Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act

Key Points

• The bill would cap tariffs on school supplies at whatever rate was in effect on January 19, 2025, meaning these taxes could not be raised higher than that going forward.
• The cap applies to a specific list of everyday classroom items, including backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks, coloring books, calendars, keyboards, hairbrushes, pencils, crayons, and pens.
• The Secretary of Commerce, working with the Secretary of Education, could add other classroom items to the protected list through regulations, unless Congress votes to disapprove a specific addition.
• Every 180 days, Commerce must report to Congress on which items are exempt from higher tariffs and which new items have been added to the list.
• The bill states its purpose is to prevent tariff increases from driving up costs for students, families, teachers, schools, and local governments buying school supplies.