Washington Update

APLU Issues Statement on U.S. Department of Education Letter to University Presidents 
On August 3, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) put out a National Call to Action aimed at university presidents and governing boards requesting institutions respond to a series of questions on a range of issues. Per the request from Secretary McMahon, “Before the end of 2026, I call on every postsecondary institution to describe to the American public your commitments to rigorous teaching, pathbreaking research, and national service— commitments that make our universities a bedrock institution of the American republic. These statements of principle should be posted prominently on institutional websites. Only full candor and transparency can begin to strengthen the bonds between higher education and the American people.”  

APLU President Waded Cruzado issued a statement in response to the call to action, affirming the vital role of higher education and noting the unique role public and land-grant universities serve for the country. 

The Department of Education communication did not provide additional details as to how institutions should format the requested statements of principle or how institutional responses will be used. APLU recognizes the request comes against the backdrop of previous proposed policies from the administration to link federal funding to institutional operations. 

Senate on Track to Pass Continuing Resolution with Delay of OMB’s Uniform Guidance Revision Proposal  
The Senate voted 89-4 on August 3 to proceed to consideration of a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend government funding through December 11 and delay the proposed White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) uniform guidance revision proposal. With the House on August recess, the Senate soon to follow, and midterm elections approaching, Congress is working to resolve government funding before the end of the fiscal year. Still, lawmakers have recognized additional action will likely be necessary after the election.  

The CR that the Senate is expected to advance includes short-term blocking language on implementation of the administration’s uniform guidance proposal. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) said, “I am also pleased that this bipartisan agreement prevents the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed rule regarding federal financial assistance from taking effect. I advocated for significant changes to the proposed rule in a July 6 letter to the agency, citing its potential to politicize grants and harm small, rural communities, families, and biomedical research.” 

Before leaving for its August recess, the House of Representatives passed its CR 220-205 to extend government funding through December 4 without blocking language for Uniform Guidance. According to CQ, the House is expected to take up the Senate measure upon its return the week of August 31.  

The inclusion of Uniform Guidance language is a significant positive step given the concerns expressed by APLU, the broader higher education community, and stakeholders representing diverse interests. APLU greatly appreciates the advocacy of member institutions in support of this language. 

HELP Committee Markups Higher Education Bills 
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) passed a series of higher education bills on July 30th. The markup included APLU-championed legislation, the College Transparency Act; APLU-endorsed legislation, the RISE Act; and the State Based Loan Awareness Act. 

The College Transparency Act received nearly unanimous support, advancing out of the HELP Committee by a vote of 21-1. The legislation would fill gaping holes in student outcomes data, giving students a fuller picture of institutional performance. Currently, nearly one-third of college students who aren’t federal financial aid recipients are omitted from student outcomes data entirely. APLU has worked collaboratively with the sponsors of the bill in authoring the legislation and working on its advancement.  

The RISE Act advanced out of the Senate HELP Committee by a vote of 22-0. APLU worked with the HELP Committee on the data elements of the legislation to address concerns about reporting burden and student privacy. As such, the association endorsed the bill. The legislation would ensure that students do not have to redo burdensome diagnostic testing for an already documented disability while improving clarity on what accommodations an institution can provide. The legislation would also require data reporting on outcomes of students registered for office of disability services. 

The State-Based Loan Awareness Act advanced out of the Senate HELP Committee by a vote of 20-2. The legislation would exempt state-based education loan programs from preferred lender list requirements; making it easier for schools to make students aware of state-based loan options.  

What’s Next: HELP Committee Chairman, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), will now seek to advance the HELP Committee passed bills to the Senate floor for a full vote. The House Education and Workforce Committee is already expressing its opposition to CTA. 

National Defense Authorization Act Passes U.S. House of Representatives 
On July 22, the House passed the $1.15 trillion FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a 216-212 vote. Three Democrats voted in favor of the bill with seven Republicans voting against it. The Senate remains stalled on its version of the defense bill, S.4784, meaning a compromise bill is unlikely to materialize until after the midterm elections.  

The House-passed NDAA ultimately did not include two amendments of concern for APLU, Rep. Michael Baumgartner’s (R-WA) DETERRENT Act that would have significantly expanded Section 117 foreign gift and contract reporting burdens and Rep. John Moolenaar’s (R-MI) SIRA Act that would have further restricted international research partnerships.  

APLU will continue to monitor the Senate’s progress on the NDAA as it traditionally has been a must pass bill each year.  

Senate Agriculture Committee Releases Farm Bill Text 
On Saturday, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its Farm Bill text with bill markup slated for Thursday, August 6.  

