Sponsors (6)
The resolution spotlights widespread adult-skill gaps and could catalyze beneficial education, workforce, family, health, and prison-reentry interventions, but it also risks increased federal costs and potential stigmatization or political misuse of the findings.
Low-skilled adults (those with low literacy, numeracy, or digital skills) are identified, enabling expansion of adult-education and workforce-development programs that could increase employment prospects and reduce unemployment for these individuals.
Incarcerated people with low educational skills are highlighted, supporting education-in-prison programs that can reduce recidivism and improve reentry outcomes.
Parents with improved literacy are linked to better child outcomes, supporting family-literacy initiatives that could improve children's school readiness and long-term educational attainment.
Calling attention to large, widespread skill gaps may increase demand for federally funded education programs and workforce services, raising taxpayer costs without specifying new funding sources.
Framing low skills primarily as individual deficits risks stigmatizing adults who struggle and could shift focus away from systemic causes like unequal school funding and opportunities.
Highlighting immigrants' language deficits could be politically misused to justify restrictive immigration or assimilation policies rather than to expand supportive services.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Declares findings that tens of millions of U.S. adults lack basic literacy, numeracy, digital, and English skills and highlights National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week to raise awareness.
Official title: Expressing support for designation of the week of September 14 through 20, 2025, as "National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week".
Introduced September 17, 2025 by John F. Reed · Last progress September 17, 2025
Declares that large numbers of U.S. adults lack basic literacy, numeracy, digital, and English-language skills and emphasizes that these shortfalls harm economic opportunity, family outcomes, public health and safety, workforce participation, recidivism reduction, immigrant integration, and national competitiveness. Notes recent data (PIAAC 2024 and ACS 2023) showing tens of millions affected and states that National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week highlights these needs.