Sponsors (5)
The bill expands targeted summer reading supports and funding at summer meal sites to help low-income K–3 students maintain literacy gains, but its strict eligibility threshold and administrative requirements risk excluding some needy schools and children and may limit access for sites with limited capacity.
Low-income K–3 students who attend participating summer meal sites gain access to at least six weeks of structured summer reading supports, improving literacy continuity when school is out.
Low-income children who use summer meal sites receive both meals and library-based learning, combining nutrition and educational supports during the summer.
New federal funding (authorizes $5 million/year) to state library agencies and LEAs builds local capacity and partnerships to run summer literacy programs and staff services.
The 50% K–3 reading-risk threshold to qualify can exclude many needy schools and students that fall below that cutoff from receiving program support.
Documentation, application, and reporting requirements create administrative burdens; LEAs and state agencies with limited staff or capacity may struggle to apply for or administer grants, meaning some high-need sites could be left out.
Concentrating programming at schools that serve summer lunch may leave children who rely on other meal providers or informal feeding sites without access to the reading services.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes competitive grants to state library agencies for summer early reading programs at school summer meal sites and funds $5M/year for FY2027–2031.
Official title: Create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their libraries open for student use during the summer months.
Introduced August 6, 2026 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress August 6, 2026
Provides competitive federal grants to state library administrative agencies so they can award subgrants to local school districts to run summer early reading programs at school summer meal (lunch) sites. Programs must be at least six weeks, offer library access and literacy activities or expanded learning, target schools with high early-reading risk, and meet minimum program and reporting requirements. Authorizes $5 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 and requires state and LEA applications with program descriptions, outreach plans, and assurances that each summer meal site served will host the reading program. Grants may be used for staffing, program implementation, partnerships, and related activities, with annual reporting to the Secretary of Education.