This Illinois House Resolution directs the state's Auditor General to conduct a management, performance, and fiscal audit of the Grow Your Own Illinois teacher training program. The audit is designed to examine the program's financial expenditures since 2018, including staff costs, facility expenses, student aid, and support services, as well as its effectiveness in producing new teachers. Relevant state agencies and program entities are required to cooperate fully with the investigation, and the Auditor General must report findings according to existing state auditing laws.
This House resolution designates the week of September 14-20, 2026, as National Diaper Need Awareness Week to highlight the critical role diapers play in infant health and family stability. The bill notes that a lack of sufficient diapers affects nearly half of families with young children, often preventing them from accessing childcare or early education programs due to eligibility requirements. It also recognizes the vital work of over 300 diaper banks across the country that provide free supplies to struggling families. Finally, the resolution encourages citizens to donate to these organizations and supports efforts to raise awareness about this basic need.
The Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act prohibits the federal government from using administrative offsets to collect debts owed by individuals receiving Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Black Lung benefits. The bill repeals specific provisions in Title 31 of the United States Code that previously allowed agencies to seize these payments to satisfy claims such as unpaid child support or student loans. By nullifying this authority, the legislation ensures that these benefit payments remain protected from government seizure for any debt arising before, on, or after the date of enactment.
This Senate resolution expresses concern over the increasing number of book bans and threats to freedom of expression in the United States, specifically citing data that identifies more than 10,000 instances of individual books being banned between July 2025 and June 2026. The bill highlights how these restrictions affect students, educators, and authors by limiting access to diverse perspectives and creating a chilling effect on teaching and library services. It calls on local governments and school districts to follow established guidelines for handling book challenges and to protect the rights of students to learn from a wide variety of viewpoints. Additionally, the resolution urges the repeal of executive orders and directives that have imposed content-based restrictions on reading materials in public schools and libraries, while also supporting the designation of Banned Books Week.
The New Essential Education Discoveries Act of 2026 establishes a new National Center for Advanced Development in Education within the Institute of Education Sciences to identify and promote breakthrough technologies, innovative teaching methods, and community-informed solutions to address student achievement disparities. The bill also significantly expands the grant program for statewide longitudinal data systems, requiring states to integrate individual-level student data from early childhood through postsecondary education and labor market outcomes into a unified system. These data systems must adhere to strict privacy and security standards while providing public access to disaggregated information that helps researchers and policymakers analyze educational trends and improve student outcomes.
Senate Resolution 927 designates the week beginning October 18, 2026, as "National Character Counts Week" to promote character education among young people in the United States. The resolution encourages families, schools, religious institutions, and civic groups to focus on teaching core ethical values such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. It calls upon individuals and organizations to observe this week through appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities that highlight the importance of good character in personal relationships, schools, and workplaces.
The Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2026 prohibits the use of corporal punishment by school staff, law enforcement officers, and security guards in any educational program that receives federal financial assistance. The bill requires schools to notify parents, state agencies, and local law enforcement within 24 hours if a student is subjected to physical discipline, with additional reporting requirements for students with disabilities. To improve school environments, the legislation authorizes grants for states to implement positive behavioral interventions and reduce exclusionary discipline practices such as suspensions and expulsions. States must submit annual reports on their progress in improving school climate, and the Department of Education can withhold federal funds from programs or state agencies that fail to comply with these requirements.
The Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act of 2026 increases federal funding for school meals by adding a fixed per-meal reimbursement to the existing rates. Starting October 1, 2026, schools would receive an additional 45 cents for each lunch served and an extra 28 cents for every breakfast provided to students, regardless of their income eligibility status. These increased payments are designed to support school food programs directly without requiring specific performance metrics from the institutions. Beginning in July 2027, these additional amounts would be adjusted annually to account for changes in costs.
The Skilled JOBS Act amends the National Apprenticeship Act to create a new category of "industry-recognized apprenticeship programs" that are approved by designated private or public sector entities rather than solely through government registration. To qualify, these programs must include paid work, on-the-job training, mentorship, classroom instruction, and provide an industry-recognized credential upon completion. The bill also mandates that registered and industry-recognized apprenticeships maintain a ratio of at least one journeyworker for every three apprentices, while requiring the Secretary of Labor to study whether this specific staffing requirement should be adjusted based on its impact on safety and costs.
The Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2026 requires owners of federally assisted housing to conduct comprehensive lead-based paint risk assessments within 15 days if a family with a child under age six is expected to reside there. If hazards are found, the owner must complete remediation and achieve clearance within 30 days, a deadline that cannot be extended, and must notify all affected residents in accessible formats. Families who remain in units where lead hazards have not been properly controlled gain the right to emergency relocation without penalties or waitlists to housing built after 1978 or other safe units. The bill authorizes necessary funding for these activities from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
