[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 157 (Monday, October 26, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H7184-H7187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
         RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AND ADVANCEMENTS FOR DYSLEXIA ACT

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3033) to require the President's annual budget request 
to Congress each year to include a line item for the Research in 
Disabilities Education program of the National Science Foundation and 
to require the National Science Foundation to conduct research on 
dyslexia, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3033

       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 ``Research Excellence and 
     Advancements for Dyslexia Act'' or the ``READ Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) As many as one out of six, or 8,500,000, American 
     school children may have dyslexia.
       (2) Since 1975, dyslexia has been included in the list of 
     qualifying learning disabilities under the Education for All 
     Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Individuals with 
     Disabilities Education Act.

     SEC. 3. RESEARCH IN DISABILITIES EDUCATION.

       (a) Program.--Nothing in this Act alters the National 
     Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education 
     program for fundamental and implementation research about 
     learners (of all ages) with disabilities, including dyslexia, 
     in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 
     The National Science Foundation shall continue to encourage 
     efforts to understand and address disability-based 
     differences in STEM education and workforce participation, 
     including differences for dyslexic learners.
       (b) Line Item.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall include the amount requested for the 
     Research in Disabilities Education program in the 
     Foundation's annual congressional budget justification.

     SEC. 4. DYSLEXIA.

       (a) In General.--The National Science Foundation shall 
     support multi-directorate, merit-reviewed, and competitively 
     awarded research on the science of dyslexia, including 
     research on the early identification of children and students 
     with dyslexia, professional development for teachers and 
     administrators of students with dyslexia, curricula and 
     educational tools needed for children with dyslexia, and 
     implementation and scaling of successful models of dyslexia 
     intervention. Research supported under this subsection shall 
     be conducted with the goal of practical application.
       (b) Funding.--The National Science Foundation shall devote 
     at least $5,000,000 annually to research described in 
     subsection (a), subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, to come from amounts made available for the 
     Research and Related Activities account or the Education and 
     Human Resources Directorate. No additional funds are 
     authorized to be appropriated under this section. This Act 
     shall be carried out using funds otherwise appropriated by 
     law after the date of enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for 
Dyslexia Act, or READ Act, will help millions of Americans who struggle 
with dyslexia. It is fitting that the House considers this bill today, 
as October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
  Dyslexia affects an estimated 8.5 million school children and 1 in 6 
Americans in some form. It causes these individuals to have 
difficulties with reading, though they often have normal or above-
average intelligence.
  Despite the prevalence of dyslexia, many Americans remain 
undiagnosed, untreated, and silently struggle at school or work. Too 
many children undiagnosed with dyslexia have difficulties in the 
classroom and sometimes drop out of school and face uncertain futures.
  The READ Act requires the National Science Foundation's budget to 
include a specific line item for the Research in Disabilities Education 
program. The bill requires the NSF to invest at least $5 million 
annually for merit-reviewed, competitively-awarded dyslexia research 
projects.
  The bill uses funds already appropriated for the NSF and does not 
authorize any additional spending for these priority projects.
  NSF research supported by the READ Act is focused on practical 
applications, which include the following: Early identification of 
children and students with dyslexia, professional development for 
teachers and administrators of students with dyslexia, curricula and 
educational tools needed for children with dyslexia, and implementation 
and scaling of successful models of dyslexia intervention.
  The House Science, Space and Technology Committee held a hearing last 
year on the science of dyslexia. Experts testified how research in the 
area of neuroscience has led to practical ways to better diagnose and 
deal with dyslexia but that more research is necessary.
  At a second committee hearing held just a few weeks ago, we heard 
from experts who work directly with dyslexic students and their 
teachers. They know firsthand about the obstacles these children, 
parents, and educators face, and they stress the importance of research 
in developing practical tools.
  If you can't read, it is hard to achieve. If we change the way we 
approach dyslexia, we can turn this disability into an opportunity for 
a brighter and more productive future for millions of Americans.
  I am a co-chair of the bipartisan Dyslexia Caucus, along with 
Congresswoman Julia Brownley, which is comprised of more than 100 
Members of Congress.
  I have met hundreds of children and their parents in my congressional 
district in Texas and others across the U.S. who are affected by 
dyslexia, and they have shared their personal stories with me.
  One child I met recently was Eddie, a middle school student from 
Baltimore. He, along with his family, has been on a long journey to 
receive a proper diagnosis and find a supportive learning environment.
  After our meeting, his mother wrote me a letter explaining: ``In only 
1 year, Eddie has gone from repeatedly missing recess because he would 
not `try harder,' a boy who would stare at his homework in defeat 
before he has even tried an assignment, to a boy now daring to dream of 
a career in the sciences.''
  Eddie is very fortunate to have a mother who advocated for his proper 
education. He is now not only able to learn, but also to excel. His 
mother comments: ``He is a voracious reader and wants to join the Jet 
Propulsion Lab or work with NASA.''
  I also have had the pleasure of meeting an Austin, Texas, resident 
Robbi Cooper and her son, Ben. They shared many stories with me about 
the hardships they have faced in their attempts to ensure Ben receives 
the best education possible.
  Ben has even taken his abilities one step further by becoming an 
advocate and has traveled to D.C. numerous times to lobby Congress so 
others can learn from his experiences.
  The bipartisan READ Act, which unanimously passed the Science 
Committee 2 weeks ago, will help ensure that all children like Eddie 
and Ben have the means to succeed. Nothing could be more important to 
them.
  I also want to acknowledge two young friends who are on the floor 
with me today, Leighton and Gipson, who have an interest in this bill 
too.
  The READ Act is a significant step in the right direction to help 
those with dyslexia.

