Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 14 Democratic cosponsors · See all 15 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 Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026 aims to improve and grow the full-service community school program. It authorizes specific funding from fiscal year 2027 through 2031 to provide planning, implementation, and expansion grants. The bill defines "pillars of community schools," which include integrated student supports, enriched learning time, and active community engagement. It establishes roles for community school coordinators and leadership teams to oversee these efforts. The act targets public schools with high poverty rates or those identified as needing additional support.
Yes· 3 of 38
- Scored +10
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Specifically targets schools with high poverty rates and provides essential integrated services.
- Scored +10
Would students be better off under this?
Increases academic support, health services, and extracurricular opportunities.
- Scored +9
Would children be better off under this?
Directly improves educational and health outcomes for school-aged children.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -5
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
Increases government expenditures for educational grants.
- Scored -3
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
Requires data-sharing agreements for student data, which may increase privacy risks.
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
Mandates student data sharing between agencies and partners.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Increased Funding for Schools: The bill authorizes appropriations ranging from $500 million in 2027 to $1 billion by 2031 to support community schools (SEC. 2(a)).
- Comprehensive Student Supports: It provides for integrated services such as medical, dental, vision, and mental health care, as well as help with housing stability and nutrition (SEC. 2(b)(6)(A)).
- Expanded Learning Opportunities: Students may benefit from before- and after-school programs, summer learning, and workforce development activities like internships and technical education (SEC. 2(b)(6)(B) and SEC. 2(c)(4)(F)).
- Family and Community Resources: The bill allows schools to serve as hubs for adult education, English as a second language classes, and citizenship preparation (SEC. 2(b)(6)(C)).
- Support for High-Need Groups: Priority for grants is given to high-need local educational agencies, rural areas, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations (SEC. 2(c)(a)(3)).
- Inclusive Leadership: The bill requires leadership teams to include parents, students, and community members, ensuring diverse voices have a say in school decisions (SEC. 2(b)(3) and SEC. 2(b)(11)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Competitive Grant Process: Because funding is awarded on a competitive basis, many eligible entities or schools may not receive the funds despite meeting the eligibility criteria (SEC. 2(c)(a)(1)).
- Data Sharing Requirements: The bill requires data-sharing agreements between educational agencies and partner entities to track student data, which may raise privacy concerns (SEC. 2(b)(1)(H) and SEC. 2(c)(c)(C)).
- Administrative Burden: Eligible entities must complete extensive applications and detailed planning reports to qualify for and maintain grants (SEC. 2(b)(1) and SEC. 2(b)(2)(C)).
- Limited Funding for Expansion: For fiscal years 2027 through 2029, funds for expansion grants are capped at 20 percent of the total amount available under that paragraph, limiting growth potential (SEC. 2(c)(a)(1)(A)(iii)).
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 households on low incomes be better off under this? — Specifically targets schools with high poverty rates and provides essential integrated services. Would students be better off under this? — Increases academic support, health services, and extracurricular opportunities. Would children be better off under this? — Directly improves educational and health outcomes for school-aged children. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly prioritizes grants for Indian Tribes and Bureau of Indian Education schools. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Directly funds ESL, citizenship preparation, and immigration legal services. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Targeted funding for high-poverty schools and marginalized communities where these groups are overrepresented. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Provides specific support for ESL and citizenship preparation. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Specifically prioritizes rural local educational agencies for grant funding. Would people in cities be better off under this? — High-poverty urban schools are primary targets for these grants. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Provides integrated support services and non-discrimination guarantees. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides workforce development and college transition support for youth aged 16-24. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Benefit from increased educational funding and integrated student supports. Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — Non-discrimination protections and a mandated culture of belonging and safety. Would women be better off under this? — Support for childcare and family resources primarily benefits mothers. Would men be better off under this? — Access to workforce development and educational opportunities. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Provides adult education, ESL, and job training for parents and community members. Would union members be better off under this? — Includes labor organizations in the community-wide leadership teams. Would white Americans be better off under this? — General benefit to students in eligible schools regardless of race. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — General improvement in community infrastructure, though primary focus is on low-income areas.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Provides comprehensive supports to students and families in high-poverty areas. Does this make housing cost less? — Provides assistance for homeless prevention, eviction protections, and housing stability. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Targets high-poverty schools and requires representation of historically marginalized groups in leadership. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Directly funds supports for students in foster care and children experiencing homelessness. Does this make child care cost less? — Supports on-site early childhood care and education programs. Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — Ensures grants benefit students without discrimination based on disability and provides integrated supports. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — Provides funding for citizenship preparation and immigration-related legal services. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — Includes non-discrimination assurances based on sex and gender identity. Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people? — Includes non-discrimination assurances specifically mentioning sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — Specifically mandates the provision of mental and behavioral health services within community schools. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Integrates medical, dental, and vision care directly into the school environment for students.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — Authorizes billions in funding specifically for public elementary and secondary schools. Does this get reliable internet to more people? — Funds technical assistance for students with limited access to digital devices or high-speed internet. Does this make college cost less? — Provides support for FAFSA completion and college access services. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Requires data-sharing agreements for student data, which may increase privacy risks.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires leadership team meetings to be open to the public and financial records to be available for review. Does this give the federal government more power? — Increases federal oversight and funding requirements for local school programs. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Mandates student data sharing between agencies and partners.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Gives priority for grants to local educational agencies located in rural areas.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — Authorizes funding for community school coordinators and initiative directors, creating new professional roles. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Invests in workforce development and student outcomes which can lead to long-term economic growth. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — Increases government expenditures for educational grants. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — Increases federal spending through authorizations of up to $1 billion annually.
- 9/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/12/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 13 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 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
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon