Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
The Right to Learn Act of 2026 establishes a competitive Department of Education grant program to help schools, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, community nonprofits, and legal service providers support students, families, and school personnel impacted by immigration enforcement actions. Grant uses include bilingual counselors, trauma-informed mental health services, emergency assistance, Know Your Rights legal navigation, staff training, community partnerships, and culturally responsive curriculum.
Privacy protections versus law enforcement information access
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a substantive federal grant program with defined purposes, eligible recipients, allowable activities, selection priorities, and an explicit authorization of appropriations.
The Right to Learn Act of 2026 establishes a competitive Department of Education grant program to help schools, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, community nonprofits, and legal service providers support students, families, and school personnel impacted by immigration enforcement actions.
Grant uses include bilingual counselors, trauma-informed mental health services, emergency assistance, Know Your Rights legal navigation, staff training, community partnerships, and culturally responsive curriculum.
The Act prohibits requesting or disclosing personally identifiable immigration or citizenship status (with limited exceptions), requires nondiscrimination in services, allows up to 5 percent of funds for oversight, and authorizes $250 million annually for fiscal years 2027–2031.
Program is narrow and implementable but politically sensitive and requires appropriations; opposition to immigration-related spending lowers probability.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a substantive federal grant program with defined purposes, eligible recipients, allowable activities, selection priorities, and an explicit authorization of appropriations. It provides adequate definitional clarity and references existing legal frameworks, but it leaves numerous operational details to the Secretary of Education without statutory specificity.
Privacy protections versus law enforcement information access
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Privacy protections versus law enforcement information access
Generally strongly supportive; sees the bill as protecting immigrant students' access to education and funding trauma-informed school supports.
Views privacy protections, nondiscrimination, and funding for legal navigation and mental health as aligned with civil rights and equity goals.
Cautiously positive but pragmatic; values student safety and trauma supports while wanting clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and clarity about interactions with federal immigration enforcement.
Seeks balanced oversight and fiscal responsibility.
Likely opposed or skeptical; views the bill as using federal funds to shield or assist noncitizens and potentially impede immigration law enforcement.
Concerned about funding legal assistance for deportation defense and limits on sharing information with authorities.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Program is narrow and implementable but politically sensitive and requires appropriations; opposition to immigration-related spending lowers probability.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Privacy protections versus law enforcement information access
Program is narrow and implementable but politically sensitive and requires appropriations; opposition to immigration-related spending lower…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly establishes a substantive federal grant program with defined purposes, eligible recipients, allowable activities, selection priorities, and an explicit author…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.