[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 184 (Sunday, October 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 765--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 2020 AS ``NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. CASSIDY (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Murphy, Mr. King, Mr. 
Boozman, and Mrs. Capito) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 765

       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) 
     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, 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 with 
     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 2020 as ``National Dyslexia 
     Awareness Month''.

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