Sponsors (10)
The bill delivers federal funding to raise pay for paraprofessionals and support staff—improving incomes and targeting low-income schools—while shifting implementation costs, timeline pressures, contractor cost risks, and long-term budgetary obligations onto state/local actors and federal taxpayers.
Paraprofessionals and education support staff nationwide (e.g., teacher aides, librarians, clerical staff) would receive guaranteed higher pay with a $45,000 annual floor and $30/hour floor for FY2026–2030, directly raising incomes for these workers.
The bill provides substantial federal funding (an initial $25 billion in FY2026 with inflation-adjusted increases) to cover pay raises, reducing immediate state and local budget pressure to fund higher staff wages.
Funds must be prioritized to LEAs serving large shares of low-income students and increased pay plus professional development should improve staffing stability and student support services, likely benefiting low-income students and overall education quality.
States and local education agencies will incur implementation, compliance, monitoring, and administrative costs to meet the pay floors and reporting requirements, which could strain local budgets despite federal grants.
Some LEAs may be unable to meet required timelines or fully close local pay gaps with the provided federal funding, forcing reallocations or cuts to other school programs and potentially harming students.
Taxpayers face substantial and ongoing federal spending: the $25 billion initial appropriation plus automatic annual increases tied to CPI could add significant long-term federal cost.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced July 24, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress July 24, 2025
Creates a federal grant program that provides $25 billion in FY2026 (with automatic annual increases) to help states raise pay for paraprofessionals and other education support staff. The program sets national minimum pay floors ($45,000 annual base salary or $30/hour for FY2026–2030), requires states to adopt state-level minimums and to distribute almost all funds to local school districts so high‑poverty districts can meet those minimums within specified timelines, and requires the Department of Education to issue implementing regulations and to monitor compliance. Funds may also be used by districts for broader staff pay increases and professional development; collective bargaining rights are preserved; and federal funds must supplement, not supplant, existing state and local education spending.