[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 251 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 251

   To aid and support pediatric involvement in reading and education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2015

Mr. Reed (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Markey, and Ms. 
    Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

            ``Subpart 22--Pediatric Early Literacy Programs

``SEC. 5621. 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 5626.
                    ``(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) healthcare facilities create 
                        literacy-rich environments that include gently-
                        used books for waiting room use or volunteer 
                        readers to model for parents the techniques of 
                        reading aloud to young children;
                    ``(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. 5622. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

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

``SEC. 5623. APPLICATIONS.

    ``An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under section 
5622 shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and including such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require.

``SEC. 5624. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 5622 shall 
provide, either directly or through private contributions, non-Federal 
matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the grant received 
by the eligible entity under section 5622. Such matching funds may be 
in cash or in-kind.

``SEC. 5625. USE OF GRANT FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
section 5622 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 program.
    ``(b) Contractor Criteria.--Each contractor shall be selected under 
subsection (a)(1) on the basis of the extent to which the contractor 
gives priority to serving a substantial number or percentage of at-risk 
children, including--
            ``(1) children from families with an income below 200 
        percent of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size 
        involved, particularly such 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. 5626. RESTRICTION ON PAYMENTS.

    ``The Secretary shall make no payment to an eligible entity 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. 5627. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    ``An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 5622 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. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 5618 the following:

            ``subpart 22--pediatric early literacy programs

``Sec. 5621. Definitions.
``Sec. 5622. Program authorized.
``Sec. 5623. Applications.
``Sec. 5624. Matching requirement.
``Sec. 5625. Use of grant funds.
``Sec. 5626. Restriction on payments.
``Sec. 5627. Reporting requirement.''.
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