H.R. 5476

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5476 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5476

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to 
support the recruitment and retention of paraprofessionals in public 
elementary schools, secondary schools, and preschool programs, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 18, 2025

Mrs. McBath (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Pocan, Mr. 
Mannion, Mr. McGarvey, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. McClellan, Mrs. 
McClain Delaney, Ms. Titus, Mr. Keating, Mr. Whitesides, Ms. Balint, 
Ms. Simon, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Craig, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Larson of 
Connecticut, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. 
Clarke of New York, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Thompson of 
Mississippi, Mr. Fields, and Mr. Sorensen) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to 
support the recruitment and retention of paraprofessionals in public 
elementary schools, secondary schools, and preschool programs, and for 
other purposes.

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 ``Preparing And Retaining All (PARA) 
Educators Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN 
PARAPROFESSIONALS IN SCHOOLS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall carry out a 
program under which the Secretary makes allotments to State educational 
agencies to assist States, local educational agencies, and educational 
service agencies in recruiting and retaining paraprofessionals in 
public elementary schools, secondary schools, and preschool programs.
(b) State-by-State Allocation.--Each State educational agency that 
has an application approved by the Secretary under subsection (e)(1) 
shall be allocated an amount that bears the same relationship to the 
amount appropriated to carry out this Act for each fiscal year as the 
amount received by all local educational agencies in the State under 
part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) for the previous fiscal year bears to the 
total amount received under such part for such fiscal year by all local 
educational agencies in every State.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) State reservation.--A State educational agency that 
receives an allotment under subsection (b) may reserve not more 
than 5 percent of the allotment for administrative activities 
relating to the grant program under paragraph (2) and to carry 
out statewide activities to support the recruitment and 
retention of paraprofessionals in public elementary schools, 
secondary schools, and preschool programs in the State.
(2) Subgrants to eligible entities.--From amounts received 
under subsection (b) and not reserved under paragraph (1), a 
State educational agency shall make subgrants to eligible 
entities, on a competitive basis, to support the recruitment 
and retention of paraprofessionals in public elementary 
schools, secondary schools, and preschool programs, which may 
include activities such as--
(A) establishing paraprofessional leader induction 
and mentoring programs that are evidence-based (to the 
extent a State determines that such evidence is 
reasonably available) and designed to--
(i) improve classroom instruction and 
student learning and achievement, including 
through improving school leadership programs; 
and
(ii) increase the retention of 
paraprofessionals;
(B) developing and implementing high-quality 
professional development programs to recruit and retain 
paraprofessionals in the elementary schools, secondary 
schools, and preschool programs served by eligible 
entities;
(C) providing paraprofessionals with the skills, 
credentials, or certifications needed to educate all 
students, such as--
(i) a special education certificate;
(ii) an English learner certificate;
(iii) an advanced paraeducator 
certification to support specialized 
instruction; and
(iv) a certification in teaching; and
(D) increasing wages for paraprofessionals or 
providing bonus pay incentives to retain and recruit 
paraprofessionals.
(d) Priority.--
(1) In general.--In making subgrants to eligible entities 
under subsection (c)(2), a State educational agency shall give 
priority to entities--
(A) that serve greater numbers or percentages of 
children from low-income families;
(B) in which all schools served by the entity are 
designated with a locale code of 41, 42, or 43, as 
determined by the Secretary of Education; or
(C) in which all schools served by the entity--
(i) receive special assistance payments 
under section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1759a(a)(1)(F)); and
(ii) have an identified student percentage 
(as such term is defined in section 
245.9(f)(1)(iii) of title 7, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or any successor regulations)) of 
not less than the applicable threshold under 
section 11(a)(1)(F)(viii) of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1759a(a)(1)(F)(viii)).
(2) Low-income family.--For purposes of paragraph (1)(A), 
the term ``low-income family'' means a family--
(A) in which a child is eligible for the school 
lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
(B) in which the child is--
(i) enrolled in a school that receives 
special assistance payments under section 
11(a)(1)(F) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)(F)); 
and
(ii) is an identified student (as defined 
in section 11(a)(1)(F)(i) of that Act);
(C) receiving assistance under the program of block 
grants to States for temporary assistance for needy 
families established under part A of title IV of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or
(D) in which the child is eligible to receive 
medical assistance under the Medicaid program under 
title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.).
(e) Applications.--
(1) State applications.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), a State educational agency shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.
(B) Required assurances.--A State educational 
agency submitting an application under subparagraph (A) 
shall include in such application an assurance that--
(i) in making subgrants under subsection 
(c)(2), the State will give priority to 
eligible entities described in subsection (d); 
and
(ii) the State educational agency will 
comply with the reporting requirements under 
subsection (f).
(2) Eligible entity applications.--To be eligible to 
receive a subgrant from a State educational agency under 
subsection (c)(2), an eligible entity shall submit an 
application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the State 
educational agency may require.
(f) Implementation and Evaluation.--On an annual basis, in each 
fiscal year for which a State educational agency receives a grant under 
this section, such agency shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of 
Education a report that includes--
(1) updated average paraprofessional pay baselines for that 
fiscal year, disaggregated by the statewide average and the 
average within the schools served by each eligible entity in 
the State;
(2) a description of how the State and eligible entities in 
the State increased the average wages for paraprofessional 
baselines in a manner consistent with the statewide annual 
goals for the corresponding fiscal year;
(3) updated data on the number of paraprofessionals 
employed by eligible entities in the State--
(A) who earn less than the average wage for 
paraprofessionals in the State; and
(B) who earn less than the average wage for 
paraprofessionals employed by the eligible entity 
concerned;
(4) identification of any eligible entity that used a 
subgrant under subsection (c)(2) to increase the number of 
paraprofessionals employed in the schools and preschools served 
by such entity;
(5) a description of the actions the State educational 
agency will take in the next fiscal year to support eligible 
entities experiencing a shortage of paraprofessionals; and
(6) a description of any professional development 
activities used by eligible entities to recruit and retain 
paraprofessionals.
(g) Rules of Construction for Collective Bargaining.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), nothing in this 
section shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the 
rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to school employees 
or employees of an eligible entity under Federal, State, or 
local laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) 
or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, 
memoranda of understanding, or other agreements between such 
employers and their employees.
(2) Compliance.--Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to 
exempt a State, eligible entity, or school from complying with 
this section or from negotiating in compliance with State labor 
laws to comply with this section.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(i) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an educational service agency that serves a 
high-need school or a consortium of high-need schools; 
or
(B) a local educational agency.
(2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``educational service agency'', 
``elementary school'', ``English learner'', ``evidence-based'', 
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and ``State 
educational agency'' have the meanings given those terms in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(3) High-need school.--The term ``high-need school'' has 
the meaning given that term in section 2243(f)(2) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6673(f)(2)).
(4) 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).
(5) Preschool program.--The term ``preschool program'' 
means a program that--
(A) provides for the care, development, and 
education of infants, toddlers, or young children age 5 
and under;
(B) meets any applicable State or local government 
licensing, certification, approval, and registration 
requirements; and
(C) is operated by a public or private school that 
is supported, sponsored, supervised, or administered by 
an eligible entity.
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