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Version 00 · Introduced in House · Sep 3, 2026
Access to School Supplies Act of 2026
This bill directs the Department of Education to carry out a pilot program to make competitive grants for up to 10 qualified local educational agencies to purchase school supplies. School supplies refer to books, supplies, and supplementary materials used by students and instructional staff in the classroom.
People & committees
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] · D–PA
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: Sep 18, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-03 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.
The proposed Access to School Supplies Act of 2026 would create a pilot grant program to help local education agencies buy classroom supplies for students and instructional staff at high-poverty public schools. Its stated aim is to provide supplies free of charge. The Education Department would award competitive grants annually to no more than 10 eligible agencies, with separate funding reserved for certain territories and Bureau of Indian Education schools. The bill would authorize funding, but would not itself provide the money.
This Act may be cited as the Access to School Supplies Act of 2026.
to provide school supplies at no cost to students and instructional staff
The term qualified local educational agency means a local educational agency that— (A) serves one or more high-poverty schools; and (B) provides an assurance to the Secretary that the agency will use any funds received under this Act only to serve such schools.
the Secretary of Education shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary makes grants, annually and on a competitive basis, to not more than 10 qualified local educational agencies
the Secretary of Education shall reserve— (1) one-half of 1 percent for allotments to the outlying areas, to be distributed among those outlying areas on the basis of their relative need; and (2) one-half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior for activities funded under this Act in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The bill’s stated goals include testing whether these grants can expand access to needed supplies and improve academic achievement, particularly for low-income students. These are intended results, not evidence that the program would achieve them.
The purpose of this Act is to demonstrate the feasibility of providing grants to local educational agencies to enable such agencies— (1) to provide school supplies at no cost to students and instructional staff; (2) to increase the number of students who have access to the school supplies needed to maintain a stable learning environment; and (3) to improve student academic achievement in schools, particularly for low-income students.
Eligible local education agencies would have to serve at least one high-poverty school and promise to use these funds only for such schools. A high-poverty school would mean a public school in the higher half of schools in its state when ranked by the percentage of students from low-income families. For this bill, “State” includes the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The term high-poverty school means a public school that is in the highest 2 quartiles of schools in a State, based on the percentage of enrolled students from low-income families.
The term qualified local educational agency means a local educational agency that— (A) serves one or more high-poverty schools; and (B) provides an assurance to the Secretary that the agency will use any funds received under this Act only to serve such schools.
The term State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Covered supplies would include classroom books, supplies, and supplementary materials, as determined by the Education Secretary. Instructional staff would include at least teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, and other staff the Secretary determines are needed for virtual or in-person instruction.
The term school supplies refers to books, supplies, and supplementary materials used by students and instructional staff in the classroom, as determined by the Secretary.
The term instructional staff includes, at a minimum, teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, and other staff deemed necessary to provide classroom instruction (including virtual and in-person instruction), as determined by the Secretary.
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
Each year, the Education Secretary would reserve 0.5% of appropriated funding for American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, divided according to relative need. Another 0.5% would go to the Interior Secretary for activities in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
From the total amount appropriated under section 8 for a fiscal year, the Secretary of Education shall reserve— (1) one-half of 1 percent for allotments to the outlying areas, to be distributed among those outlying areas on the basis of their relative need; and (2) one-half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior for activities funded under this Act in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
The term outlying area means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Recipients of the reserved funding would generally follow the same rules as eligible local education agencies. However, the territories and Bureau of Indian Education schools would not have to submit the pilot program application before receiving their reserved funds.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the provisions of this Act shall apply to a recipient of funds under subsection (a) in the same manner that such provisions apply to a qualified local educational agency that receives funds under section 4(a).
An outlying area or school operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education shall not be required to submit an application under section 4(b) as a precondition to receiving funds under subsection (a).
