# 119-s-5597: Service Academy Testing Enhancement Act of 2026

119-s-5597, Service Academy Testing Enhancement Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5597
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5597
- Congress: 119
- Title: Service Academy Testing Enhancement Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-29
- Sponsor: Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-16

## Summary

**Flexible, multi-test pathway to meet Service Academy standardized testing requirements.** This bill would let each Service Academy accept scores from at least 3 nationally recognized college-readiness assessments and require the Department of Defense Education Activity to offer 11th graders those assessments. - Service Academies: Would be able to satisfy testing rules using scores from at least 3 nationally recognized assessments that measure mathematics, reading, grammar and writing, and analytical reasoning. - DoDEA 11th graders: Schools run by the Department of Defense Education Activity would be offered at least 3 of those assessments in eleventh grade. - Department leadership: The Secretary of Defense could approve additional indicators of readiness, including critical and logical reasoning and comprehension of literary, historical, or philosophical texts.

## Provisions PRIA read

- More college tests for DoDEA juniors: benefit, low. If enacted, the Department of Defense Education Activity would offer 11th-grade students at DoDEA schools the chance to take at least three nationally recognized college-readiness tests. Those tests would have to measure mathematics, reading, grammar and writing, and analytical reasoning. The bill…
- More test options for Service Academy applicants: benefit, low. If enacted, the Defense Secretary would require each Service Academy to allow applicants to satisfy standardized testing requirements using scores from at least three nationally recognized college-readiness tests. The tests would have to measure mathematics, reading, grammar and writing, and analyt…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-535: Respect Parents’ Childcare Choices Act
- 119-s-4983: Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5597 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5597)

## Related
- [119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2142)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-535: Respect Parents’ Childcare Choices Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-535)
- [119-s-4983: Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4983)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5597 (as of 2026-10-16).