08/04/2005
Reauthorization Update

The House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman, John Boehner, released a bill summary of the College Access and Opportunity Act (H.R. 609), approved by the committee on July 22. The House committee’s summary can be viewed at:
http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/109th/education/hea/hr609billsummary.htm

Additionally, the committee has posted all of the amendments to H.R. 609 that were adopted by the full committee. The amendments are available at: http://edworkforce.house.gov/markups/109th/fc/hr609/720main.htm. A copy of the full text of the bill reported by the committee will be available by September.

Although Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) is progressing, there are still several steps left in the process. Potential next steps include:

• House Committee staff pulling together the components of H.R. 609 and preparing a statement of managers in preparation for consideration by the House.

• Preparation of the Senate version of the bill by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee staff. They are expected to consider their version of a bill immediately following the August recess.

• Finally, consideration by the full Senate and a Conference of the House and Senate to resolve differences between the two bills.

The National Council of Higher Education Loan Program has a helpful segment on Reauthorization activities on their Web site. This information should be a useful resource as we all continue to watch the process of Reauthorization.