Bill > S343

This bill, called the "Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act" or the "Keep Our PACT Act", aims to fully fund two critical education laws: Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The bill recognizes the importance of education for children and seeks to address educational inequities by providing mandatory, increasing funding for these programs from fiscal year 2026 to 2035. For Part A of Title I of ESEA, the bill establishes a funding mechanism that will supplement appropriations to reach specified funding levels each year, starting at $20.5 billion in 2026 and increasing to $54.3 billion by 2035. For IDEA, the bill mandates funding that progressively increases from 11.6% to 40% of the total amount calculated based on the number of children with disabilities and average per-pupil expenditure, with specific appropriations for each fiscal year. The funding is designated as an emergency requirement, which allows for additional budgetary flexibility. The bill's underlying philosophy is that a promise made to support education must be a promise kept, with the goal of providing high-quality education to every student, including those with disabilities, by ensuring consistent and increasing financial support.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/343/all-info