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 is a simple commemorative resolution and would not create any new programs, allocate any funding, impose any mandates, or change any existing law.
Who benefits
Mentoring organizations and nonprofits that may gain public visibility from the recognition. Volunteers and mentors whose work receives symbolic acknowledgment. Young people in mentoring programs who may benefit from increased public awareness. Schools and community groups that use awareness months to promote recruitment of mentors.
Who is hurt
No group faces a direct material harm from this resolution. There are no costs imposed, no mandates created, and no funding redirected.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that formal congressional recognition raises public awareness of mentoring programs, which research — including studies by MENTOR (the National Mentoring Partnership) — links to improved academic outcomes, reduced dropout rates, and lower rates of youth involvement in the justice system. They contend that symbolic recognition costs nothing while potentially encouraging more adults to volunteer as mentors, addressing a documented shortage of mentors for at-risk youth.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that commemorative resolutions consume limited congressional floor time and staff resources without producing any measurable policy outcome. They contend that if mentoring programs are a genuine priority, Congress should direct that energy toward substantive legislation — such as funding for mentoring programs or tax incentives for participating organizations — rather than symbolic gestures that do not change conditions on the ground.