I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7032 
To ensure that paraprofessionals and education support staff are paid a 
living wage. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 13, 2026 
Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois (for himself, Mrs. HAYES, Mrs. GRIJALVA, Mr. CASAR, 
Ms. CRAIG, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. LANDSMAN, Mr. 
JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, 
Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. GARCIA of California, Mr. CARSON, Ms. CHU, Ms. 
TOKUDA, Ms. TITUS, Mr. EVANS of Pennsylvania, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 
STANSBURY, Mr. BOYLE
of Pennsylvania, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. 
THANEDAR, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To ensure that paraprofessionals and education support staff 
are paid a living wage. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pay Paraprofessionals 
and Support Staff Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PAY PARAPROFESSIONALS AND EDUCATION SUP-
PORT STAFF ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ESEA.—The terms ‘‘English learner’’, 
‘‘local 
educational 
agency’’, 
‘‘paraprofessional’’, 
‘‘professional 
development’’, 
‘‘Secretary’’, 
and 
‘‘State’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT PERCENTAGE.—The 
term ‘‘annual adjustment percentage’’ means, with 
respect to a fiscal year, a percentage equal to the es-
timated percentage change in the Consumer Price 
Index, as determined by the Secretary, for the most 
recent calendar year ending prior to the beginning of 
such fiscal year. 
(3) MINIMUM SALARY FOR PARAPROFESSIONAL 
AND EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘minimum 
salary for paraprofessional and education sup-
port staff’’ means an amount, determined by 
the State, that all full-time equivalent employ-
ees employed by a local educational agency are 
required by the State to be compensated by 
such agency as their annual base salary, and 
which— 
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in the previous 5 fiscal year period, in-
creased by the greater of— 
(I) the aggregate annual adjust-
ment percentage over the previous 5 
fiscal years; or 
(II) 2 percent of the amount ap-
plicable under this subsection for the 
previous 5 fiscal year period. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to en-
sure that paraprofessionals and education support staff, 
who are the backbone of our Nation’s public education sys-
tem, are— 
(1) paid a living wage, which means— 
(A) a minimum salary for paraprofessional 
and education support staff; or 
(B) a minimum wage for paraprofessional 
and education support staff; 
(2) compensated in a manner that recognizes 
some regions may have higher costs of living and 
therefore necessitate higher minimum salaries or 
wages; 
(3) recognized as public servants who provide 
essential services that keep our Nation’s public 
schools running and our students thriving; and 
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(4) provided safe working conditions and treat-
ed with the respect and dignity they deserve. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION AND APPROPRIATIONS.—In ad-
dition to amounts otherwise available, there are authorized 
to be appropriated and there are appropriated out of any 
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the 
Department of Education, to carry this section— 
(1) for fiscal year 2026, $25,000,000,000; and 
(2) for each succeeding fiscal year, the amount 
appropriated under this section for the preceding fis-
cal year, increased by the annual adjustment per-
centage. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS.— 
(1) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount 
appropriated under subsection (c) for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall reserve not more than— 
(A) 1 percent to provide grants, contracts, 
or cooperative agreements to regional edu-
cational laboratories (established under section 
174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564)) or qualified nonprofit 
organizations to assist States that receive 
grants under this section carry out applied re-
search or evaluations in providing paraprofes-
sionals and education support staff with oppor-
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tunities for personnel preparation, professional 
development, credentials, or certifications, such 
as to assist in the provision of special education 
and related services or to serve English learn-
ers; and 
(B) 1 percent for technical assistance and 
program administration of this section. 
(2) 
GRANTS.—The 
Secretary 
shall 
award 
grants to States from allotments under paragraph 
(3) to ensure that all local educational agencies have 
the resources necessary to pay paraprofessionals and 
education support staff a living wage, which 
means— 
(A) the minimum salary for paraprofes-
sional and education support staff; or 
(B) a minimum wage for paraprofessional 
and education support staff. 
(3) ALLOTMENTS.—From the amounts appro-
priated under subsection (b) that are remaining 
after making the reservations described in paragraph 
(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each 
State that has submitted an approved application 
under subsection (d), an amount that bears the 
same relationship to the remainder as the amount 
the State received under part A of title I of the Ele-
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mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) for the preceding fiscal year 
bears to the amount all States received under that 
subpart for the preceding fiscal year. 
(e) STATE APPLICATION.—In order to receive a grant 
under this section, a State shall submit an application to 
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and including 
such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, 
including the following: 
(1) A timeline, consistent with the goals re-
quired under paragraph (2), to ensure that, not later 
than 4 years after the receipt of a grant under this 
section— 
(A) the annual base salary of a full-time 
equivalent employee employed by a local edu-
cational agency in the State is not less than the 
minimum salary for paraprofessional and edu-
cation support staff, as determined by the 
State; and 
(B) all part-time equivalent staff employed 
by a local educational agency in the State are 
paid not less than the minimum wage for para-
professional and education support staff, as de-
termined by the State. 
