Policy Briefs July 2026

On July 21, House of Representatives passed H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027, funding the government at fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding levels through December 4. The bill follows the House passage of the twelve (FY) 2027 Appropriations bills earlier this year, but the continuing resolution (CR) was passed in response to stalled negotiations in the Senate, where its version of the FY 2027 Appropriations Bills has yet to be released.

Additionally, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed 

S. 4110,  the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness for Health Act or EMPOWER for Health Act, reauthorizing the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII workforce programs. In particular, the bill reauthorizes the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA), authorizing appropriations at $48.25 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030.

CSWE will continue to monitor negotiations and developments in the House and Senate as it relates to funding for social work programs and America’s behavioral health workforce.

On July 15, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced 10 bills collectively known as the "Less Bureaucracy, Better Education" legislative package. Spearheaded by Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), the bills would permanently transfer core responsibilities and programs at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to other federal agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Justice, Interior, and State. This legislative package follows the 14 interagency agreements (IAA’s) that ED has announced throughout the Trump Administration, which would transfer functions at the Department to other agencies, however the dissolvement of ED can only be passed through legislation form both chambers of Congress.

Of note, the proposed bills that may impact social work education include:

H.R. 9609 – Less Bureaucracy, Better Student Aid Act, which would transfer administration of the federal student loan and financial aid portfolio from the Department of Education to the Department of the Treasury; and

H.R. 9611 – Less Bureaucracy, Better Higher Education Act, which would transfer administration of Titles II, III, IV, V, VII, and VIII higher education programs, including HBCU, MSI, TRIO, GEAR UP, GAANN, FIPSE, disability, veteran, and STEM initiatives, to the Department of Labor.

Titles IV, VII, and VIII pertain to the Higher Education Act of 1965.

CSWE will continue to monitor the progress of this legislative package. No equivalent has been proposed in the Senate, and its passage within the House remains uncertain. 

Additionally, on June 23, Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-2) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2026, which, if passed and enacted, would increase the maximum Pell Grant awards incrementally from $10,000 in the 2026-2027 award year to $15,000 in 2031-2032. The bill would also extend Pell Grant eligibility from 12 to 18 semesters. Subsequent adjustments to the maximum Pell award would be based on the Consumer Price Index.

On Friday, July 10th, CSWE, in partnership with the Society of Social Work Research (SSWR) submitted comments to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the proposed revisions to the Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance (Uniform Guidance). CSWE/SSWR’s submission highlighted important provisions included in the proposed guidance that would, if implemented, significantly harm the ability of social work educators and researchers to carry out federally authorized work and to serve their communities. The proposed revision has received nearly 497,000 comments from across the research and stakeholder communities. 

Additionally, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has formally urged OMB to withdraw key portions of its proposed Uniform Guidance. In a letter to OMB Director Russell Vought, Senator Collins detailed concerns that the rule, as drafted, would impose burdensome requirements on award recipients, disproportionately harm small and rural communities, and undermine scientific and biomedical research.

CSWE and SSWR will continue to monitor any related litigation to the proposed rule and advocate for the social work research community.