[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4689 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4689
To strengthen literacy outcomes for all students, to amend the
comprehensive literacy State development grant program, and to ensure
Federal accountability and investment in research, teacher preparation,
and evidence-based instruction aligned with the science of reading.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 4, 2026
Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Banks, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr.
Scott of South Carolina, and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen literacy outcomes for all students, to amend the
comprehensive literacy State development grant program, and to ensure
Federal accountability and investment in research, teacher preparation,
and evidence-based instruction aligned with the science of reading.
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 ``Reading Excellence and Achievement
for Development Act'' or the ``READ Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) increase literacy proficiency among students in
elementary schools and secondary schools through the use of
science of reading-aligned instruction so that students
graduate from high school with the reading and writing skills
needed to succeed in the workforce and in life;
(2) support State educational agencies in implementing
evidence-based policies aligned with the science of reading;
(3) improve teacher preparation and professional
development for school-based staff, including through coaching
and deliberate, dedicated professional collaboration, to
support evidence-based literacy instruction;
(4) promote early identification and intervention for
students at risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia;
(5) support data-driven literacy strategies to support all
students and to close opportunity gaps across student
subgroups; and
(6) protect and strengthen literacy research capacity
through comprehensive centers and the Institute of Education
Sciences.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Literacy is a cornerstone for personal growth, economic
opportunity, and a strong society.
(2) The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress
reported that--
(A) only 35 percent of the 8th grade class of 2024
were proficient in reading; and
(B) one-third of 8th graders performed below the
National Assessment of Educational Progress basic
level, the highest percentage ever recorded.
(3) The National Assessment of Educational Progress
provides the only nationally representative, independent
measure of student achievement over time, offering critical
data on the readiness of United States students to compete in
the global economy.
(4) The 2023 Program for the International Assessment of
Adult Competencies estimates that 28 percent of adults in the
United States perform at the lowest proficiency level of
literacy, meaning they have substantial difficulty with
everyday reading tasks.
(5) Illiteracy costs taxpayers $224,000,000,000 annually
and costs United States companies nearly $40,000,000,000
annually.
(6) The interdisciplinary body of research known as the
``science of reading'' demonstrates the effectiveness of
structured, evidence-based literacy instruction.
(7) Federal literacy programs under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3271 et
seq.), and the Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101
et seq.) provide important foundations, but are insufficient to
address the scale of the crisis.
(8) The United States is in the midst of a national
literacy crisis, requiring strong Federal leadership in
partnership with State educational agencies and local
educational agencies to ensure that all students have the
foundational literacy skills to thrive.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Evidence-based.--The term ``evidence-based'' has the
meaning given the term in section 8101(21) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)),
except that subclause (III) of subparagraph (A)(i) of such
section shall not apply.
(2) Science of reading.--The term ``science of reading''
means an interdisciplinary body of research from cognitive
science, neuroscience, and education that--
(A) demonstrates the explicit, systematic use of
the essential components of phonemic awareness, phonic
decoding, fluency, language structure, oral language,
vocabulary, background knowledge, and literacy
knowledge, which together lead to strong comprehension;
(B) recognizes the connection of reading and
writing and the importance of strong writing
instruction;
(C) does not use a three-cueing model; and
(D) is inclusive of comprehensive literacy
instruction.
(3) Three-cueing model.--The term ``three-cueing model''
means an instructional approach that--
(A) uses meaning drawn from context, pictures, or
syntax as the primary basis for teaching word
recognition (commonly referred to as ``meaning,
structure and syntax, and visual cues'' or ``MSV''); or
(B) teaches visual memory as the primary basis for
word recognition.
SEC. 5. LITERACY IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.
Section 2222 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6642) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) implement statewide policies and systems of support
to assist local educational agencies and educator preparation
programs in improving literacy instruction and outcomes.'';
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Reservation.--
``(1) In general.--From the amounts reserved to carry out
this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve--
``(A) not more than a total of 5 percent for
national activities, which--
``(i) shall include funding for a national
independent evaluation--
``(I) that shall be conducted in
accordance with high-quality, rigorous
research standards; and
``(II) that may not be canceled or
deferred, unless the entity funded to
conduct the evaluation violates the
terms of the contract, has been given
written justification for the
contract's termination, and has been
provided an opportunity to appeal the
termination within 30 days of receiving
the notice of termination; and
``(ii) may include support for the regional
educational laboratories (described in section
174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564)) and comprehensive
centers (established pursuant to section 203 of
the Educational Technical Assistance Act of
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602)) to support literacy
research and technical assistance;
``(B) not more than 10 percent for grants to
eligible States, as described in paragraph (2);
``(C) one half of 1 percent for the Secretary of
the Interior to carry out a program described in this
subpart at schools operated or funded by the Bureau of
Indian Education; and
``(D) one half of 1 percent for the outlying areas
to carry out a program under this subpart.
