Tax Reform Update

Republican lawmakers negotiating differences between House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act have reportedly reached agreement this morning.Although the agreement is not yet final, some reports indicate it scraps a provision in the House bill that would have treated graduate student tuition waivers as taxable income. Republican leaders are acting with urgency to meet their objective of having a bill on the president’s desk by December 25. The election of Doug Jones in Alabama has made the timeline even more urgent for Republicans.

The Senate is expected to vote on the agreement first, with the House voting on the bill shortly thereafter. While the details of the agreement are not yet known, APLU has continued to press lawmakers on public universities’ priorities and urge member institutions to reach out their congressional delegations on significant issues of concern to public research universities.

Read APLU President McPherson’s most recent letter to congressional leaders to see the association’s priority concerns with the tax bill.