[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 53 (Thursday, May 2, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3857-S3859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mrs. Hutchison):
  S. 2445. A bill to establish a program to promote child literacy by 
making books available through early learning, child care, literacy, 
and nutrition programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, last year we reauthorized the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act, one of the most far reaching education 
reform bills in decades. It was a significant bipartisan achievement, 
but it isn't enough. We must do more to focus on

[[Page S3858]]

the years leading up to school. Today, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and 
I are reintroducing the Book Stamp Act and looking forward to working 
in a bipartisan manner to improve early learning opportunities for our 
youngest children.
  In her statement before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee, First Lady Laura Bush called attention to the 
problems she saw as a teacher. She described children who were having 
difficulties learning to read because they had not developed the basic 
building blocks of language during their preschool years, the building 
blocks forged through reading, language play, and bedtime stories. In 
her words, ``a failure to learn to read not only leads to failure in 
school, but portends failure throughout life.''
  It should come as no surprise that the foundation for learning and 
literacy is laid long before children arrive at our public schools. We 
can't ignore the facts. Each year, millions of children enter 
kindergarten unprepared for school. Before the first lessons are 
taught, they are already behind. Low-income children are particularly 
at risk of school failure. Children in low-income households are less 
likely than their peers to enter school with the language skills they 
need.
  According to the Carnegie Foundation report, ``Ready to Learn: a 
Mandate for the Nation,'' 35 percent of children enter kindergarten 
unprepared to learn and most lack the language skills that are the 
prerequisites of literacy acquisition. The research also shows that 
children who are placed in remedial reading groups early in school, 
often continue to perform below age expectation. Reading failure in 
school constitutes a major disability that contributes to school 
dropout, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, and other societal 
problems.

  In other words, the early childhood years are crucial ones for the 
development of literacy.
  There is widespread consensus that reading aloud by parents is the 
single most important activity for building the knowledge required for 
eventual success in reading. There is a long history of research 
linking reading aloud by parents with verbal language and literacy 
skills with our children.
  Regardless of culture or wealth, one of the most important factors in 
the development of literacy is access to books. Students from homes 
with an abundance of books and other language activities are 
substantially better readers than those with few or no reading 
materials.
  Children living in poverty bear a disproportionate burden of early 
language delay as well as later reading disability. Children from 
families with lower incomes, as a group, receive comparatively little 
stimulation at home. As a group, children from low-income families grow 
up with fewer books in the home, and are exposed to relatively little 
reading aloud.
  The Book Stamp Act will help remedy this. By providing books to the 
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, pediatricians, WIC clinics, 
and child care providers in each community, we can get developmentally 
appropriate books into the hands of low-income families. There are over 
825 Resource and Referral Agencies that will provide free books to 
children enrolled in child care programs that serve low income 
families. Each child will receive at least one book every 6 months to 
take home.
  However, we can't stop there. It is not enough to just give books to 
the children. Since young children cannot read to themselves, we must 
make sure that the adults in their lives understand the importance of 
reading to children as young as six months. Training the parents and 
the child's caregiver about the importance of reading is just as 
critical as getting books into homes. Funds set aside by the Book Stamp 
Act will also be used to provide such training for parents and 
caregivers.
  Funds will be raised through the sale of a postage stamp similar to 
the Breast Cancer Stamp. Postal patrons may choose to support this 
program by purchasing premium stamps which feature as early learning 
character.
  We know what works to combat illiteracy. Through the simple act of 
getting books into the homes of families who might not otherwise be 
able to afford them and by providing simple training for parents and 
caregivers about the best ways to read to children, we can make an 
enormous difference in a short amount of time. I ask unanimous consent 
that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2445

       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 ``Book Stamp Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Literacy is fundamental to all learning.
       (2) Between 40 and 60 percent of the Nation's children do 
     not read at grade level, particularly children in families or 
     school districts that are challenged by significant financial 
     or social instability.
       (3) Increased investments in child literacy are needed to 
     improve opportunities for children and the efficacy of the 
     Nation's education investments.
       (4) Increasing access to books in the home is an important 
     means of improving child literacy, which can be accomplished 
     nationally at modest cost.
       (5) Effective channels for book distribution already exist 
     through child care providers, hospitals, pediatrician's 
     offices, entities carrying out faith-based programs, and 
     entities carrying out early literacy programs.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Early learning program.--The term ``early learning'', 
     used with respect to a program, means a program of activities 
     designed to facilitate development of cognitive, language, 
     motor, and social-emotional skills in children under age 6 as 
     a means of enabling the children to enter school ready to 
     learn, such as a Head Start or Early Head Start program 
     carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et 
     seq.), or a State pre-kindergarten program.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.
       (3) State.--The term ``State'' means the 50 States, the 
     District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 
     the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
       (4) State agency.--The term ``State agency'' means an 
     agency designated under section 658D of the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858b).