[[Page H7185]]

  Thanks go to my Dyslexia Caucus co-chair, Representative Julia 
Brownley, and the other cosponsors of the READ Act, such as Congressman 
Don Beyer, who is handling the other side of this debate tonight, for 
their interest and support. And I urge my other colleagues to better 
the lives of millions of children and adults with dyslexia.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence 
and Advancements for Dyslexia Act, or the READ Act. Passing this bill 
is the perfect way to honor October, National Dyslexia Awareness Month.
  As my friend, the chairman, has said, dyslexia is a learning disorder 
characterized by difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech 
sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words.
  Unfortunately, many children are not diagnosed or are diagnosed later 
in life, leaving them with little access to helpful interventions and 
technologies. Too often our educators do not have the proper training 
to identify students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia.
  This bill would fund research on the early identification of 
individuals with dyslexia and professional development for teachers and 
school administrators.
  There is a lack of research on curricula development and educational 
tools for students with dyslexia, and I am happy to report that this 
bill would fund that research into that as well.
  Finally, as we heard from our expert witnesses during the committee 
hearings on this topic, there is a significant gap in getting the 
research from the laboratories into the hands of teachers and 
administrators. To address this gap, we need more research on 
understanding which experimental innovations will be successful in the 
classrooms and research on how best to scale those successful 
interventions.
  Having an intervention work in the laboratory is not enough. The 
intervention needs to work in classroom settings, which are very 
heterogeneous environments.
  Mr. Speaker, I have a first cousin who was raised just across the 
river in Fairfax County. He was a most clever child because he managed 
to make it all the way to eighth grade before they realized that he 
didn't know how to read. He has had a good career, but I wonder what 
kind of professor or Supreme Court Justice or even rocket scientist he 
would have made with early intervention.
  Mr. Speaker, my oldest child had a passel of learning disabilities 
but also had and has a very high IQ. At the school he attended to 
address these disabilities, the walls were adorned with photos of 
Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and Thomas Edison.
  These remarkable men remind us of the promise of every child, that a 
learning disability like dyslexia need not hold a child back from an 
extraordinary life and an extraordinary education. This is why we need 
the READ Act: to help realize the promise of every child with dyslexia.
  On this remarkable bipartisan night, I want to thank my Texas 
friends, Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson, for working across 
the aisle together to make improvements to this bill during the 
committee process.
  I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, and I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank 
Mr. Beyer for his generous comments. It has been nice working together 
with him on this particular bill.
  I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock), 
who happens to be the chair of the Research and Technology Subcommittee 
of the full Science Committee.
  Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3033, the Research 
Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act, also known as the READ 
Act.
  Coming from a family of educators and as the daughter of a librarian, 
I truly understand the effects a reading disability can have on 
children. Reading opens up such a wide world for children and for all 
of us, and no one should be cut off from that beautiful world that 
