NAICU Washington Update

Regulatory Relief Suggestions Sought by Department of Education

June 22, 2017

Secretary Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education are soliciting input from stakeholders on education-related regulations that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification. These suggestions will help guide the Department’s Regulatory Reform Task Force in its work to streamline and eliminate overly burdensome regulations. The announcement was published in the Federal Register on June 22; the comment period will remain open until August 21, 2017.
 
The outreach to the public for suggestions is tied to an Executive Order issued by President Trump calling on the executive agencies to enforce a regulatory reform agenda. An element of the Executive Order calls on the executive agencies to “seek input and other assistance, as permitted by law, from entities significantly affected by Federal regulations, including State, local, and tribal governments, small businesses, consumers, non-governmental organizations, and trade associations.”
 
The Department is particularly interested in regulatory provisions considered to be unduly costly or unnecessarily burdensome. Stakeholders submitting comments should provide the Department with as much specificity as possible. This includes providing: a Federal Register (FR) or Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) citation when referencing a specific regulation; or a link, where practicable, when referencing a particular guidance document; any supporting data or other applicable information; specific suggestions regarding repeal, replacement, or modification; an explanation why the referenced regulation or guidance should be repealed, replaced, or modified.
 
NAICU previously participated in the Task Force on the Federal Regulation of Higher Education, a deregulatory task force convened by a bipartisan group of senators. The task force, which featured the seven NAICU members, published a final report in 2015, focusing on regulatory requirements in the areas of student financial aid, campus security, federal financial responsibility standards, data collection, disclosures, and accreditation. The report also identified a number of specific requirements that are particularly problematic for institutions. 
 
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