Congress·In Committee·S. 4258

Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act of 2026

Schoolyards: Grants for Nature-Based Play and Learning

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act of 2026

This bill was recently introduced in the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No further actions are scheduled at this time, so the bill is waiting for the committee to decide on its next steps. It is currently in the early stages of the legislative process.

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Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

While green spaces are popular, new spending programs often face uphill battles in a divided Congress, especially when they are introduced by a single member without a large group of cosponsors.

Key Points

The bill creates a new grant program to help schools replace traditional asphalt playgrounds with revitalized schoolyards. These spaces would include trees, gardens, outdoor classrooms, and natural play areas made from materials like wood and stone instead of plastic or metal.
Schools could receive up to $1 million total to plan and build these projects. The money is split into two parts: first for designing the space with input from students and neighbors, and then for the actual construction and planting.
The program prioritizes schools in low-income areas, places with very few trees, or neighborhoods that get dangerously hot in the summer. It also sets aside 5 percent of the funding specifically for schools run by Native American tribes.
Beyond just being a place to play, these schoolyards would serve as outdoor classrooms for science and art. They are also designed to help the environment by soaking up rainwater and providing shade to keep school buildings cooler, which can lower energy bills.
To ensure the spaces stay in good shape, schools must have a long-term maintenance plan. Most schools would also need to keep these areas open to the public during daylight hours when school is not in session, acting like a local park for the community.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 26, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 26, 2026

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Revitalizing America’s Schoolyards Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 4258

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.