[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 164 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11217-S11218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 338--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 14, 2009, AS ``NATIONAL 
                READING EDUCATION ASSISTANCE DOGS DAY''

  Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Cochran, 
and Mr. Risch) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 338

       Whereas reading provides children with an essential 
     foundation for all future learning;
       Whereas the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) 
     program was founded in November of 1999 to improve the 
     literacy skills of children through the mentoring assistance 
     of trained, registered, and insured pet partner reading 
     volunteer teams;
       Whereas children who participate in the R.E.A.D. program 
     make significant improvements in fluency, comprehension, 
     confidence, and many additional academic and social 
     dimensions;
       Whereas the R.E.A.D. program now has an active presence in 
     49 States, 3 provinces in Canada, Europe, Asia, and beyond 
     with more than 2,400 trained and registered volunteer teams 
     participating and influencing thousands of children in 
     classrooms and libraries across the Nation;
       Whereas the program has received awards and recognition 
     from distinguished entities including the International 
     Reading Association, the Delta Society, the Latham 
     Foundation, the American Library Association, and PBS 
     Television; and
       Whereas the program has garnered enthusiastic coverage from 
     national media, including major television networks NBC, CBS, 
     and ABC, as well as international television and print 
     coverage: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate, in honor of the 10th anniversary 
     of the R.E.A.D. program, designates November 14, 2009, as 
     ``National Reading Education Assistance Dogs Day''.

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution 
regarding the 10th Anniversary of the Reading Education Assistance 
Dogs, R.E.A.D., program by designating November 14, 2009, as ``National 
Reading Assistance Dogs Day.'' This is a nationwide program promoted by 
a number of organizations throughout the U.S. and even throughout 
countries around the world as an innovative, successful approach aimed 
at assisting some of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, our 
children, learn how to read.
  The R.E.A.D. program was the first literacy program in the country to 
use therapy animals as reading companions for children. This unique 
method provides children an opportunity to improve their reading skills 
in a comfortable environment by reading aloud to dogs. After 10 years 
of results, the program has proven to be incredibly successful in 
helping children who are struggling with this most-crucial and

[[Page S11218]]

basic of skills. Simply put, this is a program that fills a vital place 
in the spectrum of a child's literary education and with over 2,400 
voluntary therapy teams around the world, it would be an understatement 
to say this program has not touched and improved thousands of young 
lives.
  Over the span of the previous 10 years, this is an achievement that 
is virtually impossible to measure, yet today, as small token of my own 
personal appreciation, I submit a resolution that would designate 
Saturday, November 14, 2009, as National Reading Education Assistance 
Dogs Day. Once agreed to, this resolution will recognize the thousands 
of lives that have been touched as a direct result of this initiative. 
I am grateful to be the sponsor of a resolution recognizing such an 
accomplishment and am joined by Senators Bingaman, McCaskill, Cochran, 
and Risch in this effort. I commend Intermountain Therapy Animals, a 
nonprofit organization based in Utah, for first launching this program 
just ten short years ago. Therefore, in addition to the numerous news 
stories, television programs, and awards highlighting the value and 
benefit of this program, I urge my Senate colleagues and every American 
to join me in recognizing 10 successful years of the R.E.A.D. program 
with hopes of many more years of success to come.

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