Pay Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Act
Summary
The "Pay Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Act" aims to ensure that paraprofessionals and education support staff are paid a living wage. It establishes minimum salary and wage standards, indexed to inflation, for these essential school employees. The bill authorizes significant appropriations to the Department of Education for grants to states, enabling local educational agencies to meet these wage requirements.
Expected Effects
This act would likely increase the wages of paraprofessionals and support staff in schools across the nation. It could also lead to improved recruitment and retention of qualified individuals in these roles. States would need to apply for grants and demonstrate a plan to meet the new wage standards within a specified timeframe.
Potential Benefits
- Increased wages for paraprofessionals and education support staff.
- Potential improvement in the quality of education due to better-compensated staff.
- Reduction in financial stress for low-income education workers.
- Enhanced recruitment and retention of qualified staff.
- Economic stimulus through increased spending by education support staff.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential strain on state and local education budgets to meet matching requirements or cover costs beyond the federal grant.
- Possible need for increased taxes or reallocation of resources to fund the wage increases.
- Risk of administrative overhead consuming a portion of the allocated funds.
- Potential for unintended consequences if wage increases are not managed effectively.
- Possible inflation of wages without commensurate increases in productivity.
Most Disadvantaged Areas:
Constitutional Alignment
The bill's alignment with the Constitution is primarily based on the General Welfare Clause (Article I, Section 8), which allows Congress to collect taxes and provide for the general welfare of the United States. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, raising a question of whether the federal government should be mandating minimum salaries for state employees. However, the grant-based structure of the bill, where states voluntarily apply for and accept federal funds, mitigates this concern.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).