Education and the Workforce

“Education is the key to success. From early learning to higher education, every single student in Utah and across the country deserves access to a quality education – regardless of race, income, or zip code. One of my top priorities in Congress is supporting students and advancing innovative policies that make our country’s education system stronger.

“As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee and Chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, I am dedicated to fostering the best opportunities for students to learn, workers to succeed, and job creators of tomorrow to thrive.” – Rep. Burgess Owens 

• Introduced H.R. 4144, the Federal Assistance to Initiate Repayment (FAIR) Act, legislation to fix the broken student loan system, provide borrowers with clear guidance on repayment, and protect taxpayers from the economic fallout caused by the Biden administration’s radical free college agenda.
• Introduced H.R. 3724, the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, legislation to prohibit accreditors from requiring the colleges they accredit to meet any political litmus tests, such as requiring adherence to DEI standards, as a condition of accreditation.
• Introduced H.R. 7924, the Securing Our Students Act, legislation to authorize local educational agencies and nonpublic schools to use COVID-19 emergency relief funds, services, or assistance for school safety uses.
• Introduced H.R. 745, the RECOVER Act, legislation to allow states and school districts to use unspent COVID relief funds to issue Child Opportunity Scholarships directly to parents. These scholarships, targeted towards low-income families, could be put towards educational opportunities, including tutoring services, private school tuition, and educational therapies for children with disabilities.
• Introduced H.R. 1733, the Kids in Classes Act, legislation to allow families with children in Title I schools to put unused federal education funds toward in-person education, should their school close due to a teachers’ union strike
• Introduced H.R. 9394, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2022, legislation to renew a historically bipartisan program that has supported affordable childcare options for hardworking American families since 1990. 
• Introduced H.R. 3943, the Modernizing Financing of Early Care and Education in America Act, legislation to establish a bipartisan commission to make recommendations to Congress on streamlining and reducing duplication in the financing of early care and education programs.
• Introduced H.R. 889, the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, legislation to expand quality elementary, secondary, and career and technical education opportunities for students by providing a federal tax credit to encourage individuals and businesses to donate to nonprofit scholarship funds.
• Introduced H.R. 4698, the Say No to Indoctrination Act, legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds to teach or advance concepts that separate individuals based on race, color, or national origin
• Co-sponsored H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, legislation to protect parental involvement by reinforcing their right to be heard, their right to see curriculums, and their right to be updated on any violent activity that happens on their children’s campus. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 426, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2021, legislation to make it a violation of federal law for a recipient of federal funds who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 1125, the STUDENT Act, legislation to require disclosure of the total amount of interest that would be paid over the life of a loan for certain Federal student loans. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 531, the Educational Choice for Children Act, legislation to provide charitable donation incentives for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 496, the Promoting Employment and Lifelong Learning Act, legislation to expand educational and credentialing opportunities for workers looking to gain skills in high-demand fields.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 287, the CRT Transparency Act, legislation to require a local educational agency to post on a publicly accessible website the curriculum for each grade level of its elementary and secondary schools to receive certain federal education grants. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 9197, the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, legislation to prohibit the use of Federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 8655, the Responsible Education Assistance Through Loan Reforms Act, legislation to protect students from predatory lending practices, expand access to high-quality, short-term postsecondary education, and provide targeted relief for borrowers.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 8150, the Keep Kids Fed Act, legislation to help schools weather learning disruptions, supply chain challenges, and four-decade-high inflation through targeted and temporary aid.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 8137, the Educational Choice for Children Act, legislation to allow individuals and corporations a new tax credit after 2022 for charitable contributions to tax-exempt organizations that provide scholarships to elementary and secondary school students.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 7525, the Protecting Charter Schools From Federal Overreach Act, legislation to prohibit the Department of Education from finalizing or implementing its proposed rule that revises priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for the Charter Schools Program.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 7461, the CBE Act of 2022, legislation to create a framework under which students participating in competency-based education programs may receive federal student aid.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 7031, the Change of Ownership and Conversion Improvement Act, legislation to ensure that institutions of higher education interested in changing ownership or converting from for-profit to nonprofit or public status are not slowed down by the U.S. Department of Education’s application process.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 6123, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act, legislation to promote understanding of certain political ideologies that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 5162, CRT Transparency Act, legislation to increase classroom transparency for parents and prevent CRT from being taught in schools or included in the curriculum. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, legislation to encourage local educational agencies to resume in-person instruction at elementary and secondary schools.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 605, the Student Empowerment Act, legislation to amend the part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) that increased school choice by expanding 529 accounts to include tuition for K-12 elementary and secondary schooling. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 1097, the CHOICE Act, legislation to amend the CARES Act to require that 10% of appropriations from the Education Stabilization Fund be used for Opportunity Grants. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 3704, the Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act, legislation to provide choice in education for families to deposit education funds into a 529 account to follow their students in public school, private school, homeschool, or other qualified educational experiences.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 4967, the POST Act, legislation to allow for funds to be used to promote career and technical education through social media campaigns, elementary and middle school showcases, and trade shows. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 4764, the No CRT for our Military Kids Act, legislation to prohibit funding for the Department of Defense Education Activity for CRT to be taught in schools or included in the curriculum.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 3422, the Competency-Based Education Act, legislation to provide U.S. colleges and universities with a framework to accelerate student success through mastering the subject matter rather than the amount of time spent in the classroom.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 1477, the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, legislation to allow Americans to use 529 education savings accounts for skills training, credentialing, and certification programs. 
• Co-sponsored H.R. 2700, the Employee Rights Act of 2023, legislation to modernize our nation’s labor policies to match the needs of the 21st-century worker and workforce promoting growth and innovation, ensuring that our laws protect workers rather than union bosses, and allowing Americans to take home more of the money they earn.
• Co-sponsored H.R.3414, the Responsible Borrowing Act, legislation to help alleviate excessive student loan debt by allowing institutions of higher education to implement guard rails on how much money students can borrow.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 3505, the Free Speech on Campus Act, legislation to ensure free expression on campuses in colleges and universities, preserve America’s cherished democratic values, and restore the free marketplace of ideas in higher education.
• Co-sponsored H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation to ensure children across America are well nourished and have access to healthy dairy options in schools.
• Co-signed a bipartisan letter calling for the expansion of financial aid for online education institutions.

To see a complete list of legislation sponsored and supported by Congressman Owens, click here.