``(2) Grants to eligible low-performing states.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall allot funds
reserved under paragraph (1)(B) among eligible States
described in subparagraph (B) in proportion to the
number of students enrolled in public elementary
schools and secondary schools in each such eligible
State, except that no eligible State shall receive less
than 0.5 percent of the amount reserved under paragraph
(1)(B).
``(B) Eligible states.--A State is described in
this subparagraph for a fiscal year if the State for
the 2 most recent consecutive assessment cycles, ranks
within the lowest quintile based on the percentage of
students performing at or above the `basic' achievement
level in 4th grade reading, as measured by the National
Assessment of Educational Progress.
``(C) Needs assessment.--A State receiving funds
under this paragraph shall, not later than 1 year after
receiving such funds, conduct a needs assessment that
analyzes literacy needs across the State and complete a
comprehensive literacy instruction plan based on the
results of such assessment.
``(D) Competitive grants to eligible states.--The
Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible States under subsection (a) from amounts that
are in addition to the amounts reserved under paragraph
(1)(B).'';
(3) in subsection (d)(2)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) A description of how the State educational
agency, in collaboration with the State literacy team,
if applicable, will develop a State comprehensive
literacy instruction plan or will revise and update an
already existing State comprehensive literacy
instruction plan, including how the State will--
``(i) implement universal early literacy
screenings and intervention services for
students at-risk of falling behind in becoming
proficient in reading by third grade, which may
include high-impact tutoring and summer
learning programs;
``(ii) increase access for educators to
high-quality instructional materials aligned
with the science of reading;
``(iii) deliver professional development
and instructional coaching for educators, with
the input of educators, in high-needs schools
with the lowest literacy outcomes;
``(iv) update State licensure or
certification standards for teachers and
evaluate teacher preparation programs to assess
alignment with the science of reading; and
``(v) meaningfully engage educators from
across the State to provide early and ongoing
input on how to effectively support educators
in improving instructional practice and
educational outcomes.''; and
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``subsection
(f)(1)'' and inserting ``subsection (f)(2)'';
(4) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
``(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority--
``(1) to State educational agencies that will use the grant
funds for evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of
this subsection as activities meeting the requirements of
section 8101(21), except that subclause (III) of subparagraph
(A)(i) of such section shall not apply; and
``(2) to States that demonstrate, based on the needs
assessment described in subsection (d)(2)(A), that the State
has not yet implemented, on a statewide basis, a comprehensive
approach to the required activities described in subsection
(f)(1)(A).'';
(5) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
``(f) State Activities.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Required uses.--Each State that receives a
grant under this section shall use grant funds not
allocated under paragraph (2) to carry out the
following:
``(i) Ensure pre-service training and in-
service training are aligned between them and
with the science of reading and designed, in
collaboration with teachers and institutions of
higher education, to support teachers in
understanding the evidence base on how students
learn to read and in using evidence-based
instructional materials and practices in their
classrooms, which may include--
``(I) creating statewide and
regional literacy coaching networks;
``(II) evaluating teacher
preparation programs to strengthen
coursework and training in the science
of reading;
``(III) updating State licensure or
certification standards to reflect the
science of reading; and
``(IV) providing pre-service and
in-service training for educators on
evidence-based screening, assessment,
and progress monitoring and instruction
for students with dyslexia.
``(ii) Implement evidence-based
interventions aligned with the science of
reading and designed to prepare students for
success with grade-level work in their core
classes, which may include high-impact tutoring
and summer learning programs.
``(iii) Provide universal early literacy
screening, including for dyslexia, at least
once before the third grade, with more regular
literacy screenings encouraged as a tool to
help identify reading difficulties early and
ensure support is provided to struggling
readers.
``(iv) Develop, incentivize, and support
the adoption and implementation of a
recommended list of high-quality instructional
materials aligned with the science of reading.
``(v) Convene and solicit input from
educators as collaborative, expert partners to
advise on improving pre-service training, in-
service training, and identify other supports
that they may need to successfully implement
the science of reading in classrooms.
``(vi) On an annual basis, collect and
publicly report implementation data, which
shall include--
``(I) the number and percent of
students receiving screenings and
interventions for learning
difficulties, disaggregated by grade
level and disaggregated by each of the
subgroups of students, as defined in
section 1111(c)(2);
``(II) the number and percent of
pre-service and in-service teachers
receiving professional development and
coaching grounded in the science of
reading; and
``(III) the number of local
educational agencies using high-quality
instructional materials aligned with
the science of reading as recommended
by the State.
``(B) Prohibition of inclusion of personally
identifiable information.--A State shall not include
any personally identifiable information in data
reported under subparagraph (A)(vi).
