U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii has joined Senator Jack Reed, Representative Bobby Scott, and more than 95 other lawmakers in introducing the Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026. The proposed legislation aims to provide $130 billion over five years for school infrastructure improvements across the United States.
According to Senator Hirono, “Too many public schools across the country face critical underfunding, resulting in deteriorating facilities that have become health and safety risks for teachers and students. Our students deserve to learn in safe, healthy, and modern environments to ensure they receive the quality public education they need to best prepare them for the future. This legislation is a significant investment not only in public education infrastructure, but also in our students’ futures and the surrounding community.”
National spending on K-12 school buildings is estimated to fall short by about $90 billion annually, based on a 2025 analysis by the 21st Century School Fund. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in 2020 that more than half of U.S. school districts need updates or complete replacement of multiple building systems.
The bill proposes a federal-state partnership to address these gaps through direct grants and construction bonds targeted at physical and digital upgrades for schools most in need. Of the total funding, $100 billion would be distributed as grants and $30 billion through tax credit bonds aimed at high-poverty schools with health and safety concerns.
An Economic Policy Institute analysis suggests that each $1 billion spent on construction could create nearly 17,785 jobs, leading to an estimated two million jobs from this initiative. The legislation also requires states to develop statewide databases tracking public school facility conditions—an area where most states currently lack data—and seeks to improve broadband and Wi-Fi access in schools.
The proposal has received support from various organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers, American Library Association, National Education Association, Council of the Great City Schools, U.S. Green Building Council, among others.
In addition to Senators Hirono and Reed, Senate cosponsors include Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Representative Scott is joined by 80 House cosponsors.
Senator Hirono has previously advocated for federal programs supporting public schools’ infrastructure needs. Last year she introduced legislation seeking an additional $1 billion for federally impacted school districts’ infrastructure projects. She also held roundtables with local education leaders regarding recent Department of Education decisions affecting program administration capacity.
Hirono represents Hawaii as its first female senator and was also the first Asian American woman elected to the U.S. Senate according to her official website. She immigrated from Japan as a child with her family and holds degrees from University of Hawaii at Manoa and Georgetown University Law Center. In her role on several Senate committees—including Armed Services and Judiciary—she focuses on issues affecting veterans, immigrants, minorities, and underserved communities according to her official website.
