Sponsors (3)
The bill provides targeted, timely federal grants to help schools and students recover quickly after disasters (including some private-school access), but it creates a new taxpayer-funded program with restrictions on construction and administrative conditions that can limit use and slow or leave long-term rebuilding needs unmet.
Students in disaster-declared areas receive quicker federal funding (program authorized up to $200M/year) to restore instruction, materials, and services after disasters.
State and local schools can rapidly replace critical systems and transportation to reduce instructional disruption and resume operations sooner after disasters.
Students in non-public (private) schools are guaranteed equitable and timely access to comparable services, expanding recovery support beyond public schools.
All taxpayers fund a new federal program authorized up to $200 million per year (FY2026–2030), increasing federal expenditures and potential deficits.
Funds are ineligible for major construction, leaving long-term rebuilding and facility replacement unfunded and potentially prolonging full recovery for damaged school infrastructure.
Requirement that services for private/nonprofit schools be administered by a public agency and comply with secular/nonideological rules may limit how some private schools access or use aid.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make appropriated emergency payments to states so SEAs can support public and eligible non-public schools after declared disasters.
Official title: To authorize the Secretary of Education to make payments to State educational agencies to provide immediate services or assistance to local educational agencies and non-public schools that serve an area in which a major disaster or emergency has been declared, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by John W. Mannion · Last progress January 27, 2026
Authorizes the Department of Education to make payments to State educational agencies so those states can quickly provide services and assistance to public local school districts and eligible non-public (private) schools located in areas with a declared disaster or emergency. Funds are to be allocated based on pre-disaster enrollment and prioritization for schools closed 30+ days, with rules on equitable services to private school students, allowable uses, application requirements, and supplement-not-supplant restrictions. The law creates an immediate-aid authority tied to appropriations (no specific dollar amount) and requires States to distribute funds to LEAs and non-public schools based on student counts and disaster severity, permitting uses such as data recovery, temporary facilities, transportation, initial replacement of instructional materials, and short-term financial operations support.