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119-s-5482119th CongressWALLET

PREP Act

Sponsored By: Senator Schatz, Brian [D-HI]

Introduced

Summary

Would create an Office of Prison Education and a Federal Prison Education Program to expand, standardize, and fund education for people incarcerated in federal facilities. It would also support state and local systems with research, technical assistance, and a national clearinghouse of best practices.

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  • People in custody. Expands access to literacy, high school equivalency, postsecondary programs, apprenticeships, and career training and requires advising, financial aid counseling, and credit-transfer help to support post-release progress.
  • Education providers. Opens eligibility to colleges, local education agencies, nonprofits, faith-based groups, volunteer literacy programs, employer partnerships, and consortia while banning diploma mills and favoring providers with strong completion and employment results.
  • Federal and state corrections plus veterans. Requires federal facilities to provide logistics support, mandates data collection and interagency evaluation, and directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to connect incarcerated veterans to education and counseling while limiting certain VA stipends during incarceration.

*Would increase federal spending by $170 million from FY2027 through 2033 and allows the federal share to cover up to 75% of program costs, with partners matching the remainder.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Expanded prison education and provider rules

If enacted, the bill would create an Office of Prison Education inside the Bureau of Prisons. The Office would be led by an Assistant Director appointed by the BOP Director and would run a Federal Prison Education Program to expand and standardize education in Federal prisons and share research and training with states. Eligible providers would need to show strong student outcomes to join and diploma mills would be barred. Providers would have to give foundational education to people without a high school diploma and focus job training on work students are legally allowed to do after release.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Schatz, Brian [D-HI]

HI • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]

    ME • I

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

    RI • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

  • Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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