[114th Congress Public Law 124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 130 STAT. 120]]

Public Law 114-124
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 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. <<NOTE: Feb. 18, 
                         2016 -  [H.R. 3033]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Research 
Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act. 42 USC 1861 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Research Excellence and Advancements 
for Dyslexia Act'' or the ``READ Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862r note.>>  FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) As many as 1 out of 6, 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. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862r note.>>  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. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862r-1.>>  DYSLEXIA.

    (a) In General.--Consistent with subsection (c), the National 
Science Foundation shall support multi-directorate, merit-reviewed, and 
competitively awarded research on the science of specific learning 
disability, including dyslexia, such as 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.

[[Page 130 STAT. 121]]

    (b) Awards.--To promote development of early career researchers, in 
awarding funds under subsection (a) the National Science Foundation 
shall prioritize applications for funding submitted by early career 
researchers.
    (c) Coordination.--To prevent unnecessary duplication of research, 
activities under this Act shall be coordinated with similar activities 
supported by other Federal agencies, including research funded by the 
Institute of Education Sciences and the National Institutes of Health.
    (d) <<NOTE: Time period.>>  Funding.--The National Science 
Foundation shall devote not less than $5,000,000 to research described 
in subsection (a), which shall include not less than $2,500,000 for 
research on the science of dyslexia, for each of fiscal years 2017 
through 2021, 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 under 
subsection (e). This section shall be carried out using funds otherwise 
appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.

    (e) <<NOTE: Time period.>>  Authorization.--For each of fiscal years 
2016 through 2021, there are authorized out of funds appropriated to the 
National Science Foundation, $5,000,000 to carry out the activities 
described in subsection (a).
SEC. 5. <<NOTE: 42 USC 1862r-1 note.>>  DEFINITION OF SPECIFIC 
                    LEARNING DISABILITY.

    In this Act, the term ``specific learning disability''--
            (1) means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological 
        processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken 
        or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect 
        ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do 
        mathematical calculations;
            (2) includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, 
        brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and 
        developmental aphasia; and
            (3) does not include a learning problem that is primarily 
        the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of 
        intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of 
        environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

    Approved February 18, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 3033:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 161 (2015):
                                    Oct. 26, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                                        Vol. 162 (2016):
                                    Feb. 3, considered and passed 
                                        Senate, amended.
                                    Feb. 4, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendment.

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