Legislative Action
Adult Literacy
HR 751
The House last week approved by voice vote a bill that would authorize $140 million in new spending for literacy programs.
Civil Rights
HR 1
By a vote of 24 to 10 last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed the proposed “civil rights act of 1991,” retaining that title. The House Education and Labor Committee earlier this month voted to change the bill’s name to the “civil rights and women’s equity in employment act of 1991.”
Disabled Infants and Toddlers
pl 99-4570
The Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy held a hearing March 15 on proposals for reauthorizing the federal Part H program, which provides seed money to the states to develop comprehensive service-delivery systems for handicapped infants and toddlers and their families.
Education Budget, 1992 “
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education last week held a hearing on the Education Department’s fiscal 1992 budget.
Family Leave
HR 2
The House Education and Labor Committee last week approved by voice vote legislation that would require employers to grant workers unpaid leave to care for newborn, newly adopted, or ill family members.
Family Planning
The House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment held a hearing last week on the reauthorization of the federal family-planning program, Title X. The program has not been formally reauthorized since 1985. Action has been stymied by a debate over whether grant recipients can provide abortion counseling or services to minors without parental consent.:
Higher Education Act
The Senate Education, Arts, and Humanities Subcommittee and the House Postsecondary Education Subcommittee last week heard from students at a joint hearing on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. A Senate subcom mittee last week heard from educators and association officials at a separate hearing on the act.
Martinez Nomination
The Senate last week approved the nomination of Bob Martinez to be the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Minority Scholarships
A House Governmental Affairs subcom mittee last week held two hearings on the Education Department’s decisionmaking process in formulating a policy on race- exclusive scholarships.
Veterans Benefits
Teacher Standards Board
HR 1281
The Senate on March 19 adopted an appropriations bill that includes $50 mil lion for education, support services, and child care to the families of soldiers who served in Operation Desert Storm. The bill also includes a provision that would allow $5 million in federal funds to flow to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards--with virtually no strings attached. The House passed its version of the legislation, which does not include these programs, on March 7. This bill, as well as authorizing bills passed by both chambers, are now pending before a conference committee.