     SEC. 4. GRANTS TO STATE AGENCIES.

       (a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary shall 
     establish and carry out a program to promote child literacy 
     and improve children's access to books at home and in early 
     learning, child care, literacy, and nutrition programs, by 
     making books available through early learning programs, child 
     care programs, hospital-based or clinic-based literacy 
     programs, library-based literacy programs, nutrition programs 
     at clinics described in section 6(a)(2)(A)(v), faith-based 
     literacy programs, and other literacy programs.
       (b) Grants.--
       (1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary 
     shall make grants to State agencies from allotments 
     determined under paragraph (2).
       (2) Allotments.--For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     allot to each State an amount that bears the same ratio to 
     the total of the available funds for the fiscal year as the 
     amount the State receives under section 658O(b) of the Child 
     Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     9858m(b)) for the fiscal year bears to the total amount 
     received by all States under that section for the fiscal 
     year.
       (c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive an allotment 
     under this section, a State shall submit an application to 
     the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 
     such information as the Secretary may require.
       (d) Accountability.--The provisions of sections 658I(b) and 
     658K(b) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
     1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858g(b), 9858i(b)) shall apply to State 
     agencies receiving grants under this Act, except that 
     references in those sections--
       (1) to a subchapter shall be considered to be references to 
     this Act; and
       (2) to a plan or application shall be considered to be 
     references to an application submitted under subsection (c).
       (e) Definition.--In this section, the term ``available 
     funds'', used with respect to a fiscal year, means the total 
     of--
       (1) the funds made available under section 417(c)(1) of 
     title 39, United States Code, for the fiscal year; and
       (2) the amounts appropriated under section 9 for the fiscal 
     year.

     SEC. 5. CONTRACTS TO CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND
                   REFERRAL AGENCIES.

       A State agency that receives a grant under section 4 shall 
     use funds made available through the grant to enter into 
     contracts with local child care resource and referral 
     agencies to carry out the activities described in section 6. 
     The State agency may reserve not more than 3 percent of the 
     funds made available through the grant to support a public 
     awareness campaign relating to the activities.

[[Page S3859]]

     SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.

       (a) Activities.--
       (1) Book payments for eligible providers.--A child care 
     resource and referral agency that receives a contract under 
     section 5 shall use the funds made available through the 
     grant to provide payments for eligible providers, on the 
     basis of local needs, to enable the providers to make books 
     available to promote child literacy and improve children's 
     access to books at home and in early learning, child care, 
     literacy, and nutrition programs.
       (2) Eligible providers.--To be eligible to receive a 
     payment under paragraph (1), a provider shall--
       (A)(i) be a center-based child care provider, a group home 
     child care provider, or a family child care provider, 
     described in section 658P(5)(A) of the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(5)(A));
       (ii) be a Head Start agency designated under section 641 of 
     the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836), an entity that receives 
     assistance under section 645A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a) 
     to carry out an Early Head Start program, or another provider 
     of an early learning program;
       (iii) be an entity that carries out a hospital-based or 
     clinic-based literacy program;
       (iv) be an entity that carries out a library-based literacy 
     program serving children under age 6;
       (v) be an entity that carries out a nutrition program at a 
     clinic (as defined in part 246.2 of title 7, Code of Federal 
     Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or 
     ruling)) under section 17(b)(6) of the Child Nutrition Act of 
     1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(6));
       (vi) be an entity that carries out a faith-based literacy 
     program serving children under age 6; or
       (vii) be another entity carrying out a literacy program 
     serving children under age 6; and
       (B) provide services in an area where children face high 
     risks of literacy difficulties, as defined by the Secretary.
       (b) Responsibilities.--A child care resource and referral 
     agency that receives a contract under section 5 to provide 
     payments to eligible providers shall--
       (1) consult with local individuals and organizations 
     concerned with early literacy (including parents, teachers, 
     pediatricians, directors of the special supplemental 
     nutrition program for women, infants, and children 
     established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
     (42 U.S.C. 1786), literacy coalitions, and organizations 
     carrying out the Reach Out and Read, First Book, and Reading 
     Is Fundamental programs) regarding local book distribution 
     needs;
       (2) make reasonable efforts to learn public demographic and 
     other information about local families and child literacy 
     programs carried out by the eligible providers, as needed to 
     inform the agency's decisions as the agency carries out the 
     contract;
       (3) coordinate local orders of the books made available 
     under this Act;
       (4) distribute, to each eligible provider that receives a 
     payment under this Act, not fewer than 1 book every 6 months 
     for each child served by the provider for more than 3 of the 
     preceding 6 months;
       (5) use not more than 5 percent of the funds made available 
     through the contract to provide training and technical 
     assistance to the eligible providers on the effective use of 
     books with young children at different stages of development; 
     and
       (6) be a training resource for eligible providers that want 
     to offer parent workshops on developing reading readiness.
       (c) Discounts.--
       (1) In general.--Federal funds made available under this 
     Act for the purchase of books may only be used to purchase 
     books on the same terms as are customarily available in the 
     book industry to entities carrying out nonprofit bulk book 
     purchase and distribution programs.
       (2) Terms.--An entity offering books for purchase under 
     this Act shall be present to have met the requirements of 
     paragraph (1), absent contrary evidence, if the terms include 
     a discount of 43 percent off the catalogue price of the 
     books, with no additional charge for shipping and handling of 
     the books.
       (d) Administration.--The child care resource and referral 
     agency may not use more than 6 percent of the funds made 
     available through the contract for administrative costs.

     SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a 
     report on the implementation of the activities carried out 
     under this Act.

     SEC. 8. SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMPS FOR CHILD LITERACY.

       Chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 417. Special postage stamps for child literacy

       ``(a) In order to afford the public a convenient way to 
     contribute to funding for child literacy, the Postal Service 
     shall establish a special rate of postage for first-class 
     mail under this section. The stamps that bear the special 
     rate of postage shall promote childhood literacy and shall, 
     to the extent practicable, contain an image relating to a 
     character in a children's book or cartoon.
       ``(b)(1) The rate of postage established under this 
     section--
       ``(A) shall be equal to the regular first-class rate of 
     postage, plus a differential of not to exceed 25 percent;
       ``(B) shall be set by the Governors in accordance with such 
     procedures as the Governors shall by regulation prescribe (in 
     lieu of the procedures described in chapter 36); and
       ``(C) shall be offered as an alternative to the regular 
     first-class rate of postage.
       ``(2) The use of the special rate of postage established 
     under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal 
     patrons.
       ``(c)(1) Of the amounts becoming available for child 
     literacy pursuant to this section, the Postal Service shall 
     pay 100 percent to the Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       ``(2) Payments made under this subsection to the Department 
     shall be made under such arrangements as the Postal Service 
     shall by mutual agreement with such Department establish in 
     order to carry out the objectives of this section, except 
     that, under those arrangements, payments to such agency shall 
     be made at least twice a year.
       ``(3) In this section, the term `amounts becoming available 
     for child literacy pursuant to this section' means--
       ``(A) the total amounts received by the Postal Service that 
     the Postal Service would not have received but for the 
     enactment of this section; reduced by
       ``(B) an amount sufficient to cover reasonable costs 
     incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out this section, 
     including costs attributable to the printing, sale, and 
     distribution of stamps under this section,
     as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that 
     the Postal Service shall prescribe.
       ``(d) It is the sense of Congress that nothing in this 
     section should--
       ``(1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease in total 
     funds received by the Department of Health and Human 
     Services, or any other agency of the Government (or any 
     component or program of the Government), below the level that 
     would otherwise have been received but for the enactment of 
     this section; or
       ``(2) affect regular first-class rates of postage or any 
     other regular rates of postage.
       ``(e) Special postage stamps made available under this 
     section shall be made available to the public beginning on 
     such date as the Postal Service shall by regulation 
     prescribe, but in no event later than 12 months after the 
     date of enactment of this section.
       ``(f) The Postmaster General shall include in each report 
     provided under section 2402, with respect to any period 
     during any portion of which this section is in effect, 
     information concerning the operation of this section, except 
     that, at a minimum, each report shall include information 
     on--
       ``(1) the total amounts described in subsection (c)(3)(A) 
     that were received by the Postal Service during the period 
     covered by such report; and
       ``(2) of the amounts described in paragraph (1), how much 
     (in the aggregate and by category) was required for the 
     purposes described in subsection (c)(3)(B).
       ``(g) This section shall cease to be effective at the end 
     of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which special 
     postage stamps made available under this section are first 
     made available to the public.''.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
                                 ______