H.R. 7340

Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026

Sponsor: Robert C. "Bobby" Scott

98 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2026

This bill provides support for long-term improvements to public elementary and secondary school facilities.

First, the bill sets forth allocations to states and establishes a need-based grant program for local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve school facilities. Further, the bill specifies allowable uses of grant funds, including carrying out major repairs, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Additionally, the bill requires LEAs that receive funds for new construction, modernization, or renovation projects to comply with hazard-resistance building codes and performance criteria under the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency. Further, the bill requires such LEAs to adopt certain green practices (environmental standards) and requires the use of iron, steel, and manufactured products that are made in the United States (Buy America).

The bill restores school infrastructure tax credit bonds.

The bill also sets forth reporting requirements, including annual reports on grant program projects and a report by the Government Accountability Office that requires a study of the geographic distribution of projects, the impact of selected projects on student and staff health and safety, and the accessibility of projects to high-needs schools.

The bill also establishes the Office of School Infrastructure and Sustainability within the Department of Education.

Next, the bill extends through FY2031 the Impact Aid Construction program.

Finally, the bill establishes a grant program to assist LEAs with repairing or replacing concrete foundations affected by pyrrhotite (an iron sulfide material linked to crumbling foundations).

Text of the bill

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I GRANTS FOR THE LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES

II School infrastructure bonds

III USES OF FUNDS

Sec. 305. Use of American iron, steel, and manufactured products

(a) In general. A local educational agency that receives covered funds shall ensure that any iron, steel, and manufactured products used in projects carried out with such funds are produced in the United States.

(b) Waiver authority

(1) In general. The Secretary may waive the requirement of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that—

(A) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the public interest;

(B) iron, steel, and manufactured products produced in the United States are not produced in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or are not of a satisfactory quality; or

(C) using iron, steel, and manufactured products produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.

(2) Publication. Before issuing a waiver under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a detailed written explanation of the waiver determination.

(c) Consistency with international agreements. This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with the obligations of the United States under international agreements.

(d) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Produced in the united states. The term produced in the United States means the following:

(A) When used with respect to a manufactured product, the product was manufactured in the United States and the cost of the components of such product that were mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States exceeds 60 percent of the total cost of all components of the product.

(B) When used with respect to iron or steel products, or an individual component of a manufactured product, all manufacturing processes for such iron or steel products or components, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States, except that the term does not include—

(i) steel or iron material or products manufactured abroad from semi-finished steel or iron from the United States; and

(ii) steel or iron material or products manufactured in the United States from semi-finished steel or iron of foreign origin.

(2) Manufactured product. The term manufactured product means any construction material or end product (as such terms are defined in part 25.003 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation) that is not an iron or steel product, including—

(A) electrical components; and

(B) nonferrous building materials, including, aluminum and polyvinylchloride (PVC), glass, fiber optics, plastic, wood, masonry, rubber, manufactured stone, any other nonferrous metals, and any unmanufactured construction material.

IV REPORTS AND OTHER MATTERS

V IMPACT AID CONSTRUCTION

VI ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIR OF SCHOOL FOUNDATIONS AFFECTED BY PYRRHOTITE