Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB896

Introduced
1/31/25  

Caption

Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act of 2025This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for implementing, administering, and evaluating tutoring programs in elementary and secondary schools.Additionally, the bill directs ED to establish an advisory board. Among its duties, the advisory board must (1) evaluate and approve plans to ensure that LEAs will meet tutoring program requirements, (2) provide technical assistance and guidance to grant recipients, and (3) develop a nationwide tutoring workforce.

Impact

The bill proposes to allocate 80% of the appropriated funds directly for grants to state educational agencies, which in turn will provide subgrants to local educational agencies. This funding will support initiatives designed to bolster academic achievement among students, particularly in key subjects such as mathematics and reading. A significant aspect of the legislation is the establishment of criteria for tutor qualifications, focusing on the necessity of licensed educators and a student-to-tutor ratio that supports effective learning. A major benefit anticipated from this Act is a more structured and uniform approach to tutoring across states, enhancing educational equity while addressing learning gaps exacerbated by recent educational disruptions.

Summary

House Bill 896, titled the 'Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act of 2025', seeks to enhance educational support for students in elementary and secondary schools by establishing a grant program for state educational agencies to implement high-impact tutoring initiatives. This legislation aims to direct funding towards programs that improve student outcomes through targeted tutoring sessions, integrating a strategic framework that emphasizes the importance of regular attendance by students in tutoring programs, typically structured as 30 minutes per session for at least three days a week. Local educational agencies will be the principal beneficiaries of these funds, as they will be able to tailor tutoring efforts based on individual school needs while receiving oversight from the Secretary of Education and an Advisory Board.

Contention

Discussion surrounding HB 896 may center on the balance between federal oversight and local control over educational practices. Advocates may argue that the funding and structured approach provide necessary resources for underfunded educational systems, while critics might express concern over centralization and the effective implementation of tutoring programs. The requirement for performance evaluations and continual assessment of tutoring effectiveness establishes a mechanism for accountability, but may also lead to debates over changes to existing programs and the potential for bureaucratic impediments. Overall, HB 896 reflects an increasing recognition of the importance of targeted academic support, yet it brings forth discussions about the best methods to achieve these goals.

Congress_id

119-HR-896

Policy_area

Education

Introduced_date

2025-01-31

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB4442

Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act of 2023

US HB9548

High-Impact Tutoring for Military Families Act

US HB10518

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide grants to local educational agencies to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields.

US SB65

Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to high-need local educational agencies, high-need schools, and local governments to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs that assist at-risk students in developing cognitive skills and promoting social-emotional learning to prepare them for success in high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. Additionally, the bill directs the Institute of Education Sciences to conduct a study to identify successful school-based mentoring programs and evaluate the effectiveness of the grant program established by this bill.

US HB245

Breath of Fresh Air Act This bill establishes a grant program for local educational agencies to purchase, and train school personnel to use, nebulizers.

US HB463

Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act This bill allows tax-exempt distributions from qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) to be used for additional educational expenses in connection with elementary or secondary school. The bill also allows certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education to follow a student from a low-income household to the public school that the student attends or for tax-exempt educational expenses. Under current law, tax-exempt distributions in connection with elementary or secondary school are limited to tuition for a public, private, or religious school. The bill allows these distributions to be used additionally for curriculum and curricular materials, books or other instructional materials, online educational materials, tutoring or educational classes outside the home, testing fees, fees for dual enrollment in an institution of higher education, and educational therapies for students with disabilities. Distributions may also be used for tuition and the purposes above in connection with a home school (whether treated as a home school or a private school under state law). In addition, the bill directs state educational agencies to allocate grant funds to ensure the funding follows students to their public school or for other tax-exempt educational expenses outlined by the bill. Each state that carries out these allocations must establish a plan that allows the parent of an eligible child to apply for grant funds.

US HB305

One School, One Nurse Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive grants to eligible entities for recruiting, hiring, and retaining school nurses. An eligible entity is a local educational agency (LEA) or a partnership between a state educational agency and a consortium of LEAs in the state. Further, ED must specify in regulation the recommended nurse-to-student ratios for elementary and secondary schools.

US HB66

Native American Education Opportunity Act This bill addresses education savings account programs and charter schools for tribal students. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior, at the request of federally recognized Indian tribes, to provide funds to tribes for tribal-based education savings account programs. Tribes must use these funds to award grants to education savings accounts for students who (1) attended or will be eligible to attend a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE); or (2) will not be attending a school operated by the BIE, receiving an education savings account from another tribe, or attending public elementary or secondary school while participating in the program. Funds may be used for items and activities such as costs of attendance at private schools, private tutoring and online learning programs, textbooks, educational software, or examination fees. The Government Accountability Office must review the implementation of these education savings account programs, including any factors impacting increased participation in such programs. Additionally, the bill authorizes the BIE to approve and fund charter schools at any school that it operates or funds.

US HB452

Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a program to provide children with parents on active duty in the uniformed services with funds to pay educational expenses. Specifically, ED must establish a tax-exempt Military Education Savings Account for dependent children of parents in the uniformed services for the payment of the children's educational expenses. Funds in the savings account may be used for specified purposes, including the cost of attendance at a private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education, private tutoring, or costs associated with an apprenticeship or other vocational training program.

US SB5593

A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to expand the Magnet Schools Assistance Program.

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