Dear Colleagues,

Please find a federal government update from our teams. 

Court Blocks $100,000 Fee for H-1B Petitions
A federal judge ruled on June 8 that the administration’s  $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is unlawful and cannot be enforced. Colorado joined 19 other states in challenging the fee, arguing that it would exacerbate workforce shortages in sectors that rely on highly skilled international workers, including healthcare and higher education. The court found the administration lacked the authority to impose the fee without congressional approval. The ruling blocks its implementation nationwide while appeals proceed.

NIH Proposes PI Award Cap
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information on June 8, seeking feedback on a proposal to limit the number of simultaneous NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) that a single principal investigator (PI) may hold. Under the proposal, investigators would be capped at holding no more than three RPG awards at any given time with the stated goal of distributing funding across a larger number of researchers and increasing scientific productivity and innovation. NIH says the proposal is intended to support workforce sustainability, strengthen stewardship of federal research investments and advance the biomedical agency’s Unified Funding Strategy.

The Federal Relations and General Counsel teams are actively monitoring developments at the federal level. We are working closely with the President and Chancellors, as well as the Colorado congressional delegation to champion CU priorities. We are committed to keeping you informed. Please visit the CU System Federal Updates and Actions page for up-to-date communications and federal memos.

Danielle Radovich Piper, Sr. VP External Relations and Strategy  
Kerry Tipper, Vice President, University Counsel