted in response to the pandemic. Without Congressional action, those waivers are set to expire on June 30, 2022.
The existing waivers, which allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive various requirements that govern how schools can serve meals and who can get them, also increased the reimbursement rates for school food programs. (more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | Jun 22, 2022 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog, National Issue
A bipartisan package of measures aimed at improving school safety (see previous post) has cleared its first hurdle toward passage in the U.S. Senate. The 64-to-34 vote came just hours after Republicans and Democrats released the text of the legislation. Proponents hope to pass the bill through the U.S. Senate by Saturday.
The 80-page bill, called the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, would provide millions of dollars for expanding mental health resources in communities and schools in addition to funds devoted to boosting school safety.
(more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | Jun 13, 2022 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
A bipartisan group of 20 U.S. senators led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced yesterday (6/12) they have reached agreement on what they called “a commonsense proposal” to curb gun violence and increase school safety.
The nine-point proposal would invest billions of federal dollars in enhanced children and family mental health services, fund school-based mental health services, and fund new safety measures at schools. The bipartisan plan would also spend federal resources to encorage states to pass and implement so-called “red flag” laws that aim to keep guns out of the hands of people deemed dangerous to the community, strengthen criminal background check requirements for gun buyers younger than 21, and strengthen penalties for illegal “straw purchases” by convicted criminals. (more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | May 31, 2022 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog
In the wake of the tragic school shootings in Uvalde, Texas, some school leaders have asked whether federal COVID relief funds may be used for school safety purposes.
We are reminded that the U.S. Department of Education previously published this guidance about how ESSER III funds may be used to prevent and respond to crime and promote public safety. School leaders may want to give this guidance a fresh look. (more…)
by Dan Rossmiller | May 3, 2022 | Federal Issue, Legislative Update Blog, State Issue
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) received confirmation this morning that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) has granted final approval of Wisconsin’s ESSER III plan. ESSER III refers to federal COVID relief funding that was allocated to K-12 education under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed by Congress in March 2021. States were required by the APRA to submit plans for how they would spend this funding and get those plans approved by the USED.
Much of the state’s plan was approved by the USED in December 2021; however, the USED deemed a portion of the plan not to comply with provisions in the ARPA requiring funds to be used to address both the academic impact of lost instructional time during the pandemic and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on certain subgroups of students. The state submitted a revised plan in early February addressing the USED’s objections and that plan was finally approved this week. (more…)
