The following message from Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman provides updates on work occurring over the summer related to several federal issues. As the fall semester begins, updates will be shared via appropriate campus channels and through the Universities of Wisconsin Federal Updates webpage.
As students return to campus and legislative leaders return to Washington, D.C. following the August recess, I want to provide some updates on our work on a host of federal issues.
Federal Updates Working Group
Since the beginning of the calendar year, the Universities of Wisconsin have been reviewing federal legislative actions, regulatory changes, and Presidential executive orders. Our team and your university leaders have been tireless in responding to these changes and supporting our UWs on these national issues. Continue to check our Federal Updates website for updates and additional information.
Legislation and Executive Order Highlights
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. Following the bill becoming Public Law No. 119-21, the Department of Education began the implementation of the higher education provisions of the law, and the Department has now announced negotiated rulemaking as it looks to implement the provisions related to federal student loans and the Pell Grant program.
In addition, Congress continues to work to advance appropriations legislation ahead of the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30. While the House of Representatives did not consider the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act before the August Recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee did mark up the legislation. If interested, you can watch the archived markup and review the bill text and committee report.
While we will continue to be engaged on these and other legislative matters, we also continue to track and share updates related to Presidential Executive Orders including those listed below, which you can review if you’d like to learn more.
- White House: Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
- White House: Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions
- Department of Education: S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon Directs National Center for Education Statistics to Collect Universities’ Data on Race Discrimination in Admissions
Litigation
To date, the State of Wisconsin has joined several multi-state lawsuits relating to the actions of the federal government and their impact on the Universities of Wisconsin. Read more about this topic here: Litigation Action on Federal Directives.
Advocacy
We have been actively meeting and sharing updates with Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation and working through our national associations on additional issues of importance and concern to our universities. These efforts have included in-person meetings on the criticality of federal financial aid and fully funding research agencies, among other topics.
Political Activity Guidance
Many of you have expressed interest in advocating for the UWs on federal issues. I applaud your commitment to the UWs. I urge you to be mindful of our political activity and public advocacy guidelines as a UW employee. Please read the Guidance on Political Activities Frequently Asked Questions for more information.