Federal disaster aid for schools, with proportional funding for private schools.
H.R. 7262 — READ Act · Filed by John Mannion (D-NY) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 27, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to distribute federal disaster-relief funds to state education agencies, which then provide aid to public and non-public schools in areas hit by declared disasters or emergencies. The money can be used for data recovery, equipment replacement, transportation, temporary facilities, instructional materials, curriculum development, and facility repairs—but not construction or major renovation. Non-public schools must receive a proportional share of funds based on their enrollment.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is straightforward federal disaster aid to schools—a standard post-disaster recovery appropriation with clear eligibility criteria and allowable uses tied directly to restoring educational operations after declared emergencies.
What the text implies
- Non-public schools receive proportional funding based on enrollment, which may direct federal disaster aid to religious schools; the 'secular, neutral, and nonideological' requirement limits but does not eliminate this flow.
- The 120-day reversion clause allows unobligated non-public school funds to revert to public school aid, creating a timing-dependent outcome that may disadvantage non-public schools with slower application processes.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
school districts and local educational agencies; non-public schools; educational equipment and materials suppliers