SenateS. 4579119th Congress
All Students Count Act of 2026
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4579 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4579
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require
that annual State report cards reflect the same race groups as the
decennial census of population.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 20, 2026
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Booker, Ms.
Warren, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require
that annual State report cards reflect the same race groups as the
decennial census of population.
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 ``All Students Count Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Asian Americans, as well as Native Hawaiians and
Pacific Islanders, are an incredibly diverse population. Due to
this diversity, the United States Office of Management and
Budget's Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 of 1997, entitled
``Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and
Administrative Reporting'', separated the Asian and Pacific
Islander category into two distinct and separate categories,
now called ``Asians'' and ``Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific
Islanders'', and these two distinct categories were used in the
2000 United States Census. As of 2022, the United States Census
Bureau reports data for at least 27 different ethnicities
within these two categories.
(2) While Asian Americans, as well as Native Hawaiians and
Pacific Islanders, are often misrepresented as a homogeneous
group, their diversity represents ethnicities from over 30
different countries. They also experience diverse social and
educational differences that are unique to their respective
communities.
(3) For example, there are now over 3,000,000 Southeast
Asian Americans in the United States, including 1,100,000
refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, who escaped war,
persecution, and genocide. Southeast Asian Americans'
experiences with violence and the stressors associated with
relocation have negatively affected their educational outcomes.
According to data from the Bureau of the Census, around a
quarter of Southeast Asian American adults aged 25 and older do
not have a high school diploma, compared to 12 percent of the
total population. An additional 42 percent of Cambodian, 44
percent of Hmong, 48 percent of Lao, and 37 percent of
Vietnamese American high school graduates have not continued on
to earn their bachelor's degree, compared to 29 percent of all
Asian Americans.
(4) The history of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
include forced migration and complex political relationships
with the United States. As a result, this history has
influenced Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students' long-
term educational opportunities. For example, the high school
graduation rates for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders
average 84 percent, yet less than 15 percent have attained a
four-year bachelor's degree. The proportion of Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Islander adults who have not enrolled in any
postsecondary education is particularly high, including 58
percent of Samoans, 57 percent of Tongans, 53 percent of Native
Hawaiians, and 49 percent of Guamanians or Chamorros.
(5) The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
requires that States report certain educational data
disaggregated only by major racial and ethnic groups. However,
detailed ethnic groups, which have long been reported by the
Bureau of the Census and requested by diverse Asian American
and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to be
included in education data, are not included in data collection
and reporting requirements. As of 2026, data requirements do
not reflect the changing demographics, varied experiences, and
needs of public school students.
(6) Given the diversity in backgrounds and educational
experiences, disaggregating data for detailed Asian American
and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups and
making the data publicly available and accessible are critical
to identifying and supporting the educational needs of these
diverse communities.
SEC. 3. DISAGGREGATION OF INFORMATION ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
(a) Further Disaggregation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander Student Data.--Section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(2)(B)(xi)) is amended by striking ``ethnic group;'' and
inserting ``ethnic group, including--
``(aa) under the category
of `Asian American', Chinese,
Asian Indian, Filipino,
Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese,
Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong,
Laotian, Thai, Taiwanese,
Burmese, Bangladeshi, and
Nepalese sub-groups, and, to
the greatest extent
practicable, additional
subgroups such as the lu Mien
and Montagnards; and
``(bb) under the category
of `Native Hawaiian and Pacific
Islander', Native Hawaiian,
Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan,
iTaukei, and Marshallese, and,
to the greatest extent
practicable, additional
subgroups such as the Chuukese
and Palauan.''.
(b) Further Defining Subgroups Under Statewide Accountability
System.--Section 1111(c)(2)(B) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2)(B)) is
amended by inserting ``(as described in subsection (b)(2)(B)(xi))''
after ``ethnic group''.
(c) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments made by this
section, shall take effect on the date that is 18 months after the date
of enactment of this Act.
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