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(2) For each fiscal year in the timeline specified 
in paragraph (1), statewide annual goals for increas-
ing average salary or wage baselines of paraprofes-
sionals and education support staff in a manner 
that— 
(A) annually proposes a percentage in-
crease in the average wage or salary of para-
professionals and education support staff; 
(B) provides for the first increase to occur 
not later than the second fiscal year a State re-
ceives a grant under this section; and 
(C) makes significant progress toward en-
suring that, by the end of the timeline described 
in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) the annual base salary of a full- 
time equivalent employee employed by a 
local educational agency in the State is not 
less than the minimum salary for para-
professional and education support staff, 
as determined by the State; and 
(ii) all part-time equivalent staff em-
ployed by a local educational agency in the 
State are paid not less than the minimum 
wage for paraprofessional and education 
support staff, as determined by the State. 
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(3) The State’s proposed formula to subgrant 
funds to local educational agencies as described in 
subsection (g) in a manner that ensures— 
(A) local educational agencies that serve a 
high number or percentage of students from 
low-income backgrounds receive substantial 
subgrant allocations that enable such agencies 
to meet the requirements described in subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) not later 
than 2 years after the receipt of a subgrant; 
and 
(B) all remaining local educational agen-
cies in the State meet the State’s requirements 
in the timeline described in paragraph (1). 
(f) IMPROVING PARAPROFESSIONAL
AND SCHOOL 
STAFF WAGES AND SALARIES.— 
(1) STATE
RESERVATION.—A State that re-
ceives a grant under this section may reserve not 
more than 2 percent of the total grant amount re-
ceived by the State for technical assistance, adminis-
trative purposes, and statewide efforts to provide 
paraprofessionals and education support staff with 
opportunities for personnel preparation, professional 
development, credentials, or certifications, such as to 
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(i) to increase salaries or wages for 
teachers, paraprofessionals, specialized in-
structional support personnel, classified 
school employees, principals, other school 
leaders, school librarians, school bus driv-
ers, and other staff across their careers; 
and 
(ii) to provide paraprofessionals and 
education support staff with opportunities 
for personnel preparation, professional de-
velopment, credentials, or certifications, 
such as to assist in the provision of special 
education and related services or to serve 
English learners. 
(3) CONTRACTED STAFF.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A local educational 
agency that receives a subgrant under this sec-
tion shall ensure that staff employed by such 
agency or in any contract such agency enters 
into, are paid an amount not less than the min-
imum salary for paraprofessionals and edu-
cation support staff or the minimum wage for 
paraprofessionals and education support staff in 
the State. 
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(B) MONITORING.—A State that receives a 
grant under this section shall monitor local edu-
cational agencies for compliance with subpara-
graph (A). 
(h) RULES.— 
(1) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR COLLECTIVE 
BARGAINING.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), nothing in this Act shall be con-
strued to alter or otherwise affect the rights, 
remedies, and procedures afforded to school or 
local educational agency employees under Fed-
eral, State, or local laws (including applicable 
regulations or court orders) or under the terms 
of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda 
of understanding, or other agreements between 
such employers and their employees. 
(B) 
COMPLIANCE.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not be construed to exempt a State, local 
educational agency, or school from complying 
with salary or wage requirements in this Act or 
from negotiating in compliance with State labor 
laws to comply with this Act. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR ADDITIONAL 
PAY OR OTHER SALARY AUGMENTING SYSTEMS.— 
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Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent 
States 
or 
local 
educational 
agencies 
from 
supplementing the annual base salary of teachers, 
paraprofessionals, education support staff, or other 
staff employed by such agencies— 
(A) for additional skills, knowledge, duties, 
and responsibilities; 
(B) by salary systems that increase teach-
ers’ compensation through supplemental pay 
that is not part of an annual base salary; or 
(C) through the provision of bonuses, sti-
pends, or awards. 
(3) NO WAIVER AUTHORITY.—Section 8401 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7861) shall not apply to this Act. 
(4) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A State shall use Fed-
eral funds received under this Act only to sup-
plement the funds that would, in the absence of 
such Federal funds, be made available from 
State and local sources for elementary and sec-
ondary education, and not to supplant State 
and local funds. 
(B) COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary shall 
use funds described in subsection (d)(1)(B) to 
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administer programs authorized under this sub-
part and to issue technical assistance to States 
and to monitor and enforce the requirements 
under such programs. 
Æ 
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