PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 3716: BEST Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 3716: BEST Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-09-08 · Education · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-09-08 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

BEST Act

Plain summary

Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act or the BEST Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award renewable two-year grants to states to establish or improve Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language. States must provide to participating students who demonstrate such proficiency: (1) documentation of that proficiency on their official academic transcripts, and (2) a permanent seal or other marker on their secondary school diplomas. Students who gain proficiency in a second language outside of school may participate in such programs. States may not charge students a program application fee.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

BEST Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] · 10 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] reported raising $580,025 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr3716 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115