COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 7, 2005

Support Regulatory Relief for Students, Schools, Workers & Families Affected by the Hurricanes

COSPONSOR THE HURRICANE REGULATORY RELIEF ACT

Dear Colleague:

A key component of the Gulf Coast hurricane relief and recovery effort is flexibility and adaptability.  Entire communities have been uprooted by these unprecedented natural disasters, and bureaucratic red tape must not stand in the way of efforts to rebuild the region.  To provide common sense flexibility and assistance, we introduced the Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 3975). 

The bill emphasizes much-needed regulatory relief to help the students, schools, workers, families, and communities affected by the hurricanes.  Specifically, the bill:

• Provides flexibility for K-12 schools.  For one year, the bill eases some financial requirements for K-12 schools in the impacted Gulf Coast region.  This type of regulatory relief will provide much needed flexibility, free up resources and ensure states and schools are able to effectively serve affected students.

• Provides flexibility for teachers.  The bill assists teachers by: allowing displaced teachers to be considered highly qualified when teaching outside their home state in areas that are serving large numbers of displaced students; expanding the special education Paperwork Reduction Pilot program; and protecting student loan forgiveness opportunities for displaced teachers.

• Provides flexibility for higher education students and schools.  The bill strengthens financial aid opportunities for affected students, eases financial burdens on students and schools, and encourages college credit mobility.

• Encourages innovation and technology.  The bill expands access to educational opportunities through distance learning to assist displaced students and encourages involvement from non-traditional sources such as charter schools.

• Expands access to child care and early childhood education.  The bill eases burdensome requirements and provides additional guidance and flexibility to ensure affected families have access to child care and early childhood education through programs such as Head Start.

• Provides resources for communities.  The bill promotes community-based recovery services by allowing additional flexibility within the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, which provides an array of services and assistance through Community Action Agencies.

• Assists displaced workers.  The bill adds flexibility to job training programs, provides financial flexibility for displaced workers, and enhances safety and reduces bureaucracy in relief projects.

A summary of the Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act is available on the Education & the Workforce Committee “Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Rebuilding & Recovery” website at http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/109th/hurricane/hrrabillsummary100605.htm.  For more information or to sign on as a cosponsor, contact Jessica Gross with the Committee at x5-4527 or email Jessica.Gross@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,