The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act creates a federal grant program to increase the number of mental health professionals (counselors, social workers, and psychologists) in low-income public schools. It provides funding for partnerships between schools serving high percentages of low-income students and graduate institutions that train mental health professionals, aiming to reach recommended staff-to-student ratios (such as 1 counselor per 250 students). The bill also establishes a student loan repayment program for mental health professionals working in these schools, offering up to $200,000 in total repayment over five years. This legislation directly affects low-income school districts and mental health professionals working in those schools, with the goal of improving mental health support for students facing challenges like poverty, homelessness, or trauma.
This bill expands educational benefits under three Department of Veterans Affairs programs to include siblings of veterans who died in service or were killed in action. It amends eligibility criteria in the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program, the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill to explicitly include "siblings" alongside spouses and children. The bill defines "sibling" broadly to cover blood relatives, adopted siblings, or those in recognized guardianship relationships. It also creates a special provision allowing siblings acting as primary caregivers for injured veterans to pause and resume benefit use, with benefits usable until age 26 or the standard 15-year delimiting date. This change directly affects siblings of fallen service members who previously did not qualify for these educational benefits.
HR 5987, the Total Force Family Education Act, requires military schools (DODEA) to automatically enroll children of reserve component service members who are on active duty under orders for accompanied permanent station changes. It applies specifically to reserve members performing active service with family relocation orders, directly affecting their families during military relocations. If space is unavailable at the school near the member’s permanent station, children are placed on a waitlist. This policy change modifies access rules to ensure consistent school enrollment for reserve families during duty assignments.
The PROVE Act allows 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote in federal elections, with states required to automatically register them for future elections once they turn 18. It directly affects minors aged 16-17 in all states, enabling them to participate in voting processes before reaching voting age. The bill includes a $25 million grant program to help states implement pre-registration systems and develop school curricula promoting civic engagement for young people. States must submit plans detailing how they will encourage youth involvement in elections and report on their progress within two years. The law amends the National Voter Registration Act and takes effect 90 days after enactment.
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Elections
HR 1383 extends the Secure Rural Schools program, which provides payments to counties and states with federal land (like national forests) to support local schools and services. It reauthorizes these payments through fiscal year 2026, adding specific rules to ensure counties don’t receive duplicate payments for 2024 and 2025. The bill also extends related authorities for special projects on federal land and county fund expenditures through 2028-2029. This directly affects rural communities adjacent to federal lands that rely on these payments for education and infrastructure.
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Rural Communities
The Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2025 updates the National School Lunch Program's information clearinghouse to better support communities combating hunger. It requires the clearinghouse to provide new information about volunteer programs and resources for preventing hunger, expanding its existing role in sharing food assistance details. The bill also increases annual funding for the clearinghouse from $250,000 to $750,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2032. These changes directly affect schools, community organizations, and local governments using the clearinghouse to access resources for hunger prevention and food assistance programs.
The Fusion Workforce Act (HR 4999) creates dedicated funding streams - $20 million annually for the National Science Foundation and $10 million annually for the Department of Energy - to support workforce development in fusion-related fields. It directly affects institutions of higher education (including community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and Tribal Colleges), National Laboratories, and industry partners by requiring grants for developing fusion-focused curricula, teacher training, hands-on learning experiences, and industry partnerships. Key mechanisms include establishing a national Fusion Education and Workforce Coordination Hub to share resources and address workforce gaps, supporting industry professional instructors in classrooms, and prioritizing outreach to underrepresented groups and rural communities. The bill mandates concrete activities like creating stackable credentials, modernizing lab facilities, and connecting students to internships, all aligned with fusion industry needs.
This bill creates a new tax credit for small businesses to support workforce training. It allows eligible small businesses to claim a credit equal to 50% of qualified wages paid to employees under 21 or enrolled in approved apprenticeships, community college programs, or career training related to the business, plus qualified workmen’s compensation expenses, capped at $10,000 per year. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and is designed to directly benefit small businesses seeking to train young workers through structured educational programs. It does not change existing labor laws but provides a financial incentive to invest in employee development.
HR 808, the "Fairness for the Trades Act," would allow individuals using 529 college savings accounts to cover certain trade-related business expenses as qualified higher education costs. Specifically, it expands the definition of "qualified expenses" to include tools and equipment (like hand tools or specialized machinery) used in designated skilled trades, such as construction, plumbing, electrical work, and maintenance, as listed by specific industry codes. This change directly affects people saving for trade careers through 529 plans, enabling them to use account funds for equipment purchases instead of just tuition or books. The bill does not alter tax rates or create new funding but modifies existing 529 account rules to support trade training costs.
The LOAN Act would significantly reform federal student loan programs by doubling Federal Pell Grants for eligible students (from $5,000 to $14,000 over several years), eliminating origination fees on new federal loans, and creating two new repayment plans: a fixed repayment plan and an Income-Driven Repayment Plan. It would automatically enroll borrowers who are delinquent or rehabilitating defaulted loans into income-driven repayment plans, eliminate interest capitalization (preventing interest from being added to the principal balance), and streamline Public Service Loan Forgiveness requirements. The bill would also provide refinancing options for existing federal student loans and private student loans with interest rates capped at 5%. These changes would directly affect millions of current and future student loan borrowers and Pell Grant recipients across the United States.