reading opens up to us.
  When dyslexia goes undiagnosed, it can result in struggles in the 
classroom and continue through into their careers as adults.
  Despite knowledge of the condition since the 19th century, many 
Americans remain undiagnosed and untreated. Given what we know today 
and we know the advancements we can make with research and technology, 
we need to make sure we are not letting that stand.
  In July, I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues to cosponsor 
the READ Act. The bill requires the President's annual budget request 
to Congress to include a line item for the Research in Disabilities 
Education program of the National Science Foundation.
  It also requires the National Science Foundation to devote at least 
$5 million annually to dyslexia research, which would focus on best 
practices for early identification of children and students with 
dyslexia, professional development about dyslexia for teachers and 
administrators, and then programs development and evidence-based 
educational tools for children and all of those who are dealing with 
this.
  I would like to thank Chairman Smith, the committee staff, the 
ranking members, and everyone who supported this important bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Brownley).
  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the 
Congressional Dyslexia Caucus, I rise in strong support of this 
bipartisan bill, the READ Act, which will ensure, finally, that science 
drives informed public policy.
  I want to thank Chairman Smith for his passionate leadership on this 
issue. Today is a day, I think, that we can all celebrate, and I want 
to thank him very, very much for all of his efforts.
  The READ Act will increase National Science Foundation research on 
dyslexia, including best practices on early identification and 
professional development for teachers and school administrators.
  It will also support research on the most effective teaching 
practices and curriculum models for students with dyslexia.
  The research this bill supports can make a difference, a big, big 
difference, in the lives of millions of American children. Learning 
disabilities like dyslexia and attention-related disorders affect as 
many as one in five children in our country.
  It was my daughter Hannah's struggle with dyslexia, that led me, 
quite frankly, to public service. Out of real frustration, I ran for my 
local school board because, as a parent, it was clear to me that our 
schools were unprepared to meet my daughter's needs and to meet the 
needs of students with dyslexia, and teachers had never been properly 
trained to identify this learning disability.

  After 12 years on the school board, I was elected to my State 
legislature. And as chair of the California Assembly on Education, I 
also worked to improve education for students with learning 
disabilities.
  Now, as a Member of Congress, I want to do my part at the Federal 
level.
  Across the country, many States are stepping up to this challenge. 
They have passed new laws to update their education codes, get 
assistive technology into more classrooms, and to boost teacher 
training.
  Advancements in cognitive science can teach us much more about how 
the brain develops and, therefore, how children learn.
  In closing, I want to share with everyone that my daughter is now 30 
years old. She speaks three languages, and she is saving the world one 
life at a time in Africa. So she finally got the services she needs and 
is being very successful in life and following her own dreams.
  I also want to thank, again, the gentleman from Texas, who is my co-
chair on the Dyslexia Caucus, as well as all the members of the Science 
Committee for their bipartisan support for the READ Act.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this very important piece of 
legislation.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from

[[Page H7186]]

