Capital Update tracks the movement of legislation, the introduction
of notable bills, and routine regulatory announcements.
Legislative Action
Child CareThe House Education and Labor Committee concluded its hearings on child-care
HR 3, HR 30legislation on April 5; no markup session has been scheduled. Also, a group of
House and Senate Republicans last week put forward an alternative plan that
would, among other provisions, allow a new tax credit for low- and moderate-income
families with children under age 5.
Child HealthRepresentative George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Select Committee
and Developmenton Children, Youth, and Families, has introduced a bill calling for expansion and
HR 1573increased funding of federal programs providing health care, nutrition, and
education for pregnant women and for children under 6.
Children’s TelevisionThe House Committee on Energy and Commerce last week approved legislation
HR 1677, S 707restricting the amount of advertising during children’s television programming.
Fiscal 1990The Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriationshas completed hearings on the Education Department’s budget for fiscal 1990.
Senate hearings have also been held on funding for Head Start, Indian-education
programs, and the National Science Foundation.
Library ServicesThe Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities and the House
Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education held a hearing last week on
reauthorization of the Library Services and Construction Act, which expires Sept.
30. The Education Department presented proposed legislation to target federal
funds on programs helping the disadvantaged and the handicapped.
Science EducationThe Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee held a hearing April 6 on
the state of science in the United States. Witnesses, who included the science
advisers to three former Presidents, said there was a “crisis” in science education.
Vocational-EducationThe House Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education Subcommittee
Reauthorizationlast week unanimously approved a bill to reauthorize federal vocational-education
HR 7programs. Committee action is set for April 25.
In the Education Department
HandicappedThe department has issued final regulations for a new grant program aiding state
Employmentand community demonstration projects that provide job services to the severely
Final Regulationshandicapped. The rules appeared in the March 24 Federal Register.
Handicapped-The department has issued a final version of its criteria for awarding grants
Education Researchfor research on the education of the handicapped. The regulations, published in
Funding Prioritiesthe April 4 Federal Register, give top priority to projects relating to elementary
mathematics and science curricula and teacher planning.
In Other Agencies
School BreakfastsThe Agriculture Department has published final regulations that would require
Final Regulationsschools to offer larger breakfasts and to allow students to refuse one meal item.
The regulations appeared in the March 30 Federal Register.
