Bill > S2555

This bill establishes "The Support and Access to Bilingual Education Act" and appropriates $950,000 annually starting in Fiscal Year 2027 to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a bilingual education support fund. This fund will provide grants to traditional public school districts, community-based organizations working with school districts, and institutions of higher education partnering with school districts to establish and expand high-quality bilingual language instruction programs. A significant portion of the funds, $600,000, is specifically allocated to support strategies and expand teaching certifications for bilingual dual language and world language teachers, addressing a shortage of qualified educators, particularly in areas with a high incidence of multilingual learners (defined as having at least 250 multilingual learners or where multilingual learners constitute 20% or more of the student population). The remaining $300,000 will directly support the implementation of dual language programs in traditional public school districts, with up to $50,000 available for administrative costs, and any unspent discretionary funds will revert to grant purposes. The act also defines key terms such as "bilingual dual language teacher" and "bilingual education program model" to clarify the scope and goals of these initiatives, which aim to improve academic achievement and foster a multilingual workforce for economic competitiveness. This legislation will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Budget and Finance

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