Sponsors (11)
The bill guarantees higher, inflation-protected pay for paraprofessionals and education support staff and provides federal grants to help states comply, improving pay and retention, but it requires substantial federal spending and can constrain local budgeting and bargaining flexibility while risking regional mismatches.
Paraprofessionals and education support staff (low-paid school staff) will receive a federal pay floor (at least $30/hour or a State-set minimum of $45,000 with experience increases) beginning FY2026, raising baseline wages.
States and local education agencies receive dedicated federal grants ($25 billion in FY2026 with annual adjustments) to help meet required pay floors, reducing immediate local budget pressure to raise wages.
The law funds career pathways (professional development, credentials) and indexes wage floors to CPI (with a 2% floor), which helps preserve purchasing power and can improve retention and quality of school support staff.
All taxpayers and the federal budget face a large upfront and ongoing cost (initial $25 billion appropriation in FY2026 plus indexed annual funding).
States and local education agencies must comply with federal wage floors and timelines, which could force local reallocation of education funds, cut other programs, or require staffing changes if federal funds are delayed or insufficient.
Federal pay mandates may limit flexibility of collective bargaining or existing salary structures under state law, constraining how districts negotiate compensation and benefits.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires States to set minimum pay for paraprofessionals/support staff and establishes a $30/hr federal floor for FY2026–2030 with CPI‑indexed five‑year increases thereafter.
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress July 24, 2025
Sets state-level minimum annual salaries for full-time paraprofessionals and education support staff (at least $45,000 for FY2026–FY2030) and requires States to set analogous minimum wages for part-time staff. Establishes a federal per-hour floor of $30.00 for paraprofessionals and education support staff for FY2026–FY2030 and creates an annual federal grant program administered by the Department of Education to support implementation. After FY2030, both the state salary floors and the federal hourly floor are adjusted every five years using either the five-year aggregate CPI change or a 2% increase, whichever is greater. Defines key terms by adopting existing ESEA definitions (for example, paraprofessional, local educational agency, English learner), creates an “annual adjustment percentage” tied to CPI changes, and emphasizes goals of living wages, accounting for regional cost differences, and improving recruitment and retention of school support staff.