# 119-hres-297: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that paraprofessionals and education support staff should have fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions.

119-hres-297, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that paraprofessionals and education support staff should have fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT); status introduced (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-297
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hres-297
- Congress: 119
- Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that paraprofessionals and education support staff should have fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-04-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 58
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Dignified, secure, and adequately resourced working conditions for paraprofessionals and education support staff.** This resolution would urge schools and employers to provide livable pay, affordable health care, paid leave, training, safer staffing, and stronger worker voice. - Workers: Would call for livable, competitive wages, affordable high-quality health care with minimal personal cost, eligibility under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and entitlement to 16 weeks of paid family and medical leave. - Daily support and safety: Would push for paid leave for planned and unexpected school closures, meaningful paid professional development during regular paid hours, access to training and appropriate personal protective equipment, up-to-date technology, and sufficient supplies. - Voice, job security, and staffing: Would support representation in organizations that set workplace policy, notice and input on electronic monitoring and artificial intelligence, adequate staffing levels, advance notice about employment duration, contracts with automatic renewal and just-cause termination, and a reporting process that protects workers from retaliation.

## Cosponsors (58)

- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2025-05-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2025-06-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1] (D-NJ), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2025-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3] (D-KY), 2025-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT), 2025-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2] (D-GA), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37] (D-TX), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6] (D-OR), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6] (D-NJ), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1] (D-CT), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] (D-NY), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5] (D-GA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11] (D-VA), 2025-11-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16] (D-NY), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA), 2025-12-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rivas, Luz M. [D-CA-29] (D-CA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13] (D-IL), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2026-01-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH), 2026-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3] (D-WA), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8] (D-NJ), 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-hr-1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act
- 119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2550: Protect America's Workforce Act
- 119-hres-70: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains…

## Sources
- [119-hres-297 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/297)

## Related
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-17)
- [119-hr-1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1810)
- [119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2736)
- [119-hr-2550: Protect America's Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2550)
- [119-hres-70: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-70)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-297 (as of 2026-09-21).