Capital Update tracks the movement of legislation, the introduction of notable bills, and routine regulatory announcements.
Legislative Action
Adult Education
The House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families continued hearings last week on adult education, focusing on proposals to consolidate federal adult-education and literacy programs.
Affirmative Action
The House Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing last week on affirmative-action policies, the second in a planned series.
Student Loans
The House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education and Lifelong Learning held a hearing last week on proposals to privatize the Student Loan Marketing Association, commonly known as Sallie Mae, a quasi-private agency created to insure private-sector funding for loans.
Child Immunization
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing last week on the Vaccines for Children program.
In Federal Agencies
Children’s Television Proposed Rules
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed rules for strengthening the Children’s Television Act of 1990. The rules, published in the April 26 Federal Register, would clarify the definition of educational programming under the law. The commission also seeks comment on three options for establishing a requirement that stations broadcast a minimum amount of such programming.