H.R. 3033 — Referred from Senate

IIB 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3033 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 27, 2015Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia Act or the READ Act. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Dyslexia (a) In general The National Science Foundation shall support multi-directorate, merit-reviewed, and competitively awarded research on the science of dyslexia, including 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. (b) Funding The National Science Foundation shall devote at least $5 million annually to research described in subsection (a), 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. No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated under this section. This Act shall be carried out using funds otherwise appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act. Passed the House of Representatives October 26, 2015.Karen L. Haas,Clerk