Access to School Supplies Act of 2026

Increased access to learning materials: The bill aims to provide school supplies at no cost to students and instructional staff, which can help maintain a stable learning environment (Section 2(a)).

Academic support for low-income students: A stated purpose of the act is to improve student academic achievement, specifically focusing on help for low-income students (Section 2(a)(3)).

Support for teachers and staff: The funds can be used to provide supplies for instructional staff, which includes teachers, paraprofessionals, and librarians (Section 2(b)(1) and Section 4(c)).

Geographic diversity in assistance: The Secretary is instructed to ensure that grants reach a diverse range of areas, including urban, suburban, and rural locations (Section 4(f)).

Dedicated resources for specific regions: The bill reserves funds specifically for outlying areas and schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (Section 3(a)).

Administrative limitations: Local educational agencies are restricted in how they use the grant money, as they can reserve no more than 2 percent of the grant for administrative costs (Section 4(e)).

Limited number of recipients: The pilot program is limited to awarding grants to no more than 10 qualified local educational agencies per year (Section 4(a)).

Strict fund usage requirements: Agencies must ensure that the grant funds are used to supplement, rather than replace, existing non-Federal funds (Section 5).