[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4864 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4864
To direct a study on paraprofessionals and education support staff.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 23, 2026
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Booker) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct a study on paraprofessionals and education support staff.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Understanding of
Paraprofessionals in Learning Act'' or the ``PUPIL Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ESEA.--The terms ``professional development'',
``Secretary'', and ``State'' have the meanings given the terms
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Education support staff.--The term ``education support
staff'' (also sometimes known as ``classified school
employees'' or ``education support professionals'') includes
professionals who work in early childhood education settings or
schools that serve children in prekindergarten through grade 12
in clerical and administrative services, transportation
services, food and nutrition services, custodial and
maintenance services, health and student services, technical
services, and skilled trades.
(3) Paraprofessional.--The term ``paraprofessional'' has
the meaning given that term in section 3201 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7011).
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Paraprofessionals and education support staff are
invaluable members of the education system and school
community.
(2) More than 2,000,000 paraprofessionals and education
support staff are the frontline workers who transform public
elementary and secondary schools in the United States from
brick and mortar buildings to places of learning and support
for more than 54,000,000 students across the United States.
(3) Many paraprofessionals and education support staff are,
as a matter of practice, laid off at the end of each school
year and rehired annually, and lack job security.
(4) Over 500,000 paraprofessionals provide essential
support for children with disabilities to access a free
appropriate public education in the least restrictive
environment.
(5) While paraprofessionals and education support staff are
often the most diverse subset of school employees, are more
likely to have grown up in the communities they serve, and are
trusted school community members for many students and parents,
the voices of paraprofessionals and education support staff are
not always reflected in school policies.
SEC. 4. STUDY ON THE PARAPROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF
WORKFORCE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall seek to enter into a contract with the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a
study examining the paraprofessional and education support staff
workforce that serve children in prekindergarten through grade 12 in
the United States enrolled at public elementary schools or secondary
schools. Such study shall contain the elements described in subsection
(b) and shall assess the characteristics, roles, effectiveness,
preparation, compensation, and career pathways of paraprofessionals and
education support staff, as well as the policies and investments that
shape the paraprofessional and education support staff workforce.
(b) Elements.--The study described in subsection (a) shall--
(1) examine--
(A) the demographic, educational, and professional
characteristics of the paraprofessional and education
support staff workforce that serve children in
prekindergarten through grade 12;
(B) pathways into the paraprofessional and
education support staff roles and patterns of
recruitment, retention, and tenure; and
(C) minimum qualification and credentialing
requirements, including variations across States and
local educational agencies and compliance with the
certification and licensure requirements of section
1111(g)(2)(J) of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(g)(2)(J)), and for
paraprofessionals serving children with disabilities,
compliance with section 612(a)(14)(B) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1412(a)(14)(B));
(2) review the roles and responsibilities that
paraprofessionals and education support staff assume across
prekindergarten through grade 12 settings and student
populations;
(3) evaluate the available evidence on the impact of
paraprofessional and education support staff on student
academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes, and
identify the conditions under which paraprofessionals and
education support staff are most effective, including
considerations of training, supervision, role clarity, and
instructional context;
(4) analyze compensation structures, including salaries,
benefits, and employment conditions, and document variation
across States, local educational agencies, and school contexts,
and identify evidence-informed approaches to improving
compensation, stability, and overall job quality;
(5) assess the availability, quality, and effectiveness of
professional development opportunities for paraprofessionals
and education support staff, and identify strategies to
strengthen those opportunities;
(6) examine career advancement pathways, including model
programs and policies that support progression to certified
teaching and other educational roles;
(7) identify Federal, State, and local policy levers and
investments that influence the recruitment, preparation,
effectiveness, advancement, and retention of the
paraprofessional and education support staff workforce, and
recommend actionable strategies to strengthen and sustain such
workforce in ways that support educational quality and student
outcomes;
(8) identify data gaps and areas where additional research
is needed;
(9) with respect to each classification established under
subsection (c)--
(A) analyze the average starting salary for each
such classification and the average salary for each
such classification; and
(B) compare those starting and average salaries by
classification and location, to the cost of living or
livable wages for the respective locations in which
those education support staff and paraprofessionals
reside;
(10) examine relevant employment models and workforce
arrangements, including--
(A) the use and prevalence of contracted,
privatized, or outsourced education support staff and
paraprofessionals; and
(B) the implications of those employment models and
workforce arrangements on workforce stability,
training, supervision, and working conditions, the
alignment of those models and arrangements with school
goals, and the effects of those models and arrangements
on educational quality and student outcomes; and
(11) make recommendations for Congress, Federal agencies,
States, local educational agencies, and other relevant
stakeholders, based on the findings of the study.
(c) Position Classifications.--In carrying out the study under this
section, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
shall establish classifications for the different education support
staff and paraprofessional positions, and with respect to each element
of the study, as described in subsection (b), disaggregate data based
on those classifications, to the extent practicable.
(d) Report.--The agreement under subsection (a) shall direct the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to complete
the study under this section, and transmit to Congress and make
publicly available a report on the results of the study, not later than
24 months after the date of entry into the agreement.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $2,000,000.
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