[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.
____________________