Washington Update: Congress Returns from Break

April 30, 2014—Congress returned from a two-week break this week and is expected to continue work on many issues of vital importance to higher education. Also, yesterday the Senate held a hearing on the Innovation Deficit in which the heads of the nation’s major research agencies jointly testified on the need for federal investments in research to drive innovation and economic growth.

NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE FIRST ACT

On April 24, 2014, the National Science Board (NSB) issued a statement on HR 4186, the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act, which includes a reauthorization of the National Science Foundation. The NSB statement expresses concerns with provisions in the legislation.

NACUBO ON-DEMAND WEBCAST ON CHAIRMAN CAMP TAX REFORM DISCUSSION DRAFT NOW AVAILABLE

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) released an on-demand webcast, “Understanding Chairman Camp’s Tax Reform Discussion Draft: A Higher Education Primer” to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of the draft tax code overhaul on universities. With the release, NACUBO sent a message to university business officers urging they view and discuss the webcast with government relations staff. The 65 minute webcast covers proposed changes to education tax incentives, charitable giving, tax-favored bonds, unrelated business income tax, and other provisions of concern to universities. Additionally, NACUBO has made a working document available that lists provisions of interest and relevant details. There is no charge for the webcast but you may need to create an account to “purchase” and download it.