This text supersedes the committee’s discussion draft which was released in late June. The new text reflects several key changes, including a one-year delay to the SNAP cost-share—a change stemming from 2025’s One Big Beautiful Bill which shifts additional costs for SNAP onto the states—and would authorize year-round sale of E15, a type of gasoline blended with corn ethanol which is currently only available in winter. APLU’s key policy recommendations—concentrated in the research title, Title VII—remain well represented in the new edition of the bill.  

Additional resources on the Farm Bill are available from the committee below: 

• Full legislative text 
• Title-by-title summary 
• Section-by-section summary 
• Overview of the bill 

U.S. Department of Energy Announces Genesis Mission Awards 
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first 278 projects selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications, representing an investment of more than $5 billion. Awardees will gain access to the Genesis Mission Platform, including AI agent frameworks, advanced AI models and software made available through industry partners, and high-performance computing resources across DOE’s National Laboratories and partner facilities. The selected projects represent: 

• 278 awards: 87 led by DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) National Laboratories, 168 led by universities, 19 led by companies, and 4 led by nonprofit organizations. 
• 342 participating institutions: 16 DOE and NNSA National Laboratories, 142 universities, 157 companies, 13 nonprofit organizations, and 14 other institutions. 

The Big Picture: As announced by OSTP, more than 15 federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Department of War will contribute to the Genesis Mission as part of the National Science and Technology Challenges by providing research awards, funding opportunities, specialized scientific datasets, and research facilities. 

U.S. Department of Energy Finalizes Conflict of Interest and Commitment Policy 
On July 16, DOE issued a final rule creating new Conflict of Interest (COI) and Conflict of Commitment policy requirements for institutions applying for agency funding. The final rule remains largely unchanged from the proposed rule, which APLU previously commented on alongside COGR and AAU. 

Institutions receiving DOE funding should evaluate existing COI campus policies as the new regulation is a departure from the long-standing COI regulations established by the Public Health Service and currently used by a vast number of institutions. The final rule is effective August 17, 2026. 

APLU Submits Comments on Proposed Recission of International Education and Fulbright-Hays Regulations 
APLU submitted comments on Friday, July 31 in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking to rescind regulations governing the Title VI International Education Programs and the Fulbright-Hays Program, that the U.S. Department of Education published on July 1. While the association notes support for periodic review of programs and regulations, its comments expressed concern with eliminating the existing regulatory framework without an adequate replacement. 

APLU emphasized that institutions rely on a predictable regulatory framework to recruit specialized faculty, build academic programs, and plan for competitive grant opportunities that require long-term investments. The letter encouraged ED to establish a clear replacement framework that preserves the programs’ core statutory mission to address national needs for expertise in world languages, international affairs, and global economic engagement. The association ultimately expressed willingness to work with ED as they consider next steps. 

Release of the “U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research”  
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the release of the U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research, a government-wide policy that prohibits federal support for “dangerous gain-of-function research”. The framework includes enhanced review, reporting, and accountability measures for life sciences research, plus new international restrictions on high-risk work involving “entities or countries of concern”.  

 The phased rollout includes establishing a single independent third-party review body (ITPRB) within 90 days. Within 120 days, agencies must issue implementation guidance and publish a list of entities of concern. Within 180 days, institutions must establish an Institutional Review Entity (IRE), designate an Institutional Contact for Dangerous Gain-of-Function Research (ICDGOF), and implement annual training, while agencies build compliance terms into awards. 

White House Office of Science and Technology Releases Report on Golden Age of Science  
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios released a new report on July 22 entitled, “Science: A New Golden Age” providing recommendations for “renewing American Scientific Discovery.” As described by OSTP, “This report lays a policy framework that frees scientists to do their most groundbreaking work, revives the national pursuit of ambitious scientific missions, and positions the United States to lead the AI-driven scientific revolution that will define the next century.”  

Kratsios discussed the report while testifying on the OSTP budget request before the House Science Committee. Release of the report also aligned with DOE’s Genesis Mission awards announcement and calls on the federal government to fully fund and scale the program.  

A memo on FY28 research and discovery (R&D) priorities accompanying the report includes specific directives for agencies to implement report recommendations which include:  

• Rebalancing R&D portfolios toward foundational research and the physical sciences and engineering 
• Advancing national science and technology (S&T) missions 
• Applying AI and emerging technologies to accelerate American research and innovation 
• Expanding R&D infrastructure for broader ecosystem use 
• Translating scientific advances into stronger regional ecosystems and broad-based prosperity 
• Considering new funding mechanisms and institutional models to support frontier science 
• Exploring better ways to identify and develop scientific talent 
• Rigorously studying, evaluating, and improving how federal science is funded 
• Integrating federal R&D into the broader S&T enterprise 

The Bottom Line: Federal R&D agencies are required to submit an action plan within 90 days outlining implementation of these priority practices, while incorporating the budget guidance into their FY28 submissions to the Office of Management and Budget.