Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
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 "Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026" aims to improve the Indian School Equalization Formula of the Bureau of Indian Education. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on updating this formula to ensure Bureau-funded schools have sufficient resources. This study focuses on providing competitive salaries and benefits to recruit and retain high-quality staff. It also examines the funding needed for students to receive a high-quality education. Additionally, the Act requires a study to identify potential revenue sources to bring Bureau-funded schools into parity with other school systems.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +7
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The act specifically targets improving educational parity and resource allocation for Indian Tribes and their schools.
- Scored +6
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
The bill seeks to achieve funding and salary parity for schools serving Indigenous communities.
- Scored +5
Would children be better off under this?
The bill aims to ensure students attending Bureau-funded schools receive a high-quality education through better staffing and resources.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Competitive Salaries and Staffing: The study seeks to determine the resources needed to provide competitive salaries and benefits to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, administrators, and school staff (Section 2, Purpose 1).
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Educational Quality: The bill aims to identify funding and resources necessary to ensure students attending Bureau-funded schools receive a high-quality education (Section 2, Purpose 2).
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Salary Parity: The Act directs the study of an updated formula that would support salaries for school staff at a rate commensurate with salaries of non-Bureau of Indian Education teachers, principals, and other leadership positions (Section 4, a, 3, A).
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Specific School Support: The proposed updated formula includes a requirement that Havasupai Elementary School be awarded an additional cost factor of 12.5 Weighted Student Unit (Section 4, a, 3, C).
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Consideration of Unique School Needs: The study is required to consider weights or ratios related to tribally controlled schools, schools with fewer than 100 students, and schools located in rural areas (Section 4, a, 3, B).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts 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 Native Americans be better off under this? — The act specifically targets improving educational parity and resource allocation for Indian Tribes and their schools. Would children be better off under this? — The bill aims to ensure students attending Bureau-funded schools receive a high-quality education through better staffing and resources. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill directs the study to specifically consider the needs of schools located in rural areas. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improving educational resources in Bureau-funded schools can benefit low-income students in these communities.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill seeks to achieve funding and salary parity for schools serving Indigenous communities.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill directs a study to identify resources and revenue sources needed to increase funding for Bureau-funded schools.
- 6/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming