S. 4864

[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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