There is still time to register for American Associations Day, ASAE’s legislative fly-in, which will take place March 19-20 on Capitol Hill.
At this year’s fly-in, association advocates will urge Congress to pass a bipartisan bill to expand individuals’ use of “529” education savings accounts to cover the costs of professional certification and credentialing programs. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act was introduced last December by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) to help students and individuals already in the workforce advance their career development through training, certification and credentialing programs. Currently, 529 accounts can only be used to pay for tuition at colleges and universities, vocational schools and other post-secondary institutions.
Under the Spanberger-Wittman bill, tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required to enroll in or attend a program that prepares individuals for professional certification, as well as any fees charged by certification programs would be eligible expenses. ASAE and its Professional Certification Coalition (PCC), which includes more than 100 associations and nonprofits that run certification programs, have endorsed the bill as a way to support additional opportunities for training and credentialing for individuals seeking to enter the workforce or advance in their occupations
Registration for American Associations Day is free and the two-day agenda includes a half day of information-sharing and networking at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill and a joint reception with the ASAE Board on the evening of March 19.
Click here to register for American Associations Day. For more information, please contact ASAE's Nate Fisher at nfisher@asaecenter.org.
This article was provided to OSAE by the Power of A and ASAE's Inroads.