HRES-1047-119
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Sponsored by Mary Scanlon (D-PA)
What it does
This resolution would formally recognize January 2026 as "National Mentoring Month." It would express the sense of the House of Representatives that mentoring is beneficial to youth development, acknowledge adults who volunteer or work in mentoring programs, promote the expansion of mentoring programs nationwide, and support efforts to close the "mentoring gap" — the share of young people who lack a meaningful adult mentor outside the home. The resolution does not create any new programs, appropriate any funds, or impose any legal obligations.
Who benefits
Mentoring organizations and nonprofits that gain visibility and a congressional endorsement for recruitment and fundraising purposes. Volunteer mentors who are formally recognized by Congress. Youth who may be connected to mentoring programs as a result of increased awareness, particularly those in underserved communities, foster youth, and youth at risk of not completing high school. Alaska Native and American Indian youth, who are specifically mentioned in the resolution's findings.
Who is hurt
No group faces a direct material harm from this resolution. Because it is purely symbolic and carries no legal or fiscal effect, there are no identifiable cost-bearers or negatively affected parties.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that congressional recognition raises the public profile of mentoring at a time when 40 percent of young people lack a meaningful adult guide outside the home, according to figures cited in the resolution itself. They contend that formal recognition can spur volunteer recruitment and encourage institutions — schools, employers, and nonprofits — to integrate mentoring into their programs, amplifying an evidence-based practice shown to improve academic outcomes, reduce juvenile delinquency, and support mental health.
Opponents argue
Opponents could argue that a symbolic resolution without accompanying funding or programmatic action does little to address the structural "mentoring gap" the resolution identifies, and that congressional floor time and resources are better directed toward legislation with binding, measurable effects. They might further contend that the resolution's findings selectively emphasize positive research while the evidence base for mentoring programs varies considerably in quality and effect size across different program models and populations.