A Democratic bill with 23 Democratic cosponsors · See all 24 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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
The "Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act" (or "Keep Our PACT Act") requires full funding for two specific education programs. It mandates funding for Part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 from fiscal year 2026 through 2035. It also mandates funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act through fiscal year 2035 and every year after. The bill designates these funds as emergency requirements.
Yes· 3 of 21
- Scored +10
Would children be better off under this?
Directly increases funding for K-12 education and special education services for children.
- Scored +10
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?
The bill guarantees full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- Scored +10
Would students be better off under this?
Directly increases the funds available for educational services and accessibility.
The opposite
- Scored -8
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill explicitly increases mandatory spending for Title I and IDEA.
- Scored -5
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill mandates significant increases in federal spending for education programs through 2035.
- Scored -5
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?
The bill bypasses standard appropriation processes by designating funds as emergency requirements.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Funding for Education Equity: The bill provides specific, increasing appropriations for Part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address inequity in school districts and provide high-quality education to students (Section 3).
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Guaranteed Support for Students with Disabilities: The bill mandates funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure children with disabilities receive a first-rate education (Section 2 and Section 4).
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Meeting Previous Federal Commitments: The bill aims to fulfill a commitment to provide 40 percent of the national current average per-pupil expenditure for students with disabilities by fiscal year 2035 (Section 2 and Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups of people are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
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 children be better off under this? — Directly increases funding for K-12 education and special education services for children. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill guarantees full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Would students be better off under this? — Directly increases the funds available for educational services and accessibility. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Title I funding specifically targets schools with high percentages of children from low-income families. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Increased Title I funding disproportionately benefits minority students in underfunded districts. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Increased Title I funding disproportionately benefits minority students in underfunded districts. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Increased Title I and IDEA funding benefits underserved tribal and rural education systems. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural districts benefit from increased federal support for special education and low-income students. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban districts often have higher concentrations of Title I eligible students. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Increased support for Title I and IDEA benefits English language learners and immigrant children. Would union members be better off under this? — Increased funding for schools often leads to better resources and support for teachers, many of whom are unionized. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — General improvement in public education resources. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — General improvement in public education quality benefits most households. Would white Americans be better off under this? — General improvement in public education resources.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill mandates full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Title I funding is specifically designed to address inequity in school districts, often benefiting minority students. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Increased education funding for low-income districts helps break the cycle of poverty.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Increased investment in education and disability services can improve long-term human capital and economic productivity. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill explicitly increases mandatory spending for Title I and IDEA. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill bypasses standard appropriation processes by designating funds as emergency requirements. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill mandates significant increases in federal spending for education programs through 2035.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill mandates full funding for Title I and IDEA, significantly increasing public school resources.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Rural school districts often rely heavily on Title I and IDEA funding.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases the federal government's financial role and mandatory obligations in state education.
- 9/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/18/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 10/22/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/7/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/31/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/2/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/30/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 16 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts