[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 389--CALLING ON CONGRESS, SCHOOLS, AND STATE AND 
  LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT EDUCATIONAL 
   IMPLICATIONS OF DYSLEXIA THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED, AND DESIGNATING 
         OCTOBER 2019 AS ``NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. CASSIDY (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Capito, Mr. 
Murphy, Ms. Warren, and Mr. King) submitted the following resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 389

       Whereas dyslexia is--
       (1) defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an 
     individual who has the intelligence to be a much better 
     reader; and
       (2) most commonly caused by a difficulty in phonological 
     processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of 
     spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual 
     to speak, read, spell, and, often, the ability to learn a 
     second language;
       Whereas, the First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-391; 
     132 Stat. 5194) included a definition of dyslexia as part of 
     the requirement of the Act to screen inmates for dyslexia 
     upon intake in Federal prisons;
       Whereas the definition of dyslexia in section 3635 of title 
     18, United States Code, as added by section 101(a) of the 
     First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-391; 132 Stat. 5195), 
     is the first and only definition of dyslexia in a Federal 
     statute;
       Whereas dyslexia is the most common learning disability and 
     affects 80 to 90 percent of all individuals with a learning 
     disability;
       Whereas dyslexia is persistent and highly prevalent, 
     affecting as many as 1 out of every 5 individuals;
       Whereas dyslexia is a paradox, in that an individual with 
     dyslexia may have both--
       (1) weaknesses in decoding that result in difficulties in 
     accurate or fluent word recognition; and
       (2) strengths in higher-level cognitive functions, such as 
     reasoning, critical thinking, concept formation, and problem 
     solving;
       Whereas great progress has been made in understanding 
     dyslexia on a scientific level, including the epidemiology 
     and cognitive and neurobiological bases of dyslexia;
       Whereas the achievement gap between typical readers and 
     dyslexic readers occurs as early as first grade; and
       Whereas early screening for, and early diagnosis of, 
     dyslexia are critical for ensuring that individuals with 
     dyslexia receive focused, evidence-based intervention that 
     leads to fluent reading, the promotion of self-awareness and 
     self-empowerment, and the provision of necessary 
     accommodations that ensure success in school and in life: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) calls on Congress, schools, and State and local 
     educational agencies to recognize that dyslexia has 
     significant educational implications that must be addressed; 
     and
       (2) designates October 2019 as ``National Dyslexia 
     Awareness Month''.

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