SRES-624-119
Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S734-735)
Sponsored by Richard Durbin (D-IL)
What it does
This resolution would express the Senate's support for designating the week of March 2–6, 2026, as "National Social and Emotional Learning Week." It would formally recognize social and emotional learning (SEL) as important to students' academic success and well-being, and would encourage people and federal agencies to identify opportunities to advance SEL programs. The resolution carries no legal force, creates no new programs, and appropriates no funds.
Who benefits
Advocacy organizations and researchers focused on SEL programs, who gain a formal congressional endorsement for their work. School districts and educators already implementing SEL curricula, whose programs receive symbolic federal validation. Students in schools with SEL programs, to the extent increased visibility leads to expanded funding or adoption. Mental health professionals who work in school settings.
Who is hurt
Parents or community groups who object to SEL curricula on philosophical, religious, or parental-rights grounds may view the Senate's endorsement as lending federal legitimacy to programs they oppose. Competing educational priorities — such as academic remediation or STEM funding — could face marginally reduced political attention if SEL receives heightened visibility, though this effect would be indirect and speculative.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that decades of peer-reviewed research backs SEL's effectiveness, citing studies showing an average 11-percentile-point increase in academic performance and an $11 return for every dollar spent on evidence-based SEL programs. They contend that 93% of parents of K–12 students surveyed by Pew Research Center said teaching social and emotional skills was important, and that formal Senate recognition raises awareness of a proven, broadly popular approach to improving student outcomes and reducing long-term societal costs.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that a Senate resolution endorsing SEL programs lends federal credibility to curricula that some parents and communities view as overstepping schools' academic mission or conflicting with family values and religious beliefs. They contend that SEL frameworks vary widely in content and implementation, and that a blanket congressional endorsement may pressure schools and federal agencies to adopt programs without adequate local input, undermining the Tenth Amendment principle that education is primarily a state and local function.
Constitutional context
No clear constitutional issue is raised by this resolution. As a simple Senate resolution with no binding legal effect, it does not implicate the Spending Clause, the Establishment Clause, or the Tenth Amendment in any enforceable way. The resolution's encouragement that federal agencies "identify opportunities" to advance SEL could, if acted upon through rulemaking, raise Tenth Amendment questions about federal influence over state education policy, but the resolution itself creates no such mandate.
Checks and balances
The Senate expresses a non-binding opinion; no branch gains enforceable authority, and no executive action is required or compelled by this resolution.
Historical precedent
Congress has previously passed similar commemorative resolutions recognizing education-related awareness weeks, such as resolutions designating "National School Counseling Week," following the same non-binding, symbolic format.