The big tax and budget reconciliation law, signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, includes a provision sought by the Insights Association to empower the insights industry’s workforce with more flexible and affordable approaches to training.
“The insights industry is evolving rapidly – driven by artificial intelligence, emerging methodologies, and shifting client demands – and insights professionals must be equipped to keep up. Modernizing college savings plans into broader career savings plans offers flexibility for ongoing skills development and technical training,” commented Howard Fienberg, Senior VP Advocacy for the Insights Association.
The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which expands qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include postsecondary training and credentialing, such as licenses and professional certifications and certificates, is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which passed the House on May 22 and the Senate on July 1. These provisions permit certain expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining postsecondary credentials (such as licenses, certifications, or certificates) to be treated as qualified higher education expenses for purposes of 529 tax savings accounts.
Melanie Courtright, CEO of the Insights Association, noted that, “We needed this kind of reform not only for upskilling the existing insights workforce, but also for opening up new opportunities to aspiring insights professionals who may pursue unorthodox pathways to training outside the standard four-year college degree. The power of the insights industry comes from our people.”
A 529 plan is a state-sponsored education savings vehicle that is exempt from federal taxes if funds are used to pay for qualified education expenses. These previously included college, graduate or professional degrees, including all the Masters or postgraduate programs in insights and analytics; programs from Title IV-accredited institutions; registered apprenticeships; up to $10,000/year in K-12 tuition; and certain student loan repayments.
Now, with the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act law, and pending some regulatory decision-making, the approximately $450 billion nationwide invested in 529 accounts (according to the College Savings Plan Network) will be usable for current or future insights professionals pursuing postsecondary training and certification in our industry, such as with Burke Institute, Cambiar, Market Research Institute International (MRII), Research Rockstar (including the Insights Professional Certificate (IPC) Specialty certificates), and RIVA.
The budget reconciliation law passed with only Republican votes, but the provisions sought by the Insights Association had broad support from both Democrats and Republicans. Separately from the budget reconciliation process, the House version of the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, H.R. 1151, had 195 bipartisan cosponsors and the Senate version, S. 756, had 16 bipartisan cosponsors.
Based in Washington, DC, Howard is the Insights Association's lobbyist for the marketing research and data analytics industry, focusing primarily on consumer privacy and data security, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), tort reform, and the funding and integrity of the decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).
Howard has more than two decades of public policy experience. Before the Insights Association, he worked in Congress as senior legislative staffer for then-Representatives Christopher Cox (CA-48) and Cliff Stearns (FL-06). He also served more than four years with a science policy think tank, working to improve the understanding of scientific and social research and methodology among journalists and policymakers.
Howard is also co-director of The Census Project, a 900+ member coalition in support of a fair and accurate Census and ACS.
He has also served previously on the Board of Directors for the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics and and the Association of Government Relations Professionals.
Howard has an MA International Relations from the University of Essex in England and a BA Honors Political Studies from Trent University in Canada, and has obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Professional Lobbying Certificate (PLC) and the Public Policy Certificate (PPC).
When not running advocacy for the Insights Association, Howard enjoys hockey, NFL football, sci-fi and horror movies, playing with his dog, and spending time with family and friends.