Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
Commission on Advancing Restorative Justice in Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 7 Democratic cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create an interagency advisory commission focused on restorative justice in schools. The commission aims to address racial and gender biases in school discipline and dress codes that disproportionately affect students of color. Key duties include developing guidelines for tracking student participation in restorative practices and creating training materials for school personnel. The commission will also work to increase mental health support and provide recommendations for student-to-staff ratios for psychologists and counselors. Additionally, the commission is tasked with creating definitions for restorative justice and its associated practices.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Would children be better off under this?
The bill seeks to improve mental health support and reduce disciplinary disparities for students.
- Scored +7
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
The bill specifically targets the reduction of disciplinary disparities faced by students of color.
- Scored +7
Would students be better off under this?
The bill provides for better mental health resources and more equitable disciplinary practices for students.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for Mental Health: The bill seeks to increase the capacity for providing mental health support and counseling services that are accessible and culturally competent for students of color (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Improved School Climate: The commission is tasked with providing recommendations for school psychologist-to-student and counselor-to-student ratios to ensure evidence-based healthy school climate interventions and accessible mental health support (Section 2(b)(3) and Section 3(b)(5)).
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Reduction in Disciplinary Disparities: By providing training materials that include approaches to reduce bias and enhance cultural competency, the bill aims to decrease the disparity in how Black and White students are disciplined (Section 2(a)(3)).
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Equitable Learning Environments: The act aims to codify restorative-level practices designed to create equitable learning environments and build academic engagement (Section 2(b)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the text of the bill.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets the reduction of disciplinary disparities faced by students of color. Would children be better off under this? — The bill seeks to improve mental health support and reduce disciplinary disparities for students. Would students be better off under this? — The bill provides for better mental health resources and more equitable disciplinary practices for students.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill aims to reduce racial biases in school discipline and enhance cultural competency for students of color. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill identifies gender bias in school discipline as a target for the commission's efforts.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill directs a commission to increase mental health support and counseling services for students.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make it easier to use public money at a school other than the local one? — While not expanding choice, the bill aims to improve the school environment through restorative justice.
- 10/5/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/6/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Suzanne BonamiciDemocrat · Oregon
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Summer LeeDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Terri SewellDemocrat · Alabama
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Frederica WilsonDemocrat · Florida