Keep Our PACT Act

Summary#

This bill, called the Keep Our PACT Act, would require set federal funding amounts for two education programs: part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I Part A) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The bill lists specific funding targets for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 and amends IDEA's funding section to set yearly amounts or percentages and availability dates. It also designates these amounts as an emergency requirement.

What it means for you#

If the bill becomes law, Congress would be required to provide the funding levels shown in the bill each year for Title I Part A and for most of IDEA. The bill names exact dollar targets and percent-based rules for IDEA and says when those funds would become available to states. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Expenses#

Title I Part A (targets listed in bill):

  • Fiscal year 2026 target: $20,509,878,000
  • Fiscal year 2027 target: $22,853,242,000
  • Fiscal year 2028 target: $25,464,349,000
  • Fiscal year 2029 target: $28,373,788,000
  • Fiscal year 2030 target: $31,615,646,000
  • Fiscal year 2031 target: $35,227,904,000
  • Fiscal year 2032 target: $39,252,882,000
  • Fiscal year 2033 target: $43,737,735,000
  • Fiscal year 2034 target: $48,735,007,000
  • Fiscal year 2035 target: $54,303,244,000

For each Title I Part A year, the bill directs an appropriation equal to the difference between the fiscal year 2025 part A appropriation and the listed target amount, or the full authorized amount for that year, whichever is greater.

IDEA funding changes in the bill (amounts, percentages, and availability as listed):

  • FY2026: $16,661,928,000 or 11.6% of the calculated amount (whichever is greater); and appropriated $6,425,048,000 or 4.5% (whichever is greater). Availability: July 1, 2026–Sept 30, 2027.
  • FY2027: $19,531,844,000 or 13.4%; and appropriated $8,372,932,000 or 5.7%. Availability: July 1, 2027–Sept 30, 2028.
  • FY2028: $22,896,084,000 or 15.3%; and appropriated $10,911,357,000 or 7.3%. Availability: July 1, 2028–Sept 30, 2029.
  • FY2029: $26,839,795,000 or 17.6%; and appropriated $14,219,357,000 or 9.3%. Availability: July 1, 2029–Sept 30, 2030.
  • FY2030: $31,462,786,000 or 20.2%; and appropriated $18,530,244,000 or 11.9%. Availability: July 1, 2030–Sept 30, 2031.
  • FY2031: $36,882,058,000 or 23.1%; and appropriated $24,148,064,000 or 15.2%. Availability: July 1, 2031–Sept 30, 2032.
  • FY2032: $43,234,768,000 or 26.5%; and appropriated $31,469,041,000 or 19.3%. Availability: July 1, 2032–Sept 30, 2033.
  • FY2033: $50,681,693,000 or 30.4%; and appropriated $41,009,521,000 or 24.6%. Availability: July 1, 2033–Sept 30, 2034.
  • FY2034: $59,411,305,000 or 34.9%; and appropriated $53,442,392,000 or 31.4%. Availability: July 1, 2034–Sept 30, 2035.
  • FY2035 and subsequent years: $69,644,540,000 or 40% of the calculated amount (whichever is greater); appropriated $69,644,540,000 or 40% (whichever is greater). For FY2035 the funds become available July 1, 2034 and remain available through Sept 30, 2036; for later years availability begins July 1 of the fiscal year and remains through Sept 30 of the succeeding year.

The IDEA amounts are tied to a calculation: the total number of children with disabilities who received services multiplied by the national average per‑pupil expenditure, as described in the bill.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings say that a high-quality education helps children reach their potential, that Title I Part A addresses educational inequity, and that IDEA guarantees education for children with disabilities. The findings state that Congress previously committed to funding a specific share of per-pupil costs for students with disabilities and that those promises should be kept.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.