Washington Update July 21, 2104
APLU Joins Higher Education and Library Groups in Sending Comments to the FCC on Net Neutrality
·House of Representatives Passes Bill to Permanently Extend IRA Charitable Rollover
·Higher Education Associations Voice Concerns on H.R. 3393, the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act
·Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill
·House Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 Environment and Interior Bill; Restores $8M Funding Cut
to NEH
·Portions of FIRST Act Pass in House of Representatives

APLU Joins Higher Education and Library Groups in Sending Comments to the FCC on Net
Neutrality
APLU joined 10 other higher education and library groups in sending comments to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) on Net Neutrality. The comments suggest ways to strengthen the
FCC rules to ensure an open Internet for the higher education community. As you may recall, last week
APLU joined the same group in releasing a set of Net Neutrality Principles aimed at preserving an open
Internet and ensuring equitable access. Please contact Jim Woodell (jwoodell@aplu.org) with comments
or questions on the net neutrality principles, or the comments submitted to the FCC.

House of Representatives Passes Bill to Permanently Extend IRA Charitable Rollover
The House yesterday passed a package of tax related bills including, H.R. 4619, the Permanent IRA
Charitable Contribution Act, offered by Representative Aaron Schock (R-IL). The legislation would
permanently extend the IRA charitable rollover, which expired at the end of 2013. Senate action is
uncertain as Democrats object to the lack of an offset. The IRA charitable rollover allows taxpayers older
than 70 ½ to donate up to $100,000 from IRAs to charitable organizations, including universities, without
the withdrawals being considered taxable income.

Higher Education Associations Voice Concerns on H.R. 3393, the Student and Family Tax
Simplification Act
In advance of the House of Representatives’ consideration of H.R. 3393, the Student and Family Tax
Simplification Act (Black-Davis) next week, APLU and other higher education associations sent the
attached letter to the full House expressing concerns with the bill’s impact on graduate and nontraditional
students while also noting positive aspects of the legislation. The associations indicate they “cannot
support the bill as currently written.” APLU requests members of the CGA to discuss the bill’s positive
and negative aspects with their delegations and seek amendments and/or member participation in floor
debate. Attached is the relevant CGA Action Request from yesterday.

Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill
On July 17, 2014, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY15 Department of Defense
(DoD) Appropriations bill by voice vote. The report is available here. An updated list of APLU priorities
and FY15 funding levels is available here. Of note, DoD Science and Technology, Basic Research (6.1)
received a 5% increase over FY14 levels, and about $258 million above the President’s FY15 Budget
Request.

House Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 Environment and Interior Bill; Restores $8M
Funding Cut to NEH
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY15 Interior and Environment bill by a vote of 29
to 19. A report of the bill is available here. During the markup, the full committee approved an
amendment that rescinded the $8 million funding cut for the National Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH) that the Subcommittee had included, and restored funding to the FY14 level of $146 million. An
updated list of APLU priorities and FY15 funding levels is available here.

