Sponsors
Need help making sense of this bill?
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Creates a federal program to increase access to books and improve early literacy by funding community-based book distribution, early screening and intervention for reading difficulties, and innovation. It establishes grant rules and priorities, requires regular public reporting, sets up an interagency coordination group and a federal Clearinghouse on Book Access, and authorizes $100 million per year for FY2026–FY2031 to carry out the activities.
This bill expands federal funding, targeted access, evidence-based supports, and cross-agency coordination to improve literacy—especially for children in book deserts and underserved families—but it increases federal spending and administrative requirements that may disadvantage small local programs
Children and families in book deserts gain substantially increased access to books and in-person literacy services through grants, mobile libraries, community distributions, and co-located programs.
Students, parents, and program providers benefit from stronger evidence-based funding, public evaluations, and a federal clearinghouse that identify and share effective literacy programs and implementation tools.
Underserved populations — including multilingual families, people with disabilities, and families with very young children — receive more tailored supports (multilingual/braille materials, family literacy services, early screening, outreach at trusted local venues) and reduced participation barriers (transportation, meals, fee waivers).
Federal funding is increased and stabilized for literacy programs with an appropriation of $100 million per year (FY2026–FY2031) plus authority for supplemental requests to meet unexpected demand.
Smaller organizations and low-capacity grantees may be disadvantaged because increased reporting, evaluation, and administrative requirements will divert staff time and funds away from direct services.
Matching, spending caps, maintenance-of-effort rules, and limits on allowable administrative/technical assistance spending (e.g., 25% non-Federal match; 25% admin cap; TA ≤5%; outreach ≤3%) may prevent smaller or cash‑strapped providers from applying or scaling effective programs.
Detailed demographic, assessment, and grantee-level reporting to Congress and across agencies raises privacy and data‑security risks for students and families, especially for sensitive subgroups.
Prioritizing evidence‑based programs, strict 'book desert' definitions, and clearance-based recommendations could exclude needy communities that lack formal data or new/community‑led/culturally specific programs without evaluation records.
Establishes the official short title of the Act as the "Open Books, Open Doors Act."
Finds that 2024 NAEP reading scores for fourth and eighth graders declined and are lower than 2022 and 2019 levels.
Finds that children not reading proficiently in third grade are far less likely to graduate high school on time (1 in 6) compared to proficient readers, per the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Finds that higher-income families (≥$100,000) have nearly twice as many books at home as lower-income families (<$35,000), at 125 versus 73 books.
Finds that 45 percent of U.S. children live in neighborhoods lacking public libraries or book sellers or in homes without books, per the American Consortium for Equity in Education.
Directly affected groups include children and youth (especially in book deserts), families, community literacy organizations, libraries, schools, and local and State education agencies. The program could significantly increase book distribution and early screening for reading challenges where funded, improving early literacy outcomes and long-term education and economic prospects. Community organizations and small providers may gain new funding but will need capacity to apply for and administer grants, meet reporting requirements, and provide matching funds unless a waiver is granted. State and local education agencies will participate in coordination and may need to maintain spending levels to meet maintenance-of-effort conditions. The Department of Education will take on new administrative duties including grant management, data collection and public reporting, interagency coordination, and operation of a Clearinghouse. Potential benefits include better-targeted services for underserved areas, stronger evidence collection on effective practices, and improved federal coordination; challenges include administrative burdens on applicants and grantees, the need for matching funds, and ensuring equitable access across communities.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Andy Kim · Last progress March 9, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Introduced in Senate