Legislative Activity

This bill amends federal law to prohibit educational institutions from withholding academic transcripts from individuals who used Post-9/11 educational assistance benefits. Specifically, schools cannot deny a transcript solely because a student has an outstanding balance related to their use of those benefits. This ensures veterans and other beneficiaries can access their records regardless of certain outstanding debts to the institution.

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act aims to support local news by providing new federal tax incentives. It introduces a personal tax credit for subscribing to local newspapers and a payroll tax credit for publishers who employ local journalists. Additionally, the bill creates a tax credit for small businesses that advertise in local newspapers or on local media outlets. These provisions are temporary, applying for a five-year period after enactment.

The Protecting Students with Disabilities Act reaffirms that the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) must remain within the Department of Education as mandated by existing law. This legislation explicitly prohibits the executive branch from eliminating, reorganizing, or moving IDEA program offices or staff. Furthermore, it prevents the delegation of IDEA program management or enforcement duties to any entity outside the Department of Education.