Sponsors (20)
The bill aims to raise K–12 literacy through evidence-based instruction and improved material access—with likely long-term economic benefits—at the cost of additional public spending and risks of narrowed instructional approaches and underprioritizing culturally or linguistically appropriate materials for some students.
K–12 students — especially low-income children and students of color — would receive more evidence-based reading instruction and better access to reading materials, improving literacy, narrowing achievement gaps, and boosting graduation rates.
Stronger literacy outcomes for students could increase long-term earnings and reduce costs to taxpayers and businesses associated with adult illiteracy.
Federal or local implementation of evidence-based literacy programs could require increased spending or reallocation of education funds, affecting taxpayers and local government budgets.
Prioritizing specific 'science of reading' approaches could limit instructional flexibility and marginalize alternative teaching methods used by some teachers, affecting classroom practice and some students' learning experiences.
If federal program criteria are narrow, culturally or linguistically relevant materials for English learners and immigrant students might be underprioritized, reducing the effectiveness of instruction for those groups.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expresses congressional findings on low literacy, endorses evidence-based "science of reading" strategies, and supports access to reading materials.
Declares congressional findings about widespread low reading proficiency among children and adults, the economic and social costs of illiteracy, and disparities affecting students of color, low-income students, and English learners. Endorses evidence-based “science of reading” instructional approaches and broader access to reading materials, and cites existing federal literacy-related statutes as the basis for federal investment. States specific statistics on adult and child literacy levels and economic impacts, and signals congressional support for using proven reading methods and resources to address literacy gaps. The measure expresses priorities and findings but does not itself appropriate funds or create new program requirements.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by John F. Reed · Last progress September 16, 2025