[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:
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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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