HouseH.R. 10551119th Congress
Public Service Educational Assistance Act
Full Text
Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10551 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10551
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Public Service
Educational Assistance Program to provide educational assistance to the
dependents of public service employees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2026
Mr. Figures (for himself, Mrs. Hayes, and Mr. Ezell) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Public Service
Educational Assistance Program to provide educational assistance to the
dependents of public service employees, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Service Educational
Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a Public Service
Educational Assistance Program to provide educational assistance to
each dependent of each public service employee who, on or after the
effective date of this Act, has at least 20 years of service as a
public service employee, in the aggregate, and who was a public service
employee on the date of enactment of this Act, or began service as a
public service employee after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Educational Assistance.--Educational assistance provided to a
dependent under this Act--
(1) shall be in an amount that covers the cost of tuition,
fees, and books for a program of study at an applicable
postsecondary educational institution located in a State where
a dependent is eligible to receive in-State tuition; and
(2) may be provided for not longer than 4 academic years.
SEC. 3. COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL BENEFITS.
(a) Concurrent Benefits.--A dependent may receive educational
assistance under this Act concurrently with other forms of Federal
student aid, including grants and loans under title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), and other postsecondary
education benefits under Federal, State, and local law.
(b) No Effect on Retirement or Other Benefits.--Educational
assistance provided under this Act shall not be considered wages or
compensation for purposes of determining eligibility for, or the amount
of, any retirement or other employment-related benefit, except as
otherwise provided by law.
(c) Tax Treatment.--Educational assistance provided under this Act
shall be exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
SEC. 4. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to
carry out this Act.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Applicable postsecondary educational institution.--The
term ``applicable postsecondary educational institution''
means--
(A) a public institution of higher education; or
(B) a public education or training program that
leads to a recognized postsecondary credential.
(2) Dependent.--The term ``dependent'' has the meaning
given such term in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (determined by substituting ``26'' for ``19'' in
subsection (c)(3)(A)(i) thereof and without regard to
subsection (c)(3)(A)(ii) thereof).
(3) Educator or teacher.--The term ``educator or teacher''
means an individual who is not an elected official and who is
employed at a public elementary school, a public secondary
school, a public school system, a State educational agency, or
a local educational agency.
(4) Elementary school; local educational agency; secondary
school; state educational agency.--The terms ``elementary
school; local educational agency; secondary school; State
educational agency'' have the meanings given such terms in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(5) First responder.--The term ``first responder'' includes
a law enforcement officer or firefighter, including--
(A) an employee of a government prosecutorial
agency or a public defender;
(B) a public safety telecommunicator, including a
911 operator or a fire dispatcher;
(C) an emergency medical services member;
(D) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency;
(E) an employee of a State, local, or tribal
emergency management agency; or
(F) a Department of Energy nuclear courier or
emergency response team member.
(6) Full-time.--The term ``full-time'' means an employee
who is employed at least 40 hours in a workweek.
(7) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(8) Public service employee.--The term ``public service
employee'' means an employee who works full-time--
(A) as a first responder;
(B) as an educator or teacher; or
(C) as a social worker.
(9) Recognized postsecondary credential.--The term
``recognized postsecondary credential'' has the meaning given
such term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(11) Social worker.--The term ``social worker'' means an
employee of a government entity that provides mental health
services or child welfare services.
<all>