The remaining appropriated funds would support annual competitive grants to no more than 10 eligible local education agencies. The Education Secretary would prioritize agencies showing the greatest need and, where practicable, distribute grants across urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Using amounts appropriated under section 8 and not reserved under section 3, the Secretary of Education shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary makes grants, annually and on a competitive basis, to not more than 10 qualified local educational agencies
the Secretary shall prioritize the award of grants to qualified local educational agencies that demonstrate the highest level of need for such grants, as determined by the Secretary.
the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed among qualified local educational agencies that will serve geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Applicants would have to follow the Education Secretary’s application requirements. They would need to promise to prioritize their neediest schools, comply with reporting requirements, and describe how they would assess needs in coordination with each school. Grant recipients could apply again for additional award periods.
a qualified local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include assurances that the qualified local educational agency will— (A) prioritize the distribution of funds to schools served by the qualified local educational agency that are among the schools with the greatest needs, as determined by such agency; (B) comply with the reporting requirement under section 6; and (C) provide a description of how the agency will determine the needs of individual schools, in coordination with each school.
A qualified local educational agency that receives a grant under subsection (a) may reapply for a grant under such subsection for one or more additional award periods.
Agencies would have to use grants to purchase supplies for students’ classroom participation and staff instruction. Agencies could hire outside organizations to carry out those activities.
shall use the grant to purchase school supplies— (1) for students to participate in classroom activities; and (2) for instructional staff to provide such activities.
A qualified local educational agency may contract with outside entities for purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under subsection (c).
An agency could set aside no more than 2% of its annual grant for administration, including preparing required annual reports.
A qualified local educational agency that receives a grant under subsection (a) for a fiscal year may reserve not more than 2 percent of the amount of the grant for the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities, including the preparation of the annual reports required under section 6.
Grant funds would have to add to, rather than replace, nonfederal money that would otherwise pay for the supported activities.
Funds made available to a qualified local educational agency under this Act shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used for the activities supported with the funds made available under this Act.
Each agency receiving a pilot grant would report annually to the Education Secretary. Reports would identify participating schools, spending and supplies at each school, the numbers of students and staff directly receiving supplies, and any outside organizations used.
On an annual basis, each qualified local educational agency that receives a grant under section 4 shall submit to the Secretary of Education a report that includes— (1) a list of schools that received school supplies; (2) the amount of grant funds expended at each school to provide school supplies; (3) a description on a school-by-school basis of the school supplies provided; (4) the number of students in each school provided directly with school supplies; (5) the number of instructional staff in each school provided directly with school supplies; and (6) a list of any outside entities used by the agency to carry out the activities described in section 4(c).
No grants could be awarded after September 30, 2031. This deadline addresses new awards; the provision does not specify a deadline for spending previously awarded funds.
No grants may be awarded under this Act after September 30, 2031.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $100 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031. An authorization permits future appropriations; this language does not itself supply those funds.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated September 18, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on September 3, 2026. It does not establish what happened after that snapshot.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-18T18:37:21Z. 2026-09-03: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2026-09-03: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-03. 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 provision unrelated to the school-supply pilot 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.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No earmark was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Program authorizations and statutory percentage reservations are not automatically earmarks. This conclusion is limited to this version; the source set cannot establish formal earmark status or absence in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The finding concerns a narrow funding preference beyond ordinary program eligibility. Classification is not a judgment about its merits.
The bill would give American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands a shared 0.5% funding reservation based on relative need, and reserve another 0.5% for Bureau of Indian Education schools. Those recipients would also be exempt from the pilot application requirement. Together, the reservations and exemption create a dedicated route to school-supply funding alongside the competitive grants for local education agencies; other program rules would generally still apply.
The term outlying area means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.
From the total amount appropriated under section 8 for a fiscal year, the Secretary of Education shall reserve— (1) one-half of 1 percent for allotments to the outlying areas, to be distributed among those outlying areas on the basis of their relative need; and (2) one-half of 1 percent for the Secretary of the Interior for activities funded under this Act in schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the provisions of this Act shall apply to a recipient of funds under subsection (a) in the same manner that such provisions apply to a qualified local educational agency that receives funds under section 4(a).
An outlying area or school operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education shall not be required to submit an application under section 4(b) as a precondition to receiving funds under subsection (a).
Using amounts appropriated under section 8 and not reserved under section 3, the Secretary of Education shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary makes grants, annually and on a competitive basis, to not more than 10 qualified local educational agencies
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 18, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI