The RESULTS Act of 2026 provides federal funding to help states build and modernize systems that connect data across education and workforce sectors, from early childhood programs to employment outcomes. These grants require states to create secure databases that link records from schools, colleges, and job training programs while protecting student privacy and allowing for data analysis by researchers and policymakers. The bill also mandates that states establish specific leadership roles, such as a Chief Data Officer, and use the funds to improve how they report on student success and labor market trends. Additionally, the legislation updates existing rules to allow states to use national wage records for measuring job placement outcomes and encourages the adoption of standardized data formats to ensure information can be easily shared across different states.
The Colonel Gary LaGrange AgVets Act of 2026 creates a new grant program to help military veterans develop skills in farming and ranching. Eligible recipients include agricultural colleges, state departments, and nonprofit organizations, which must use the funds to provide education, workshops, and business management training for veterans. To receive these grants, organizations must match the federal funding with an equal amount of non-federal money. The bill authorizes $5 million annually in fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support these initiatives.
This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to create the Senator Robert J. Dole Greatest Generation Education Program, which aims to increase public awareness of World War II history and its lessons. The program will operate by providing grants to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to fund educational events that honor veterans, highlight the home front's contributions, and teach patriotism to young people. Recipients must use the funds for new initiatives rather than existing secondary school curricula, and the Department of Defense retains exclusive rights to the program's name and symbols.
The Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026 creates a new program to help state and local governments purchase and distribute food grown within 400 miles of schools. This initiative provides $200 million annually to eligible state agencies, which can either buy local produce directly or give funds to school districts for that purpose. The bill defines local foods as minimally processed agricultural products and requires recipients to submit reports on their purchases while ensuring funds supplement rather than replace existing state support.
This bill directs the U.S. Department of Education to encourage colleges and universities to create evidence-based plans for preventing suicide and improving mental health. The Department must coordinate these efforts with the Department of Health and Human Services and align them with existing federal suicide prevention programs. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Education to submit reports to Congress on these initiatives within one year and three years of enactment. Crucially, the legislation explicitly states that it does not create new legal obligations for schools or grant the Department new regulatory authority.
The All Students Count Act of 2026 requires schools to break down student performance data into more specific ethnic categories for Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Currently, federal education reporting only uses broad groupings, but this bill mandates that states include detailed subgroups such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Samoan, and Chamorro in their accountability systems. The law aims to provide more accurate information about the educational progress of these diverse communities by updating the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. These new data reporting requirements will take effect 18 months after the bill is enacted.
The Workforce Data Enhancement Act creates a new grant program to help states improve their workforce data systems by integrating information from education, labor markets, and other sources. Eligible entities, such as state agencies or groups of states, can apply for funding to build or upgrade statewide longitudinal data systems that track individual employment and earnings outcomes over time. The bill prioritizes grants for multi-state collaborations and projects that enhance data accuracy, privacy, and the ability to identify emerging job skills, including those related to artificial intelligence. Funds awarded for up to three years must be used to supplement existing state efforts rather than replace them, and recipients are required to report on how the data improvements help workers and employers make better decisions.
The CHARTER Act aims to ensure that public funds for charter schools are not used to generate profits for for-profit companies. It directly affects charter schools receiving federal money by prohibiting them from contracting with for-profit entities to run, manage, or oversee their daily operations. While the bill allows schools to hire for-profit vendors for specific services like food, supplies, and transportation, it strictly bans contracts where a for-profit company controls the school or takes a cut of its revenue. These rules will only apply to new or renewed contracts made after the law is passed, with full enforcement beginning three years later.
The 21st Century Entrepreneurship Act directs the Small Business Administration to develop and implement an entrepreneurship curriculum for students in community learning centers, primarily targeting youth from disadvantaged communities. The bill requires the SBA to work with the SCORE program, which consists of retired business executives, to create teaching materials and train volunteers to deliver this curriculum in partnership with education specialists and other business groups. Additionally, the legislation amends existing laws to formally include entrepreneurship education in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and mandates that the SBA submit biennial reports to Congress on program implementation, funding usage, and student outreach.
The NSF AI Education Act of 2026 directs the National Science Foundation to award scholarships and fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students studying artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and related fields. The bill establishes new programs to support AI education at community colleges, vocational schools, and historically underserved institutions, including priority funding for rural, Tribal, and minority-serving institutions. It also authorizes grants for AI research in agriculture and advanced manufacturing, requires the development of guidance for AI use in K-12 education, and mandates the creation of workforce frameworks for AI and other emerging technologies. The legislation includes provisions to restrict funding to institutions with certain civil rights violations and establishes requirements for oversight of public-private partnerships and foreign contributions.
