Category: Federal Government Actions

Suit Filed Over USDE Professional Degree Definition (August 13, 2026)

On August 11, 2026, a coalition of unions, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), sued the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) over its regulatory definition of a “professional degree,” which excludes education graduate programs. The suit alleges that the omission of education graduate programs will make it more difficult and less attractive for students to enter the teaching profession.

In fact, students in advanced degree programs considered “professional” by the USDE are able to take out up to $200,000 in federal student loans. Education graduate students, and others pursuing fields excluded from the designation are capped at $100,000.

The lawsuit follows a federal judge’s June 2026 order from a temporarily blocking the USDE’s professional degree definition. Subsequently, as a result of that court order, the USDE expanded its list of professional degree programs to include nursing, physical therapy, athletic training and occupational therapy as of July 10th. However, education graduate programs have remained excluded.

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Kids Online Safety Act Clears Key Senate Panel with Bipartisan Support (August 12, 2026)

On August 5, 2026, the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced four key children’s online safety bills. Those bills now head to the Senate floor for a vote.

One of the bills, the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), addresses how to best protect youth online, particularly pertaining to social media and artificial intelligence. Pressure has mounted as both concerns and litigation over the mental health risks to children and teens have become areas of great concern. 

The other bills approved for advancement include the Youth AI Privacy Act; the Children’s Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act; and the Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act.

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HHS Ends Teen Pregnancy Grant Program for Most Recipients, Nine Phila Schools Affected, Lawsuits Are Filed (August 11, 2026)

As reported by K-12 Dive, a federal grant program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates has faced sudden changes this summer under the Trump administration — including the abrupt cancellation of 53 of the 66 current grants in late June. Established by Congress in 2010, the bipartisan Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP) funds about $101 million in grants annually to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of youth by using evidence-based education programs. The program’s goal is to help teens make healthy decisions that, in turn, reduce risky sexual behaviors and decrease sexually transmitted infections and unintended teen pregnancy. Senators have reported that teen birth rates have declined over the past 35 years.

However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) informed AccessMatters, a nonprofit public health organization in Philadelphia, that its TPP grant was canceled on June 26. The AccessMatters’ five-year grant had two years of funding remaining, amounting to a total loss of $2.4 million. Those funds provided programming for nine traditional public and charter schools in Philadelphia reaching over 2,200 youth and there were plans to expand its programming to more schools in the city before the grant cancellation notice was received. The funds were used to facilitate lessons in high schools regarding medically accurate information regarding HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The curriculum, known as “Be Proud, Be Responsible,” also taught students about pregnancy prevention, hygiene, healthy relationship communication and consent.

Meanwhile, a July lawsuit was filed against HHS by two local governments, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. The plaintiffs filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asking it to vacate implementation of the policy changes to TPP and to administer the existing grants as required by federal law. 

The complaint alleges that days before HHS canceled most of the existing TPP grants on June 26, 2026, the agency released two new Notices of Funding Opportunity, which said that TPP funds must: 

  • Include “abstinence-only ‘sexual risk avoidance’” education. 
  • Require awardees to “align” with agency priorities prohibiting “gender ideology” and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
  • Restrict discussion of teen sexual activity despite the program’s statutory mandate to reduce teen pregnancy using “medically accurate” and “age appropriate” interventions.

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CDC Issues Guidance for Schools to Prepare for Measles as the New School Year Begins (August 11, 2026)

As cases climb higher than they’ve been in decades, health experts including several national, state, and local organizations and health departments are providing are providing guidance regarding best practices and recommendations for schools. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a checklist for how K-12 schools can respond when a student or employee exhibits measles symptoms.

Concerns Rise as HHS Proposes Rule for Sweeping Changes to Head Start (August 10, 2026)

On August 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule that would effect a major change in federal standards for how Head Start programs should operate resulting in a huge reduction of regulations, oversight, funding, and involvement in a number of key areas. According to HHS, its aim is to give more control to states over the design of their early learning programs, but critics fear a significant weakening of the 61-year-old program.

The reforms proposed by HHS include removing federal rules for class ratios and sizes, curricular expectations, certain staffing requirements, and discipline policies, including undoing a prohibition on corporal punishment. It also would mandate that instruction be in English only and proposes reducing the cap on administrative costs from 15% to 5% of total approved program expenses.

The proposed regulations, in conjunction with a temporary funding freeze to Head Start in 2025 and the removal or reduction of many of the federal standards that provide a foundation for early learning and developmental success have heightened fears that standards for children’s mental health services, many pre- and postpartum supports for mothers, and safety measures like bus monitors will cause irreparable harm.

Currently, Head Start provides educational services along with health, nutrition and other supports to about 700,000 infants, toddlers and preschool children from low-income families each year.

Despite cries by those looking to sunset the Head Start program, testimonials from Head Start alumni, as well as various extensive research, have espoused the successes of the a program that has spanned six decades.

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