[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4449 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4449

   To aid and support pediatric involvement in reading and education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2007

 Mr. Payne (for himself and Mr. Souder) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To aid and support pediatric involvement in reading and education.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Prescribe A Book Act''.

SEC. 2. PEDIATRIC INVOLVEMENT IN READING AND EDUCATION.

    Part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

             ``Subpart 5--Pediatric Early Literacy Program

``SEC. 1261. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        nonprofit organization that has, as determined by the 
        Secretary, demonstrated effectiveness in the following areas:
                    ``(A) Providing peer-to-peer training to healthcare 
                providers in research-based methods of literacy 
                promotion as part of routine pediatric health 
                supervision visits.
                    ``(B) Delivering a training curriculum through a 
                variety of medical education settings, including 
                residency training, continuing medical education, and 
                national pediatric conferences.
                    ``(C) Providing technical assistance to local 
                healthcare facilities to effectively implement a high-
                quality Pediatric Early Literacy Program.
                    ``(D) Offering opportunities for local healthcare 
                facilities to obtain books at significant discounts, as 
                described in section 1266.
                    ``(E) Integrating the latest developmental and 
                educational research into the training curriculum for 
                healthcare providers described in subparagraph (B).
            ``(2) Pediatric early literacy program.--The term 
        `Pediatric Early Literacy Program' means a program that--
                    ``(A) creates and implements a 3-part model through 
                which--
                            ``(i) healthcare providers, doctors, and 
                        nurses, trained in research-based methods of 
                        early language and literacy promotion, 
                        encourage parents to read aloud to their young 
                        children, and offer developmentally appropriate 
                        recommendations and strategies to parents for 
                        the purpose of reading aloud to their children;
                            ``(ii) healthcare providers, at health 
                        supervision visits, provide each child between 
                        the ages of 6 months and 5 years a new, 
                        developmentally appropriate children's book to 
                        take home and keep; and
                            ``(iii) volunteers in waiting areas of 
                        healthcare facilities read aloud to children, 
                        modeling for parents the techniques and 
                        pleasures of sharing books together;
                    ``(B) demonstrates, through research published in 
                peer-reviewed journals, effectiveness in positively 
                altering parent behavior regarding reading aloud to 
                children, and improving expressive and receptive 
                language in young children; and
                    ``(C) receives the endorsement of nationally-
                recognized medical associations and academies.

``SEC. 1262. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``The Secretary is authorized to award grants to eligible entities 
under this subpart to enable the eligible entities to implement 
Pediatric Early Literacy Programs.

``SEC. 1263. APPLICATION.

    ``An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under this 
subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and including such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require.

``SEC. 1264. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``An eligible entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall 
provide either directly or through private contributions, in cash or 
in-kind, non-Federal matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent 
of the grant received by the eligible entity under this subpart.

``SEC. 1265. USE OF GRANT FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
subpart shall--
            ``(1) enter into contracts with private nonprofit 
        organizations, or with public agencies, selected based on the 
        criteria described in subsection (b), under which each 
        contractor will agree to establish and operate a Pediatric 
        Early Literacy Program;
            ``(2) provide such training and technical assistance to 
        each contractor of the eligible entity as may be necessary to 
        carry out this subpart; and
            ``(3) include such other terms and conditions in an 
        agreement with a contractor as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate to ensure the effectiveness of such programs.
    ``(b) Contractor Criteria.--Contractors shall be selected under 
subsection (a)(1) on the basis of the extent to which the contractors 
give priority to serving a substantial number or percentage of at-risk 
children, including--
            ``(1) low-income children (defined in this section as 
        children from families with incomes below 200 percent of the 
        poverty line), particularly low-income children in high-poverty 
        areas;
            ``(2) children without adequate medical insurance;
            ``(3) children enrolled in a State Medicaid program, 
        established under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or in the State Children's Health 
        Insurance Program established under title XXI of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.);
            ``(4) children living in rural areas;
            ``(5) migrant children; and
            ``(6) children with limited access to libraries.

``SEC. 1266. RESTRICTION ON PAYMENTS.

    ``The Secretary shall make no payment to eligible entities under 
this subpart unless the Secretary determines that the eligible entity 
or a contractor of the eligible entity, as the case may be, has made 
arrangements with book publishers or distributors to obtain books at 
discounts that are at least as favorable as discounts that are 
customarily given by such publisher or distributor for book purchases 
made under similar circumstances in the absence of Federal assistance.

``SEC. 1267. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    ``An eligible entity receiving a grant under this subpart shall 
report annually to the Secretary on the effectiveness of the program 
implemented by the eligible entity and the programs instituted by each 
contractor of the eligible entity, and shall include in the report a 
description of each program.

``SEC. 1268. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
subpart--
            ``(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
            ``(2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
            ``(3) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
            ``(4) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
            ``(5) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.''.
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