Workforce News 2025Dec18

From DC: Housing Package Unveiled in House; DHS’ Latest Policy Actions Impacting Foreign-Born Staff; Congressional Advocacy on Professional Degrees

• The House Committee on Financial Services on December 11 rolled out the bipartisan Housing in the 21st Century Act that would update programs to advance housing development and affordability.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on December 12 terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia effective February 13, 2026, and is ending categorical Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for nationals of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras effective January 14, 2026; more details are here.
• Following the Department of Education’s recent interpretation of “professional degree” to exclude nursing programs, more than 140 members of Congress urged the Department to reverse course in a December 12 bipartisan letter.
  

Nebraska announces they will be the first state to implement new community engagement requirements. HR 1 requires states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to implement community engagement requirements for that expansion population. The implementation deadline for states to add community engagement requirements to their program is December 31, 2026. However, states can choose to implement the requirements early. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, in a press conference with CMS Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz, announced on December 17^th that Nebraska will require the expansion population to meet the community engagement requirements starting on May 1, 2026. LeadingAge learned on a call with the Center for Medicaid and CHIP services (CMCS) that Nebraska will begin sending notifications to beneficiaries that will be subject to community engagement requirements in January 2026. Most Medicaid beneficiaries that LeadingAge members serve are not subject to community engagement requirements, though there will be some staff and residents/clients who are. LeadingAge is engaging with CMS to ensure the clearest possible guidance to states on compliance and exemptions and welcome feedback from state partners and members as community engagement and other components of HR 1 are rolled out. 

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