For the third time in six months, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill to temporarily extend the law that governs most federal student-aid programs.

Under the bill (HR 4911), which the House passed by a voice vote on Tuesday, Congress would have until June 30 to complete work on legislation to renew, or reauthorize, the Higher Education Act, which is due to expire at the end of this month. The Senate is expected to approve the measure soon.

Congressional observers say it is unlikely that Congress will be able to meet the June deadline, so lawmakers will probably have to temporarily extend the law again.

Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon, the California Republican who is the new chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, is expected to bring the reauthorization bill (HR 609) that his panel approved to the House floor as early as the end of the month (The Chronicle, August 5, 2005). It is unclear when Senate leaders intend to bring their version of the legislation (S 1614) to the Senate floor (The Chronicle, September 16, 2005).