[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9986 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9986

 To require a GAO study on State and Federal prison libraries, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2026

Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, 
  Ms. Simon, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require a GAO study on State and Federal prison libraries, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Read for Reentry Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. GAO STUDY.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on 
libraries and library services offered in State and Federal prisons, 
and submit to Congress a report, that--
            (1) includes a description of any library services provided 
        in such prisons;
            (2) identifies any sources of funding for such libraries 
        and library services;
            (3) includes the demographic information of all 
        incarcerated individuals in State and Federal prisons that 
        offer library services, including--
                    (A) age;
                    (B) race;
                    (C) ethnicity;
                    (D) gender identity;
                    (E) level of education;
                    (F) criminal background; and
                    (G) length of incarceration;
            (4) identifies the prison recidivism rate for an individual 
        released from a State or Federal prison that offers library 
        services;
            (5) identifies the parole compliance rate for an individual 
        released from a State or Federal prison that offers library 
        services;
            (6) includes a description about workforce placement for 
        individuals released from a State or Federal prison that offers 
        library services;
            (7) identifies the rate of disciplinary infractions (as 
        defined by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons) involving an 
        incarcerated individual in a State or Federal prison that 
        offers library services; and
            (8) includes any other relevant information or findings, as 
        determined by the Comptroller General, with respect to such 
        libraries and library services.
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