Education Desk
Education Bills
2 bills in the Education desk, ordered for current relevance and readability.
EducationHR-233-119Latest action: Jan 7, 20257 readersIn Committee
HELP PETS Act
Sponsored by Nicole Malliotakis
Currently, federal funding for higher education institutions operates under broad eligibility rules that do not restrict grants, loans, or other federal support based on the types of animal research conducted on campus. While the Department of Agriculture regulates animal research through the Animal Welfare Act and classifies research by pain level, institutions can still receive federal education funding even if they conduct painful experiments on dogs and cats. This creates a situation where taxpayer dollars support higher education at institutions engaged in research that many Americans find ethically troubling. The HELP PETS Act prohibits the Department of Education from making federal funds available to any institution of higher education that conducts or funds painful research on dogs or cats, effective 180 days after enactment. The bill defines "painful research" as any biomedical training, experimentation, or biological testing classified in pain categories D or E by the Department of Agriculture. The law carves out exceptions for clinical veterinary research conducted to benefit the individual animal and for research involving service animals or military animals, which remain eligible for federal funding. Implementation begins six months after the bill becomes law, giving institutions time to cease painful dog and cat research or face loss of all federal education funding. The Department of Education will need to establish procedures for institutions to certify compliance and for the agency to verify that no painful research on these animals occurs. Institutions conducting such research would lose access to federal student aid, research grants, and other education funding streams, creating strong financial incentives to redirect research protocols or discontinue painful studies on dogs and cats while preserving federally funded work on other species and clinical veterinary care.
Education
Latest updateJan 7, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Education
EducationHR-83-119Latest action: Jan 3, 20252 readersIn Committee
Ending Common Core and Expanding School Choice Act
Sponsored by Andy Biggs
Under current federal education law, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides federal funding to schools serving low-income students, but the funds are allocated to school districts and schools rather than following individual students. States must implement federally-aligned academic standards and assessments, including Common Core State Standards or comparable frameworks. This structure ties federal dollars to specific schools and districts, limiting parental choice and requiring compliance with federal curriculum and testing mandates that some states view as overly prescriptive. This bill amends Title I to redirect federal funding so that it follows eligible low-income children to their school of choice. The Department of Education shall allocate Title I funds to state education agencies based on the number of eligible children (ages 5-17 from families below the poverty line) in each state. States then calculate a per-pupil amount and distribute these funds according to state law—either to schools the child attends or directly to parents. Eligible expenses include tuition at accredited private schools, charter schools, public schools outside the child's district, and state-approved supplemental educational services. The bill also prohibits federal officers from mandating Common Core standards, other multi-state academic standards, or aligned assessments, and repeals Part B of Title I, which authorized federal grants for state assessment development. Implementation occurs immediately upon enactment for the next fiscal year. States design their own distribution mechanisms—whether funds go to schools, parents, or educational savings accounts—subject to state law. The bill eliminates federal assessment grant programs, shifting standard-setting authority entirely to states. This creates a portable funding model where disadvantaged students can access private school tuition or supplemental services using federal dollars, contingent on state authorization. The change reduces federal curriculum influence but requires states to establish verification systems ensuring funds are used for qualified education expenses.
Education
Latest updateJan 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Education