PUPIL Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4864
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-23: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-08T17:21:46Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation directs a comprehensive federal study on paraprofessionals and education support staff in public prekindergarten through grade 12 schools to better understand their roles, conditions, and contributions to the education system.
Key Provisions
- Establishes definitions for "paraprofessional" (aligned with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) and "education support staff" (covering clerical, transportation, food, custodial, health, technical, and skilled trades roles).
- Includes congressional findings highlighting the workforce's size (over 2 million individuals), diversity, support for students with disabilities, and common issues such as annual layoffs and limited policy influence.
- Requires the Secretary of Education to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine within 90 days to conduct a study examining demographics, recruitment and retention patterns, qualification requirements (including compliance with ESEA and IDEA), roles across settings, effects on student outcomes, compensation and benefits, professional development, career pathways, federal/state/local policy influences, data gaps, salary comparisons to local cost of living, and employment models (including contracted or outsourced arrangements).
- Mandates the study to create position classifications and disaggregate findings accordingly, then issue a public report with recommendations for Congress, federal agencies, states, and local educational agencies within 24 months.
- Authorizes $2,000,000 in appropriations to fund the study.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces no direct amendments to existing statutes. It references compliance requirements from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (section 1111(g)(2)(J)) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (section 612(a)(14)(B)) as elements for the study to review, but creates a new standalone directive for research rather than altering current legal obligations.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: The Department of Education would oversee the contract and funding; the National Academies would produce the analysis, potentially informing future federal policy or grant programs.
- On citizens and schools: Findings could highlight needs for improved compensation, job stability, and training, affecting over 2 million workers and the 54 million students they support.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Paraprofessionals and education support staff.
- Public school districts and early childhood education settings.
- Students, particularly those with disabilities.
- State and local education agencies.
- The U.S. Department of Education and Congress.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation raises no apparent constitutional concerns, as it falls within Congress's authority to fund studies on education matters. It carries potential political implications by emphasizing workforce stability and compensation in public schools, which could influence future legislative or budgetary priorities without mandating specific policy changes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-23: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Providing Understanding of Paraprofessionals in Learning Act — issued 2026-06-23 — PDF (8 pages)