The Ending PUSHOUT Act of 2025 aims to reduce discriminatory school discipline practices that disproportionately affect students of color, particularly girls of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ students. It requires schools to collect and report detailed demographic data on discipline actions like suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals, with specific breakdowns by race, gender, disability status, and other protected characteristics. The bill provides federal grants to schools to implement trauma-informed alternatives to suspension, prohibits out-of-school suspensions for young children for minor offenses like dress code violations, and establishes a task force focused on addressing the school pushout of girls of color. Schools receiving grants must train staff on implicit bias, cultural responsiveness, and restorative practices while improving access to mental health services. The legislation also restricts the use of corporal punishment, seclusion, and certain restraints, and prevents schools from using disciplinary policies that criminalize student behavior.
HR 4713, the Safe Schools and Communities Act of 2025, provides federal grants to school districts to fund training for staff who regularly interact with students. The bill requires grant recipients to cover training on human trafficking risk factors, fentanyl and drug abuse prevention, gang activity intervention strategies, and local community resources. Funds must also cover training costs (like instructor fees and materials) and implement specialized curricula in these areas. This directly affects elementary and secondary school personnel in districts receiving grants, with funding administered through the existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act framework.
HR 6821, the Protect Our Students Act, redirects federal highway safety funds to improve school zone safety. It increases the required allocation of these funds for school zone improvements from 40% to 50% and authorizes specific safety measures including crossing guards, flashing lights, visible signage, crosswalks, traffic calming, and automated enforcement. The bill directly affects students walking to school, local schools, and communities by mandating that federal highway safety programs fund these targeted school zone upgrades. This changes how existing federal transportation funds can be used, focusing resources on proven safety infrastructure.
The School Bus Safety Act of 2025 requires all school buses with a gross vehicle weight over 10,000 pounds to be equipped with 3-point seat belts at every seating position, fire suppression systems for engine fires, and reinforced firewalls to prevent flames from reaching passengers. It also mandates automatic emergency braking systems, event data recorders, electronic stability control, and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel driver training for school bus operators. The bill establishes a grant program to help schools purchase or retrofit buses with these safety features and requires studies on pedestrian detection systems and seat belt alert systems. These requirements will apply to new school buses manufactured or imported after the Transportation Secretary finalizes the rules.
SRES 563 is a non-binding Senate resolution affirming that the federal government should support school districts in replacing diesel school buses with cleaner alternatives like electric models. It highlights that diesel exhaust - harmful pollutants linked to asthma, missed school days, and long-term health risks for children - directly affects over 30% of U.S. students who ride school buses. The resolution cites bipartisan past efforts, including funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to support this transition but does not create new funding or mandates. It serves as a statement of policy preference, not a legislative action.
HR 5065 requires all states receiving federal K-12 education funds to establish statewide policies for schools. It mandates that school districts develop clear codes of conduct defining acceptable and unacceptable behavior between staff and students, and between students themselves. The bill also requires all school staff to receive annual training on these codes, federal/state reporting requirements, Title IX protections, and sexual abuse prevention. This affects every public K-12 school in the U.S. through state education agencies, with funding provided through existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs.
HR 5173, the "No Social Media at School Act," requires social media companies to block access to their platforms on K-12 school campuses during regular school hours using geofencing technology. This applies to companies operating platforms that collect personal data for advertising or data sales, excluding educational tools, email services, and emergency alerts. The bill prohibits social media companies from needing to collect age data or implement age verification to comply. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, who can sue to block violations or seek damages.
The Ending PUSHOUT Act of 2025 aims to address discriminatory school discipline practices that disproportionately push students of color, particularly Black, Brown, and Indigenous girls, out of school. It requires schools to collect and report detailed demographic data on discipline practices, including race, gender identity, disability status, and other factors. The bill provides grants to schools to implement trauma-informed alternatives to exclusionary discipline like suspensions and expulsions, while prohibiting certain practices such as out-of-school suspension for young students for minor offenses like grooming policy violations. It also establishes a joint task force with student, parent, and expert representation to study and recommend solutions to end school pushout of girls of color.
HR 3931, the Kids on the Go Act of 2025, requires states to appoint a "Safe routes to school coordinator" for transportation projects. If a state hires such a coordinator, the federal government will cover 95% of eligible project costs under the relevant transportation program (previously a lower percentage). This bill directly affects state transportation agencies and school districts receiving federal funds for safe routes to school initiatives. The key change is the increased federal funding rate tied to the coordinator position, aiming to improve student safety during school commutes. The bill does not mandate hiring but offers a significant funding incentive for states that choose to implement this role.
The Healthy Lunch for Healthy Kids Act amends the National School Lunch Program to prohibit ultraprocessed foods (using the NOVA classification system) and specific additives in school meals. It directly affects students in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program by banning ingredients like artificial dyes (yellow dye 5/6, blue dyes, red dyes), potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and brominated vegetable oil. The bill requires schools to remove these items from meals served under the program, focusing on reducing consumption of highly processed ingredients. This change applies to all schools receiving federal funding through the National School Lunch Act. The policy aims to improve meal nutrition standards without specifying implementation details or outcomes.
