The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which narrowly passed 215-214, sees House Republicans proposing to scale down funding for the two programs for low-income Americans as a cost-savings measure, while also aiming to prioritize tax cuts. According to a preliminary analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) the bill would cut $267 billion in federal funding to SNAP by 2034. The CBO also estimates there would be $698 billion less in federal subsidies to Medicaid.

In addition, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities should those significant cuts to these federal programs move forward, millions of children and their families could lose access to SNAP benefits and Medicaid coverage. 

Now in the Senate, it remains unclear exactly how much federal funding going to states and school districts will be impacted until the bill reconciliation process is complete.

For more from K-12 Dive click here.

On May 27, 2025 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) immunization schedule for “healthy children and pregnant women.” “We’re now one step closer to realizing President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy said in a video message posted on X.

Although the text posted noted HHS was taking action effective May 27, 2025, the official immunization schedule on the CDC website had not changed as of that date.

The CDC’s immunization schedule is not only a guide for doctors, it also determines insurance coverage for most major private plans and Medicaid expansion programs.

The chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) committee on infectious diseases told ABC News that the AAP was not consulted regarding the announcement, which is not in keeping with a long-established, evidence-based process that has been used to make vaccine recommendations in the U.S.

It remains unclear what federal health officials consider “healthy” children or pregnant women.

Ironically, the announcement comes at a time when a highly infectious new COVID strain from China, which led to a massive spike in hospitalizations there, has spread to the U.S. Known as NB.1.8.1, the omicron variant has been tracked in New York, California, Arizona, Ohio and Rhode Island.

Source: ABC News

For more on the new strain, click here. 

As of May 22, 2025, a total of 1,046 confirmed measles cases were reported by 31 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. A breakdown of cases shows: Under 5 years: 311 (30%); 5-19 years: 389 (37%); 20+ years: 336 (32%); Age unknown: 10 (1%). Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated or Unknown: 96%; One MMR dose: 1%; Two MMR doses: 2%.

Click here to view an ongoing report on measles cases throughout the U.S. The data therein reflects confirmed measles cases reported to CDC as of noon ET on Thursdays.

As per a May 22, 2025 ruling by a federal judge, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is temporarily barred from carrying out an executive order to shut down the agency and must reinstate employees who were fired as part of a mass reduction in force in March. A preliminary injunction in State of New York v. McMahon, U.S. District Judge ordered that the USDE be “restored to the status quo” prior to the day President Donald Trump office in January.

According to the judge, the USDE’s subsequent actions have shown no evidence that its workforce reductions have improved efficiency or that the agency is making progress in working with Congress to close the department. The judge also stated that, “A department without enough employees to perform statutorily mandated functions is not a department at all. This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the Department’s employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the Department becomes a shell of itself.”

The preliminary injunction requires the agency to submit a report to the court within 72 hours of the order, outlining all the steps it is taking to comply, and to do so “every week thereafter until the Department is restored to the status quo prior to January 20, 2025.”

USDE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications Madi Biedermann said the USDE will challenge the ruling “on an emergency basis.” What emergency is being referenced was not specifically stated.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

School Nurses: Urge Congress to Protect School-Based Medicaid

School nurses understand better than anyone how vital Medicaid is to ensuring students receive the care they need to thrive—physically, mentally, and academically. But right now, Congress is considering significant cuts to Medicaid, and the implications for school health services are dire.
School-Based Medicaid is the fourth-largest source of federal funding for K-12 schools, helping districts provide essential services to Medicaid-enrolled students and the broader school population. These funds support the critical work of school nurses and other Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP)—and help ensure students have access to care where they need it most: in school.
Without these funds, schools could face staff reductions, limited health services, and increased obstacles to student success—especially for our most vulnerable children.
Your voice as a trusted healthcare provider and a school nurse matters.
Please take a moment to contact your elected officials and tell them to protect School-Based Medicaid and the essential services it makes possible.
Compose your own message or use the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) provided template language, add your contact information and the platform will automatically select your Congress members, then click to Send Message.
Let’s stand together to defend the health of our students and the future of school nursing.

Click here to visit the NASN Advocacy Center to share your thoughts.