Portions of FIRST Act Pass in House of Representatives
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed legislation, taken from noncontroversial portions
of the FIRST Act. The House passed the STEM Education Act (H.R.5031) and the Research and
Development Efficiency Act (H.R.5056) under suspension of the rules. In addition, they passed the
International Science and Technology Cooperation Act (H.R.5029) by a vote of 346 to 41.
The STEM Education Act defines STEM Education to include computer science as a discipline. This
legislation also includes a section on Informal STEM Education, which gives authority to the National
Science Foundation (NSF) Director to award grants to entities that research and develop innovative outof-school STEM learning. This legislation also includes a section which would amend the NSF Noyce
Master Teaching Fellowship Program to allow students with a bachelor’s degree working towards a
Master’s degree the opportunity to participate.
The Research and Development Efficiency Act establishes a working group under the authority of the
National Science and Technology Council to review Federal regulations affecting research and research
universities and look for ways to streamline and eliminate duplicative Federal regulations.
The International Science and Technology Cooperation Act calls for the establishment of a body under
the National Science and Technology Council aimed at identifying and coordinating international science
and technology cooperation. To do this, the body would be responsible for identifying opportunities for
new partnerships with international science and technology research, soliciting input and
recommendations from non-Federal science and technology stakeholders, and reporting to Congress
annually on their findings, among other responsibilities.
Legislation to reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology (H.R.5035) was originally
scheduled to be considered this week, and taken off of the floor due to a misunderstanding. This bill may
be placed back on the calendar in the upcoming weeks. In addition, we have heard that other
noncontroversial portions of the FIRST Act may be introduced as legislation and taken up under
suspension of the rules.
BUDGET ANDAPPROPRIATIONS ISSUES
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE INCREASES BASIC RESEARCH FUNDING
The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 17 approved the FY15 Defense appropriations bill,
providing strong support for basic research accounts that would be significantly cut in the Houseapproved bill and the Administration’s budget. (See AAU DOD budget chart for details.) Although the
Senate bill would cut funding for other Defense research and development programs, the measure would
increase the budget for basic research (6.1) programs by $108 million, or five percent, to $2.27 billion.
Compared to FY14 funding, the Senate bill would cut overall appropriations for Defense research,
development, testing & evaluation by $428 million, to $62.6 billion; Defense science and technology
(S&T) would be cut by $146 million, or 1.2 percent, to $12 billion. Within that total, applied research
(6.2) would be cut by $50.5 million, or 1.1 percent, to $4.59 billion, and advanced technology
development (6.3) would be reduced by $203 million, or 3.8 percent, to $5.17 billion.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE RESCINDS NEH FY15 BUDGET CUT
The House Appropriations Committee on July 15 approved an amendment to the FY15 Interior and
Related Agencies appropriations bill that restored an $8 million cut in the budget for the National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) made at the subcommittee level. The rescission of the cut was
made as part of Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert’s (R-CA) manager’s amendment. The FY15
funding level for NEH in the bill—and for its companion agency, the National Endowment of the Arts—
is now set at its current FY14 funding level of $146 million.
In advance of the full committee markup, AAU issued a statement in opposition to the NEH funding
reduction. Following full committee action, AAU tweeted a thank-you to Chairman Calvert and other
members of the panel.
HOUSE APPROVES PACKAGE OF FIVE CHARITABLE GIVING TAX PROVISIONS
The House on July 17 approved the America Gives More Act of 2014 (H.R. 4719), a package of five
charitable giving tax provisions, which includes a permanent extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover.
The IRA Rollover extension is supported strongly by the higher education community; a group of higher
education associations, including AAU, sent a letter to all Members of the House on July 17 explaining
the provision and urging them to extend it permanently.
The floor statement on H.R. 4719 by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI)
is available here. The Obama Administration has issued a Statement of Administration Policy opposing
the bill because it includes no funding offsets for its estimated 10-year cost of $16 billion.
Legislative Activities of Interest Week of July 21-24, 2014
Floor Activities
The Senate reconvenes at 2 p.m. and is in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m. At that time, they
are expected to hold three confirmation votes on nominations.
The House is not in session today. Tomorrow, July 22, the House will reconvene at 2 p.m. and is expected
to consider measures under suspension of the rules. Roll call votes are expected at 6:30 p.m. Of note:
July 22
H.R. 5120 – A bill to improve management of the National Laboratories, enhance technology
commercialization, facilitate public-private partnerships, and for other purposes.
H.R.5035 – NIST Reauthorization Act
July 23: The House reconvenes at noon
H.R.4983 - Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act
H.R.5134 - A bill to extend the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the
Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance for one year.
July 24: The House reconvenes at noon
H.R.3136 - Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013
H.R. 4984 - Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act
July 25
H.R.3393 – Student and Family Tax Simplification Act (Black-Davis bill)
Committee Activities
Wednesday, July 23
Senate Commerce Committee
Full Committee Markup on various pieces of legislation including the National Sea Grant College
Program Amendments Act (S.2030)
2:30 p.m., 253 Russell
Thursday, July 24
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Full Committee Hearing: The Role of States in Higher Education
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Full Committee Event: Live from the International Space Station
Live downlink with astronauts
11 a.m., 2318 Rayburn