``(2) Subgrants.--Each State that receives a grant under
this section shall allocate not less than 75 percent of the
grant funds to award subgrants to local educational agencies to
enable the local educational agencies to carry out activities
to improve literacy, such as--
``(A) strengthening literacy instruction aligned to
the science of reading in elementary schools and
secondary schools, including through in-service
training for educators;
``(B) employing and training literacy instructional
coaches and interventionists;
``(C) purchasing and adopting high-quality
instructional materials aligned with the science of
reading;
``(D) conducting universal early literacy
screenings, including for dyslexia;
``(E) providing direct services to students, which
may include high-impact tutoring and summer learning
programs, designed to help students reach proficiency
in grade-level literacy standards;
``(F) conducting outreach to parents and families
to help them support their child's learning at home
with strategies grounded in the science of reading;
``(G) supporting evidence-based bilingual literacy
instruction, including biliteracy development aligned
with the science of reading; and
``(H) convening and soliciting early and ongoing
input from educators as collaborative, expert partners
to advise on improving in-service training and identify
other supports that they may need to successfully
implement the science of reading in classrooms.
``(3) Grantee requirements.--Each State that receives a
grant under this section shall--
``(A) comply with a biennial evaluation by the
Secretary assessing the impact of the activities funded
under this grant program; and
``(B) ensure that funds provided under this section
are used to supplement, and not supplant, any State or
local funds that would otherwise be used for literacy
instruction, teacher preparation, or interventions.
``(4) Teacher preparation requirements.--
``(A) Alignment with the science of reading.--Each
State that receives a grant under this section shall
complete and publish, not later than 2 years after
receiving the grant funds, a review of all teacher
preparation programs in the State to assess alignment
with the science of reading and make recommendations to
programs, as appropriate, for better aligning course
offerings to the science of reading.
``(B) Licensure or certification requirements.--
Each State that receives a grant under this section
shall update or establish licensure or certification
standards for public school teachers in grades
kindergarten through 8, which reflect competency in
instructional practices aligned with the science of
reading.''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the terms `evidence-based' and `science of reading'
have the meanings given the terms in section 4 of the Reading
Excellence and Achievement for Development Act;
``(2) the term `high-impact tutoring' means a form of
teaching that--
``(A) is conducted 1-on-1 or in small groups;
``(B) is intended to complement core classroom
instruction; and
``(C) includes--
``(i) substantial time each week engaged in
tutoring with trained personnel;
``(ii) a sustained and strong relationship
between the student and tutor;
``(iii) progress monitoring of student
knowledge and skills attainment;
``(iv) an alignment with core classroom
instruction; and
``(v) supportive coaching for the tutor to
ensure quality interactions; and
``(3) the term `universal early literacy screening' means
the systematic and periodic assessment of all students'
foundational reading skills, including phonological and
phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension, as developmentally appropriate, to identify
those at risk for reading difficulties and to provide timely,
evidence-based interventions.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.''.
SEC. 6. PARENT REPORTING.
(a) In General.--Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 8549D. PARENT REPORTING.
``(a) In General.--
``(1) In general.--Each school receiving assistance under
this Act that includes any of kindergarten through grade 8
shall provide notification to the parent of any student who is
identified as at risk of reading difficulties or performing
below grade level in reading.
``(2) Notification.--The notification described in
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) be provided not later than 30 days after the
beginning of the school year, for students in any of
grades 4 through 8 who were identified as below grade
level in reading on the previous year's summative
assessment required under section 1111(b)(2)(B);
``(B) be provided not later than 30 days after a
student is identified as at risk for reading
difficulties on any universal early literacy screening
(as defined in section 2222(g)(1)(C)) administered at
any point during the school year; and
``(C) include--
``(i) the results of the assessment or
screening;
``(ii) the supports that will be provided
to the student to reach proficiency; and
``(iii) ways that the parent can support
learning at home.
``(3) More regular notifications.--A school may provide
more regular notification to a parent than that required under
paragraph (2) and contain additional information in the
notification to assist the parent in understanding and
supporting the educational needs of their child.
``(b) Reports and Notices in Primary Languages.--A school shall
provide each report and notification described in subsection (a) in the
primary language of the parent, to the extent practicable.
``(c) Model Notification Templates.--The Secretary shall develop
user-tested parental notification templates and other materials, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary, for optional use by schools to
help them fulfill the requirements under this section. These templates
and materials must be made publicly available on the Department's
website.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--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 8549C the following new item:
``Sec. 8549D. Parent reporting.''.
SEC. 7. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) Applicability.--This Act and the amendments made by this Act
shall apply with respect to funds awarded under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 note et seq.) on or
after the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act or the amendments
made by this Act shall be construed to--
(1) limit or alter the rights, protections, and
individualized instructional requirements under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.),
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794),
or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101
et seq.); or
(2) authorize any officer or employee of the Federal
Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local
educational agency, or school's specific instructional content,
academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of
instruction.
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