Ohio (Mr. Johnson), who is a distinguished member of the Science 
Committee.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I thank the chairman. I am grateful for all the 
work that the Dyslexia Caucus has done to advance this very, very 
important piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence 
and Advancements for Dyslexia, or the READ Act. This important 
legislation would require that the President's annual budget to 
Congress specifically fund the Research in Disabilities Education 
program at the National Science Foundation. It would also require NSF 
to devote at least $5 million annually to dyslexia research.
  You are probably going to hear multiple Members come up tonight and 
talk about personal stories, about how this hits so very close to home 
for some of us. I have a 13-year-old granddaughter in Texas, Marin 
Mangiaracinia. I have watched over the years as she and her mother and 
her dad have struggled to help try to identify the problems that she 
has with learning, teachers that were unprepared to diagnose, to 
identify the symptoms of dyslexia.
  Even then, once she was diagnosed and identified, having those tools 
and support applied consistently from one school to another or from one 
teacher to another is still problematic.
  Today Marin is a member of the National Honor Society because of the 
help that has been provided to her. But she still struggles. She has 
created a Web site on her own to draw attention to this important 
problem, and she is working hard to improve herself personally.
  I can't say enough about how proud I am of her and the many others 
that are afflicted with this condition.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support H.R. 3033.
  Mr. BEYER. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), who is a member of the Science 
Committee.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. I thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of the READ Act. I rise as the 
husband of a special education teacher and not just any special 
education teacher, one that has a real passion for helping children 
with reading disabilities and one that has seen firsthand the successes 
that happen when research-based interventions are used with children 
with dyslexia.
  Dyslexia is the most common learning disability. It affects more than 
90 percent of all individuals identified as learning disabled. It is 
estimated to affect one out of six U.S. schoolchildren.
  This learning disability causes difficulty with reading 
comprehension, math, and a variety of other subject areas. Students 
with dyslexia should receive research-based instruction so they have 
the best opportunity to learn and succeed in the 21st century. That is 
why I cosponsored the READ Act of 2015, a bill that requires the 
National Science Foundation to fund dyslexia research.
  NSF-supported research will strengthen practical interventions, 
including early identification of dyslexia, development of curricula, 
and other tools to help dyslexics. It will help identify scalable 
models for implementing dyslexia programs in schools.
  The READ Act does not increase Federal spending. It authorizes 
multidirectorate, merit-reviewed, and competitively awarded dyslexia 
projects using funds appropriated for the NSF Research and Related 
Activities Account and the education and human resources directorate. 
This bill is good for students, it is good for educators, and it is 
good for America.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo), who is a member of the Appropriations 
Committee but, more importantly, is a former member of the Science 
Committee.
  Mr. PALAZZO. I thank the gentleman from Texas, the entire Dyslexia 
Caucus, and also the comments from many of my colleagues tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the READ Act. Dyslexia is one of 
the most common learning disabilities in the United States, affecting 
an estimated 8.5 million schoolchildren and one in six Americans in 
some form. Despite these statistics, millions of children go 
undiagnosed and millions more do not receive proper educational 
assistance.
  The READ Act addresses this problem by requiring the National Science 
Foundation to fund research that promotes greater awareness of how to 
identify students with dyslexia and how to tailor a curriculum to 
better fit their needs. The READ Act also aims to put more resources in 
the hands of parents, teachers, and students.
  As an original cosponsor of this bill, a member of the bipartisan 
Congressional Dyslexia Caucus, and as a parent who has seen firsthand 
the challenges facing today's dyslexic students, I firmly believe that 
research focused on practical applications is needed to not only help 
understand dyslexia, but also to afford students an education that 
enables them to succeed in the classroom and reach their full 
potential.
  The READ Act provides an opportunity for a brighter and more 
productive future for millions of Americans. For these reasons, I fully 
support the READ Act and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon), who is a member of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee and a former member of the Science Committee.
  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3033, the 
Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act, the READ Act.
  Dyslexia is a personal issue for my family. My daughter struggled to 
learn to read. She dreaded reading aloud in class and worrying about 
what her classmates thought affected her self-esteem.
  My wife and I had her tutored, and we had some testing. With hard 
work, our daughter was able to catch up and surpass her classmates. But 
it wasn't until high school that she was diagnosed with dyslexia.
  This is an important piece of legislation that dedicates specific 
funds to dyslexia research, including early detection. This bill will 
help more children get a proper diagnosis.
  I sometimes wonder, had my wife and I not been engaged in this 
process, what might have become of my daughter's academic career and 
what about all the other students out there who may be misdiagnosed. So 
I encourage my colleagues to support the READ Act.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close if the 
gentleman from Virginia has no more speakers.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Members on both sides of the aisle who have 
cosponsored the READ Act and spoken in favor of the bill.
  Today we can shine a light on dyslexia and help millions of Americans 
have a brighter and more prosperous future.
  I can think of no better way to honor Dyslexia Awareness Month than 
to pass the READ Act, a bill that will help students and individuals 
with dyslexia and the parents and teachers who support them in very 
practical ways.
  Jay Leno, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, and Carol Greider, the 2009 Nobel 
Prize winner in medicine, among others, are some of the most recognized 
and brilliant creators and innovators who have struggled with dyslexia 
but have not let it limit them.
  We need to enable those with dyslexia to achieve their maximum 
potential. The READ Act will help accomplish this.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act
  H.R. 3033 would require the National Science Foundation to have a 
line item for the Research in Disabilities Education program and to 
fund at least $5 million dollars a year on dyslexia research. This 
would include research on the early identification of individuals with 
dyslexia, professional development for

