PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 2, 2026
This joint resolution honors the contributions of school counselors to the success of students in elementary and secondary schools.
The joint resolution encourages the observation of National School Counseling Week with ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
People & committees
Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] · D–CA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Apr 6, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.J.Res.148 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.J.Res.148 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.J.Res.148 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.J.Res.148 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-02-02 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposed resolution would honor school counselors for helping elementary and secondary school students succeed. It would encourage people across the United States to recognize counselors through ceremonies and activities during National School Counseling Week. Its opening statements identify February 2–6, 2026, as the appropriate week for that observance.
That Congress— (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of school counselors to the success of students in the Nation’s elementary and secondary schools; and (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe National School Counseling Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
Whereas the week of February 2, 2026, through February 6, 2026, would be an appropriate week to designate as National School Counseling Week: Now, therefore, be it
The proposed operative language expresses congressional recognition and encourages public participation; it does not require people or schools to hold events.
That Congress— (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of school counselors to the success of students in the Nation’s elementary and secondary schools; and (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe National School Counseling Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
The opening statements credit the American School Counselor Association with designating February 2–6, 2026, as National School Counseling Week. They describe greater awareness of counselors’ work as an expected result of celebrating the week, rather than an established outcome.
Whereas the American School Counselor Association has designated the week of February 2, 2026, through February 6, 2026, as National School Counseling Week;
Whereas the celebration of National School Counseling Week would increase awareness of the important and necessary role school counselors play in the lives of students in the United States; and
The opening statements describe counselors as supporting students’ academic, social, emotional, and career development. They also credit counselors with helping students learn about college and financial aid and potentially encouraging challenging courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Whereas school counselors help develop well-rounded students by guiding them through their academic, social-emotional, and career development;
Whereas school counselors play a vital role in ensuring that students are college and career ready and aware of financial aid and college opportunities;
Whereas school counselors may encourage students to pursue challenging academic courses to prepare them for college majors and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields;
The opening statements recognize counselors’ support for students with family members deployed to overseas conflicts and students facing bullying, mental health issues, violence, discipline problems, or difficulties at home. They also describe counselors helping students, teachers, and parents cope with trauma and tragedies.
Whereas school counselors provide support for students whose family members have been deployed to conflicts overseas;
Whereas school counselors help students cope with serious and common challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, bullying, mental health issues, school violence, disciplinary problems, and problems in the home;
Whereas school counselors are also instrumental in helping students, teachers, and parents cope with trauma and community and national tragedies;
The opening statements say counselor positions are not always protected during local budget cuts. They report a national public-school average of 376 students per counselor, compared with a recommendation of 250 students per counselor from the named professional associations and other organizations. These are statements supporting the resolution, not a proposed staffing requirement.
Whereas, despite the important contributions of school counselors to student success, counseling positions are not always protected when local budgets are cut, especially in tough economic times;
Whereas the average student-to-counselor ratio in the Nation’s public schools, 376-to-1, far exceeds the 250-to-1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and other organizations;
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated April 6, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 2, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-04-06T16:41:02Z. 2026-02-02: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2026-02-02: Introduced in House 2026-02-02: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-02-02. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish what other versions or accompanying materials contain.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; accompanying spending disclosures and committee materials are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Apr 6, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI