[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4028 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4028
To expand equitable access to developmentally-appropriate literacy
materials, programs, and family engagement in reading, especially in
underserved communities, and strengthen the connection between literacy
and long-term academic and economic success.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 9, 2026
Mr. Kim introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand equitable access to developmentally-appropriate literacy
materials, programs, and family engagement in reading, especially in
underserved communities, and strengthen the connection between literacy
and long-term academic and economic success.
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 ``Open Books, Open Doors Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress
reading assessment results show a continued decline in reading
scores for both fourth and eighth grade students, with average
scores lower than both 2022 and 2019 levels.
(2) According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1 in 6
children who are not reading proficiently in third grade do not
graduate from high school on time, a rate 4 times greater than
that for proficient readers.
(3) Families with incomes of $100,000 or more have nearly
twice the number of books than families with less than $35,000
in annual income, at 125 and 73 respectively.
(4) According to the American Consortium for Equity in
Education, 45 percent of children in the United States live in
neighborhoods that lack public libraries and stores that sell
books or in homes where books are not present.
(5) 85 percent of all juveniles who interact with the
juvenile court system are functionally low literate.
(6) Only 2 percent of the 20,600,000 17- to 21-year-olds in
the United States are eligible, propensed to serve, and of high
academic quality for military service, and only 29 percent of
youth are eligible for military service without requiring some
form of a standards waiver.
(7) A 2025 study from the University of Florida and the
University College London found that daily reading for pleasure
among individuals in the United States has declined by more
than 40 percent over the past 2 decades, a trend with serious
implications for children's literacy development and long-term
education outcomes.
(8) Children born to parents with low literacy skills are
likely to have low skills themselves, perpetuating poverty and
other socioeconomic issues related to low literacy.
(9) According to the Department of Education, 43,000,000
adults in the United States, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United
States, can't read well enough to hold a basic job.
(10) According to the Nobel Prize-winning economist James
Heckman, every $1 invested in early childhood, including
literacy programs, yields between $4 to $16 in long-term
economic benefits.
(11) According to the World Literacy Foundation, low
literacy costs the United States economy more than
$300,000,000,000 in lost earnings, lower workplace
productivity, higher crime, and more government assistance.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``local educational
agency'' and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings
given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Book desert.--The term ``book desert'' means a
geographic area (as defined by census tract, ZIP Code, or local
educational agency) where children and families have limited or
non-consistent access to developmentally-appropriate, high-
interest, and culturally relevant books and print materials in
the home, schools, or community settings, as evidenced by
meeting 1 or more of the following criteria, as determined by
the Secretary:
(A) Fewer than 1 book available per 300 children
younger than 18 years of age.
(B) No public library or bookstore within a 1-mile
radius in an urban area or a 10-mile radius in a rural
area.
(C) A high concentration of poverty, housing
instability, or limited English proficiency that
contributes to barriers in accessing books.
(D) 40 percent of households with children lacking
reading materials at home.
(E) Limited or no book distribution programs,
literacy events, or reading-focused community
infrastructure.
(3) Evidence-based literacy program.--The term ``evidence-
based literacy program'' means any instructional or community-
based program, intervention, or practice that--
(A) is grounded in the science of reading and
incorporates methods shown, through high-quality
research, to be effective in improving literacy skills
for infants, toddlers, children, teens, young adults,
parents, or other caregivers;
(B) demonstrates measurable outcomes in improving
reading comprehension, phonemic awareness, vocabulary
acquisition, early language development, fluency, or
engagement with reading;
(C) has been evaluated through a rigorous study,
such as randomized control trials, quasi-experiential
designs, or longitudinal research, and shows
statistically significant positive effects on literacy
outcomes for the target population; and
(D) includes components for adult-child
interaction, culturally responsive instruction, or
family and caregiver engagement, where appropriate.
(4) Family literacy.--The term ``family literacy'' means
services that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours,
and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a
family, and that integrate all of the following activities:
(A) Interactive literacy activities between parents
and their children.
(B) Training for parents regarding how to be the
primary teacher for their children and full partners in
the education of their children.
(C) Parent literacy training that leads to economic
self-sufficiency and financial literacy.
(D) A developmentally-appropriate education to
prepare children for success in school and life
experiences.
(5) Qualified applicant.--The term ``qualified applicant''
means a State government, Tribal government, local government,
State educational agency, State humanities council, State
service commission, public library, local educational agency,
public school, juvenile justice facility, community-based
organization, nonprofit organization, or a consortium of such
entities, that works with children and has a demonstrated
record of promoting literacy for infants, toddlers, children,
and young adults for not less than 1 year.
(6) Qualified literacy materials.--The term ``qualified
literacy materials''--
(A) means any developmentally-appropriate,
culturally relevant, and accessible print or digital
content--
(i) designed to support literacy
development in infants, toddlers, children, or
young adults; and
(ii) which may be provided in English or
any other language; and
(B) may include--
(i) storybooks, chapter books, graphic
novels, and picture books;
(ii) multi-lingual and dual-language
materials;
(iii) books in accessible formats, such as
braille and large print;
(iv) comics, newspapers, magazines, poetry,
play scripts, and encyclopedias;
(v) educational brochures and printed media
intended to support language acquisition,
vocabulary building, and reading comprehension;
(vi) digital materials and e-books that can
be accessible offline; and
(vii) reading-level-appropriate content
reflecting diverse cultures, experiences, and
voices.
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 4. OPEN BOOKS, OPEN DOORS GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to qualified applicants to help promote
child literacy.
(2) Funding allocations.--The Secretary shall allocate
funds appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal year as
follows:
(A) Not less than 70 percent of the funds shall be
awarded as grants to qualified applicants located
within, or that coordinate or provide services to,
communities within book deserts and that collaborate
with--
(i) barbershops or salons;
(ii) houses of worship;
(iii) community centers;
(iv) childcare centers;
(v) Head Start or Early Head Start centers;
(vi) laundromats;
(vii) primary care providers, community
health centers, health clinics, and urgent care
centers;
(viii) a local entity providing services
under the special supplemental nutrition
program for women, infants, and children
established under section 17 of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);
(ix) independent bookstores;
(x) youth-serving organizations;
(xi) direct mail programs;
(xii) family literacy programs; or
(xiii) other highly trafficked places, as
designated by the Secretary.
(B) 15 percent of the funds shall be awarded as
grants to qualified applicants for early screening,
early intervention, and educator training related to
children with learning disabilities--
(i) which shall--
(I) complement funding awarded
under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.);
(II) support programs that are
developmentally-appropriate, non-
punitive, and followed by family
communication and support, not
identification alone; and
(III) support programs that do not
stigmatize or over-pathologize early
readers; and
(ii) priority for which shall be to
qualified applicants serving areas where the
rate of reading disabilities or the rate of
dyslexia screening or identification, is higher
than the national average.
(C)(i) Not less than 8 percent of the funds shall
be awarded as grants to qualified applicants proposing
to develop, pilot, or scale promising strategies that
expand access to books, promote reading engagement, or
enhance literacy instruction and family literacy, of
which--
(I) not less than 25 percent shall be
awarded to qualified applicants that are small
entities or community-based organizations or
pilot programs serving not more than 5,000
children; and
(II) not less than 25 percent shall be
awarded to qualified applicants that conduct
family literacy programs;
(ii) Recipients of grants under clause (i) shall
participate in an evaluation process as determined by
the Secretary to assess effectiveness, scalability, and
alignment with the purpose of this Act.
(iii) The Secretary shall publish and disseminate
findings, toolkits, or case studies from strategies
developed, piloted, or scaled under this paragraph to
qualified applicants, State agencies, educators, and
the general public to encourage replication or
continuous improvement.
(D) Not more than 5 percent of the funds may be
used for technical assistance and capacity building,
including for regional hubs or intermediary nonprofit
organizations to provide coaching, help convene
grantees, or share best practices.
(E) Not more than 3 percent of the funds may be
used to support public engagement or awareness
campaigns, including supporting national or regional
campaigns to promote reading habits, funding public
service announcements, digital ads, or toolkits for
local partners, and conducting special campaigns for
reading in non-English languages or within immigrant or
refugee communities.
(F) Not more than 3 percent of the funds may be
used to support disaster-impacted areas, as defined by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(b) Applications.--A qualified applicant that desires to receive a
grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such a time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, including the following:
(1) A description of the educational and financial need of
the community to be served by the qualified applicant.
(2) A description of how the qualified applicant would
partner with local publishers, businesses, libraries, or other
stakeholders to raise additional funds to carry out grant
activities and increase book donations.
(3) A description of how the qualified applicant would
conduct outreach to marginalized and underserved communities to
understand their literacy needs.
(4) A sustainability plan for how the qualified applicant
will continue to promote child literacy after the grant period
ends.
(5) A description on how the qualified applicant will,
where appropriate, partner with or procure qualified literacy
materials through local businesses as a way to support local
economies.
(6) A description of how the qualified applicant will
deliver, or collaborate with partners already engaged in,
evidence-based literacy programs.
(c) Grant Activities.--
(1) In general.--A qualified applicant that receives a
grant under this Act shall use the grant funds for at least one
of the following:
(A) Purchasing or renting property to construct and
maintain distribution facilities for qualified literacy
materials.
(B) Establishing new literacy centers, book-
exchange boxes, neighborhood libraries, mobile
libraries, and book banks.
(C) Purchasing and transporting qualified literacy
materials or hosting book drives.
(D) Conducting in person programs and utilizing
digital and online tools that promote literacy, adult
engagement, and reading comprehension.
(E) Eliminating or waiving late fees at public and
school-based libraries.
(F) Facilitating community or cultural events that
promote literacy and family literacy.
(G) Implementing universal early screening and
diagnostic or identification tools for learning
disabilities, such as dyslexia, including training for
staff on identifying and supporting students with
reading disabilities.
(H) Purchasing screening tools and providing
follow-up assessments and referrals in collaboration
with local educational agencies or community health
providers.
(I) Hiring, paying, and training (including
coaching) educators, volunteers, health care
professionals, caretakers, and parents in evidence-
based literacy programs.
(J) Providing meals or transportation services for
individuals receiving services in any of the activities
described in this subsection.
(2) Administrative cap.--
(A) Nonpublic entity.--A qualified applicant that
is a non public entity and receives a grant under this
Act may use not more than 25 percent of the grant funds
on operating expenses, including salaries, utilities,
equipment, and supplies, unless the Secretary approves
a waiver of such cap.
(B) Public entity.--A qualified applicant that is a
public entity and receives a grant under this Act may
use not more than 25 percent of the grant funds on
operating expenses, including salaries, utilities,
equipment, and supplies, unless the Secretary approves
a waiver of such cap.
(d) Maintenance of Effort.--A qualified applicant may receive grant
funds for a fiscal year only if the Secretary finds that the
expenditures of the qualified applicant on literacy efforts for the
preceding fiscal year were not less than the expenditures of the
qualified applicant on literacy efforts for the second preceding fiscal
year.
(e) Matching Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Each qualified applicant that receives a
grant under this Act shall provide, from non-Federal sources,
an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant to
carry out activities supported by the grant.
(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement under
paragraph (1) when determined appropriate by the Secretary.
SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Education and
Workforce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives, a report containing the following information for each
grantee:
(1) A breakdown of the number of students served through
grant activities and relevant demographics (including
socioeconomic status, race, age, and disability status) in each
grade that is participating in the program carried out with
grant funds.
(2) State assessment data or other validated literacy
engagement scales, on a biannual basis, for local educational
agencies that receive support under the grant.
(3) Survey responses from teachers and parents measuring
the impact increased access to books is having on children's
reading enthusiasm and confidence.
(4) The number of books per child before and after the
program carried out with grant funds and the number of
caregivers participating in the program.
SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION.
(a) In General.--To ensure implementation and maximize the impact
of the grant program established under this Act, the Secretary shall
coordinate with relevant Federal agencies, including--
(1) the Corporation for National and Community Services;
(2) the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of
Agriculture;
(3) the Department of Health and Human Services, including
the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau, and the Office of Head Start;
(4) the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs;
(5) the Department of Labor;
(6) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention of the Department of Justice;
(7) the Federal Communications Commission;
(8) the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and
(9) the National Endowment for the Humanities.
