On December 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the launch of a new Section 117 foreign gifts and contracts reporting portal. On February 23, 2026, ED announced a new interagency partnership with the U.S. Department of State (State) to support ED’s enforcement of Section 117 compliance by colleges and universities.

On March 4, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corporation, holding that NJ Transit—a public corporation created by the New Jersey Legislature to operate bus and rail transit—does not qualify as an “arm of the state” and therefore cannot invoke New Jersey’s sovereign immunity in court. Justice Sotomayor’s opinion clarifies and streamlines the arm‑of‑the‑state inquiry, making formal legal structure and fiscal independence the dominant considerations while diminishing the relevance of an entity’s public mission, state funding, and state control.

Title IX’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination includes an obligation to accommodate—and not discriminate against—students who are experiencing pregnancy or related conditions. Colleges and universities must ensure that pregnant students, and those who are lactating or recovering from childbirth or the termination of a pregnancy, are not excluded from participation, denied benefits, or subjected to discrimination in their education programs or activities while enrolled.

On January 29, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued Executive Order No. 650, “Protecting Access to Essential Services and Keeping Massachusetts Communities Safe.” This Executive Order took effect immediately and will continue until amended, superseded, or revoked by a subsequent Executive Order.