Summary of Bill: HRES 355 — National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week

Overview
- Bill number: HRES 355
- Title: Supporting the designation of the week of April 28 through May 2, 2025, as "National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week"
- Type: House Resolution (non-binding)
- Purpose: To recognize and designate a specific week to honor specialized instructional support personnel (SISPs) and to encourage awareness and collaboration among policymakers and educators.

Purpose and Intent
- Establishes appreciation for SISPs and their contributions to student outcomes.
- Acknowledges that SISPs implement evidence-based practices to improve student outcomes.
- Commits to commending SISPs and the organizations that support their efforts to expand access to specialized instructional support services.
- Encourages federal, state, and local policymakers to collaborate in raising awareness about the importance of SISPs for school climate and education efforts.
- Recognizes the role of SISPs in mental health, reducing drug use, and improving overall community safety for students.
- Encourages experts to share best practices related to SISPs so that successful approaches can be replicated.

Key Provisions
- Designates a national observance: National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week.
- The designated week for 2025 is April 28 through May 2.
- Provides formal recognition of SISPs and the organizations that support their work.
- Calls for cross-jurisdiction collaboration among policymakers to highlight SISPs’ importance.
- Highlights SISPs in the context of mental health, substance abuse prevention, and community safety.
- Promotes the dissemination of best practices among professionals working with SISPs to enable replication of successful models.

Affected Parties
- Specialized instructional support personnel (SISPs) and their employers (schools, district offices, educational organizations).
- Students and families who benefit from SISPs’ services.
- Federal, state, and local policymakers and education stakeholders.
- Organizations and partners that support SISPs’ efforts.

Procedural and Timeline Details
- Introduced: April 28, 2025.
- Referred to: House Committee on Education and Workforce (April 28, 2025).
- Status: Submitted in the House (progress dependent on committee actions typical for resolutions).

Sponsors
- Primary: Rep. Jahana Hayes
- Cosponsors: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick

Impact and Significance
- This resolution is a symbolic, non-binding measure meant to elevate awareness of SISPs and promote collaboration to improve student outcomes.
- It could influence public discourse and policy conversations by foregrounding the importance of SISPs in education, mental health, and community safety.
- By encouraging sharing of best practices, it may foster cross-state and cross-district learning and replication of effective strategies.