(b) Activities.--The coordination required under subsection (a)
shall include--
(1) aligning literacy efforts with existing Federal early
childhood, education, health, and community development
programs;
(2) sharing data and best practices to identify geographic
areas of greatest need;
(3) ensuring consistent messaging and outreach to families
across federally supported platforms;
(4) encouraging joint applications and cross-sector
partnerships among grantees supported by multiple agencies; and
(5) identifying opportunities for co-location or
integration of literacy services in federally supported
housing, health, education, and nutrition programs.
(c) Interagency Working Group.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an
interagency working group to support implementation of this
Act.
(2) Meeting frequency.--The working group shall meet not
less often than twice annually.
(3) Report and national strategy.--The working group
shall--
(A) submit an interagency coordination report to
Congress every 2 years outlining shared initiatives,
challenges, and recommendations to strengthen Federal
literacy programming; and
(B) create and develop a national strategy to
promote literacy among young children from birth to age
5, school-aged children from kindergarten to 12th
grade, and young adults.
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the Secretary
to ban or censor materials or otherwise influence local curricular or
content decisions based on political or viewpoint grounds.
SEC. 8. FEDERAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON BOOK ACCESS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in coordination with each of the
Federal agencies listed in section 6(a), shall establish a Federal
Clearinghouse on Book Access that shall--
(1) identify, collect, and evaluate evidence-based
strategies, programs, and interventions that have been shown to
have a significant effect on children accessing qualified
literacy materials and improving literacy outcomes for children
and families living in book deserts; and
(2) provide guidance, toolkits, and technical resources to
States, local educational agencies, health professionals,
libraries, and nonprofit organizations seeking to expand book
access in book deserts.
(b) Information To Include.--The Federal Clearinghouse on Book
Access shall ensure the guidance, toolkits, and technical resources
provided under subsection (a) include, to the extent practicable, the
following information:
(1) The strength of the evidence that the guidance,
toolkit, or technical resource expands book access and
increases literacy outcomes.
(2) The populations that were served in the programs that
are the bases for the guidance, toolkit, or technical resource,
along with where the populations are located, such as urban,
suburban, or rural areas.
(3) Implementation models for the programs described in
paragraph (2), such as whether the programs were school-based,
library-based, health care-based, or community-based
approaches.
(4) Cost considerations of implementation.
(5) Demonstrated literacy outcomes in the programs
described in paragraph (2).
(6) Findings and data from previous Federal or State
commissions recommending improvements to book access and
increasing literacy outcomes.
(7) Other supportive evidence or findings relied upon by
the Clearinghouse, in consultation with Federal agencies listed
in section 6(a), in identifying evidence-based strategies,
programs, and interventions, as described in subsection (a)(1).
(c) Consistency With Civil Rights.--The guidance, toolkits, and
technical resources provided by the Clearinghouse shall be consistent
with Federal civil rights laws, including title II of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), and title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.).
(d) Consultation.--In identifying the evidence-based strategies,
programs, and interventions for the Federal Clearinghouse on Book
Access, the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) literacy researchers and experts; and
(2) State educational agencies, local educational agencies,
early childhood education providers, community-based and
nonprofit literacy groups focused on book access and literacy
development, libraries, health providers, educators, and school
administrators.
(e) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Federal Clearinghouse on Book Access
shall be assigned such personnel and resources as the Secretary
considers appropriate to carry out this section.
(2) Detail.--The heads of each of the Federal agencies
listed in section 6(a) may detail personnel to the Federal
Clearinghouse on Book Access.
(f) Production and Publication of Materials.--The Secretary may
produce and publish materials identified, collected, and evaluated by
the Federal Clearinghouse on Book Access to assist and train early
childhood, educational, health care, law enforcement, and workforce
agencies on the implementation of the evidence-based strategies,
programs, and interventions for literacy development and enhancing
access to books.
(g) Collection of Data, Feedback, and Evaluations.--For the purpose
of continuous improvement of the Federal Clearinghouse on Book Access,
the Secretary shall collect--
(1) Clearinghouse data analytics;
(2) user feedback on the implementation of evidence-based
strategies, programs, and interventions identified by the
Clearinghouse; and
(3) any evaluations conducted on implementation of the
evidence-based strategies, programs, and interventions.
(h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to require State educational agencies or local educational
agencies to adopt the evidence-based strategies, programs, and
interventions identified pursuant to subsection (a).
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
(b) Supplemental Appropriations.--The Secretary may request
supplemental appropriations based on demand for literacy services.
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