[[Page H7187]]

teachers and school administrators, curricula development and 
educational tools, and implementation and scaling of successful models 
of dyslexia intervention.
  I have known several people who have dyslexia. Although dyslexia is a 
lifelong condition, if someone gets proper diagnosis and instruction, 
they can succeed in school and go on to have successful careers.
  The National Science Foundation currently supports fundamental 
research across a number of scientific fields that provide a foundation 
for dyslexia research. Also, the National Science Foundation is a 
leader in educational research and funds learning science directly and 
indirectly related to dyslexia.
  A significant amount of the National Science Foundation research 
relevant to dyslexia is funded out of the Social, Behavioral, and 
Economic Sciences Directorate and the Education and Human Resources 
Directorate--two important National Science Foundation Directorates 
that fund high-priority research. Research funded by the Biological 
Sciences Directorate also contributes to foundational knowledge about 
the neuroscience behind dyslexia.
  I was pleased that when this bill was considered by the House 
Science, Space, and Technology Committee, we worked in a bipartisan 
manner and made several improvements to the bill, including 
incorporating some of the suggestions that expert witnesses had given 
us during Committee hearings.
  I want to thank my fellow Texan, Chairman Smith for working across 
the aisle on this bill. I support the bill and urge my colleagues to 
support it.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my support for H.R. 
3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia (READ) Act. 
I would like to emphasize the importance of supporting the academic 
development of the 8.5 million American school children struggling with 
dyslexia.
  Before they are diagnosed, children with dyslexia often struggle in 
school. Early detection of dyslexia can save students and parents the 
frustration that occurs as a result of the student's unexpected decline 
in academic performance. I am fighting for increased funding of the 
National Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education to 
support these children and their families. Research is crucial to 
ensure that dyslexic children have the opportunity to reach their full 
potential. That is why it is vitally important to expand funding for 
research in all of our schools and communities.
  In my District, I have spoken with many parents concerned about the 
lack of programs designed to assist with the diagnosis and development 
of dyslexic children. By passing this legislation, we will continue our 
legacy of supporting children and families. The READ Act would require 
that the President's annual budget request to Congress includes a line 
item for the Research in Disabilities Education program of the National 
Science Foundation and requires the National Science Foundation to 
conduct research on dyslexia. In addition, the National Science 
Foundation would encourage efforts to understand and address 
disability-based differences in STEM education and workforce 
participation, including dyslexic learners.
  I am grateful that our chamber has taken this important step to 
ensure that dyslexic children and their families receive the support 
they need. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for 
supporting children's education and further dedicating ourselves to 
serving our hard-working American families and their children.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3033, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________