This week’s Federal Update covers Congressionalm, Executive, and Judicial activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The House convened on July 21 and will be in recess until September 2. The Senate convened on July 21 and is scheduled to be in session through July 25.
On July 18, the House passed its FY26 Department of Defense Appropriations bill. The bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $831.5 billion, which is flat from the FY25 level. A summary of the bill is available here. Bill text is available here. The bill report is available here.
FY 2026 Appropriations
On July 17, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY26 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill. The bill provides $9 billion for the National Science Foundation (a 1% cut from FY25). The full text of the Senate CJS bill is available here; a summary is available here; and the committee report is available here.
Also on July 17, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY26 Energy and Water appropriations bill. The measure provides $8.4 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, 2% more than the FY25 enacted level. The bill text of the House Energy and Water bill is available here; a summary is available here; and the committee report is available here.
On July 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY26 Interior appropriations bill. The bill provides $135 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, 35% below the FY25 enacted level. A summary of the bill is available here. The full text is available here and the committee report is here.
On July 23, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY26 National Security, Department of State, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Bill text is available here. The committee report is available here.
On July 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY26 Interior appropriations bill. The bill provides $207 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the same funding level as the current year. Read the bill summary here. The bill text and report have not yet been published.
Markups
On July 23, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce marked up the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act (H.R. 4312). As covered in previous newsletters, the SCORE Act would allow student-athletes to enter Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals independently with limited exceptions. The bill passed the full committee by a 30-23 vote, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. Watch the markup here.
On July 23, the House Education and Workforce Committee also marked up the SCORE Act. The committee advanced the legislation by a vote of 18-17. Republican Rep. Mike Baumgartner (WA) joined all Democrats to vote against the bill. Watch the markup here.
Executive Branch activities of interest
President Trump Signs Executive Order on Name, Image, and Likeness
On July 24, President Trump signed an executive order on college sports. The Order calls for the preservation, and where possible, expansion of scholarships and competition in women’s and non-revenue sports. It directs the Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of student athletes in non-revenue sports and provides that any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and student athletes should be implemented in a way that protects women’s and non-revenue sports, among other provisions. Read the fact sheet here.
Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking to Implement One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
On July 24, the Department of Education (ED) announced it will hold two negotiated rulemaking sessions to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s higher education provisions. Negotiated rulemaking is a process sometimes used by federal agencies to develop proposed rules. In negotiated rulemaking, agencies convene committees of stakeholders with the goal of reaching consensus on the text of a proposed rule. ED will create a “Reimagining and Improving Student Education” (RISE) Committee to address federal student loan-related changes. ED will also create an “Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell” (AHEAD) Committee to address Workforce Pell, institutional and programmatic accountability, and other issues. Read the release here.
White House Releases Artificial Intelligence Action Plan
On July 23, the White House released its AI Action Plan, which lays out steps to advance American AI dominance. The plan is built around three pillars: accelerating AI innovation; building AI infrastructure; and leading in AI diplomacy and security. The plan recommends investing in “theoretical, computational, and experimental research” and in tools for AI-enabled science and manufacturing. Read the plan here.
Department of Education Opens Investigations into Five Universities, Alleging Existence of Scholarships Solely for Undocumented Students
On July 23, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened national origin discrimination investigations into the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan, and Western Michigan University. The investigations seek to determine whether these universities are granting scholarships only for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or “undocumented” students. The complaint alleges that awarding these scholarships is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against national origin discrimination. Read the release here.
Judicial Branch activities of interest
Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction in Suit Challenging Department of Defense Cut to Indirect Costs
On July 18, a U.S. District Court granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the Department of Defense's (DOD) policy capping indirect cost rates at 15%. The injunction prohibits DOD from “from implementing, instituting, maintaining, or giving effect to portions of the policy implementing a 15% cap for all awards issued on or after June 12, 2025.” The injunction will stay in place until a final order is issued in this case, or a higher court overturns it.