Capitol to Capitol | Oct. 7, 2024

Capitol to Capitol | Oct. 7, 2024

NewsletterCapitol to Capitol

Questions?Please use the email icon at left to contact NCSL's State-Federal Affairs Division.

NCSL Updates

Webinar: Navigating Bird Flu: Response and Risks | Oct. 10, 2024 | 3 p.m. ET

Join NCSL and a panel of distinguished guests to learn how states and the federal government are responding to the ongoing bird flu outbreak, including protocols to protect livestock, ranching operations, agriculture laborers and others. Register here

Administration Updates

Fact Sheet on Joint Rule to Curb Unlawful Entries and Streamline Immigration Process

The Department of Homeland Securityreleased a fact sheet last week outlining the joint final rule with the Department of Justice that extends the June interim final rule restricting asylum eligibility for those who enter the country during periods of high encounters at the U.S. southern border. The interim final rule made noncitizens who enter across the southern border without authorization ineligible for asylum, with certain exceptions. Since the rule was issued on June 5, encounters at the southern border have decreased 55%. Read more

DOE Announces $1.5B for Transmission Projects

The funding is intended to help expand the U.S. transmission system and bring more wind and solar power online. Overall, the projects-in Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas-are expected to add about 1,000 miles of new transmission line and 7,000 megawatts of new power capacity to the electric grid. The announcement was made shortly after a DOE report identified the national need for more than 1 million megawatts of capacity by 2050 to meet demands, and underscores the agency's efforts to understand and improve grid capacity. Read more

Court Updates

Federal Judge Dismisses Student Loan Forgiveness Lawsuit

A federal judge in Georgia allowed the injunction preventing the Department of Education from implementing its proposed student loan relief program to expire last week, clearing the way for the department to finalize the plan. Despite the judge's action, ongoing litigation in Missouri may yet block the plan's implementation. The proposed program includes nine new one-time relief policies introduced through an April 2024 rule. The rule generally seeks to provide relief to borrowers whose balances have grown over time and would forgive debt for borrowers who are otherwise eligible for forgiveness under existing programs but are not enrolled. The department estimates the rules would collectively provide some level of loan forgiveness for over 30 million borrowers. Read more

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