Congress Resumes ESEA Re-write

Progress is being made in Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA is the federal education law that funds primary and secondary education and aims to provide all students with fair and equal opportunities to achieve a high quality education. The current version of ESEA is known as "No Child Left Behind."

Leaders of both the House and Senate education committees recently released a joint statement that they had "found a path forward" to begin a "successful conference" to replace the law. This week, a conference committee--a bi-partisan, ad hoc group of lawmakers from both the House and Senate--has started working together to combine the two versions of the bill, aiming to finish the legislation by the end of 2015. (more)
 

Take Action on FY16 Appropriations!

What's happening?
Since Congress did not approve a budget for FY16, it passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through December 11 at FY15 levels. Congressional appropriators are now writing an FY16 omnibus spending bill to keep the government open beyond that date.

Why does this matter?
This spending bill determines the distribution of the federal budget, including appropriations for grants and programs at the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of State.

What can you do?
Legislators need to hear from the performing arts community! Join us in urging Congress to support these priorities:

• Arts Education: $30 million for the Arts in Education (AIE) program at the Dept. of Education in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill.
• Cultural Exchanges: $110 million to the State Department's Office of Citizen Exchanges in the State and Foreign Operations bill
• National Endowment for the Arts: $146 million in the Interior Appropriations bill​

Write your lawmakers and take action for the arts!
 

Ask Congress to #Act4Good

The IRA Charitable Rollover expired at the end of 2014 and has been unavailable this year to donors as an option to support the nonprofits serving their communities. 

The IRA rollover allows donors ages 70 1/2 and older to make tax-free contributions to charitable organizations of up to $100,000 directly from their IRA. There has been support for this provision in Congress this year: in February, the House passed the "America Gives More Act" to permanently reinstate a set of charitable giving incentives that included the IRA Rollover. The Senate Finance Committee passed a similar bill in July.

With only six weeks left until the New Year, we need congress to #Act4Good and reinstate and make permanent this important tax provision! Take action today: write your lawmakers and urge them to support the IRA Charitable Rollover!
 

Net Neutrality Hearings Begin Next Month

On December 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit begins hearing arguments against the FCC's new Open Internet Order (Net Neutrality Rules) that took effect in June of this year. The new rules classify broadband internet service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. The upcoming court challenge includes petitioners from the telecom industry seeking to block the rules; they are questioning the FCC's rulemaking process, its authority to reclassify broadband, and have concerns about First Amendment rights. (more)