Feb 27 Newsletter — OY Federal Updates
Let's Catch Up...
Looking Ahead at FY27 Appropriations
Since the final Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) bill passed for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) on February 3rd, we can now look ahead to the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) appropriations process. The House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) published FY26 appropriations guidance earlier this week. Programmatic and language requests from members of Congress are due to committee by March 20th. Community Project Funding (CPF) requests – previously referred to as earmarks – are due to committee by 6:00 PM EST on March 20th, and members of Congress must post CPF requests on their websites by 6:00pm EST on April 17th. In FY27 for Labor-HHS-Ed, CPF requests will only be accepted for the Department of Health and Human Services—Health Resources and Services Administration—HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support. Check out this helpful step-by-step guide from the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) to learn how to request CPF/earmark funding!
Where We Landed with FY26 Appropriations
When engaging in FY27 appropriations advocacy, keep in mind where we landed for FY26. The Labor-HHS-Ed bill changed little about programs serving Opportunity Youth (OY), rejecting proposals in President Trump's budget that would have eliminated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth, Adult Education, Job Corps, and AmeriCorps funding. The bill includes targeted language to protect existing programs, such as a prohibition on unilateral closure by the executive branch of Civilian Conservation Centers and Job Corps Centers – unless they meet existing statutory and regulatory requirements for closure. This LHHS bill could have been much, much worse. However, federal support for youth employment and training continues to die by a thousand cuts.
New Interagency Agreements
At the beginning of this week the U.S. Department of Education announced two additional interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of State and Health and Human Services (HHS). This is one more step toward eliminating ED. Implications include:
State will manage Section 117 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) previously done by ED's General Counsel and Office of Federal Student Aid. Section 117 deals with foreign gifts and contracts of $250,000 or more.
HHS will now manage five more ED programs from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: the School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV), School Safety National Activities, Ready to Learn Programming, Full-Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and Statewide Family Engagement Centers.
These IAAs are in addition to the seven announced in November 2025 with the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior, State, and HHS. At this time there is close to no information about how these IAAs are being implemented.
The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is currently finalizing our sign-on letter for FY27 and will be sharing it all with you soon. More to come...
New Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus Launched
This month, Representatives Troy Carter (D-LA) and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) launched the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus to address this crisis head on. The Caucus Co-Chairs shared a joint press release that emphasized their commitment to OY policy and re-engaging young people in education and the workforce. The caucus will:
Highlight federal policies that support disconnected youth
Share local programs creating real pathways to success
Elevate Opportunity Youth research and solutions
Backed by nearly 150 organizations, including many of our coalition members, this caucus creates momentum for scaling the policies and programs that help Opportunity Youth succeed! For more information on the caucus, please contact gerod@forumfyi.org or the National Opportunity Youth Coalition at info@noycoalition.org.
RYC Strategic Goals
The time to invest in our young people is now. The RYC works under the vision of reconnecting 1 million young people each year to education and employment through increased federal investments. This goal cannot be reached by the traditional federal appropriations process alone. In "Stepping Stones to Reconnecting 1 Million Young People: Ideas from the Reconnecting Youth Campaign", Thomas Showalter discusses ways that our field can work together to reach this goal through annual appropriations, youth-focused apprenticeships, improving access to career-navigation, increasing wages for young people, and more.
Hear directly from young leaders urging Congress to invest in reconnecting the 4.8 million Opportunity Youth nationwide.
Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Update
Meet Our New Cohort
The newest cohort of the Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Program (OYCL) is officially in action! For the next few months young people ages 16 to 26 will participate in a paid fellowship where they will be equipped with the skills and tools to advocate directly to policymakers. This virtual, part-time program was designed with and for Opportunity Youth to level up their advocacy skills and connect to others working for more equitable access to opportunity.
In a few weeks, our OYCLs will be traveling to DC to meet directly with their members of Congress and connect with each other. We're excited for them to get a chance to do their advocacy in-person and the opportunity to talk to their members DIRECTLY about the issues that matter most to them and young people!
Resource Center
This guide from the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) provides step-by-step instructions to submit a Community Project Funding – also called earmark – request. Watch The Video: FY 2027 Earmarks Webinar: Secure Funding to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness
Getting Workforce Pell Right for Young People – What We've Learned from Career Technical Education
Advance CTE and the National Skills Coalition (NSC) discuss the movement of Workforce Pell from policy to practice, and how new opportunities for learners and workers can lead to high quality education and training programs. This blog explores how policymakers can draw from learnings in Career Technical Education (CTE) to ensure that Workforce Pell is a meaningful bridge to new college and career possibilities for young people – not a detour that constrains their futures.
Economic Bill of RYTS (Real Youth Troubles & Solutions)
MyPath's Youth Economic Bill of RYTS is a document created by and for youth that identifies the most pressing financial issues young people around the country face and offers policy-based, youth-centered solutions. The current 2025-2026 POWER Leaders cohort is working to refresh the document to reflect current realities. We invite you to review the current Bill of RYTS and share your feedback — what feels most relevant, what may be missing, and what should be reconsidered.
Why New SNAP Work Requirements Undermine Workers and States
The National Skills Coalition (NSC) writes about the new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the "Big Beautiful Bill" (H.R. 1). This article discusses how the work requirements are actually barriers to workers finding and keeping good jobs, and will ultimately block people from food assistance during the process.
The Anne E. Casey Foundation invests in efforts to equip OY with the skills, credentials, and experiences needed to prepare for placement in their first job, gain experience, and grow their careers. This report highlights key strategies that Casey and its partners have implemented to help young people navigate transitions from school to work.
Monthly Opportunity Youth Policy Stakeholders Meeting
For all those with important perspectives to share and a willingness to engage in federal advocacy and implementation, we will host monthly meetings covering key developments, soliciting views and priorities, and providing meaningful opportunities to engage. These meetings are designed particularly for organizations whose work is not primarily federal advocacy, but whose voices are critical — for example, Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum sites, LEAP sites, and NLC Reengagement Network participants.
Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month at 4pm EST. Register Here
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