Great news! Yesterday (Nov 15) the House Education and Labor Committee unanimously approved a five-year reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which contains in its entirety the Higher Education Sustainability Act (HESA).

Through a competitive grant program, HESA promotes multidisciplinary education, research, and outreach programs that address environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. It ensures that programs and practices developed under the name of sustainability are high caliber and address national needs. The legislation also encourages partnerships with external stake-holders such as non-profits, business alliances and trade associations for developing best practices, engaging students in real-world experiences, and ensuring that sustainability programs remain current.

Congressman Blumenauer explained that by providing grants to universities and institutions to develop sustainability programs, "we not only protect the planet, but we also help maintain America's economic competitiveness. 90 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs want sustainable development to become part of their mission, and the Higher Education Sustainability Act is an opportunity to meet this need.”

HESA also establishes a national Higher Education Summit on Sustainability to highlight programs and practices of national distinction and identify partnership opportunities for the federal government. The bill amends Title VII of the Higher Education Act, and was introduced in September by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) and Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R-MI).

Because HESA passed unanimously, it is likely it will pass the House and be introduced to Senate this week or early next. All attention should now going to members of the Senate Health Committee. Please consider supporting HESA by: 1) sending a letter to your senators; and 2) following-up with a phone call. More information and instructions for endorsing this effort is available at http://www.fundee.org/campaigns/hesa/.

Thank you for helping to get the support this bill still needs!