,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djbh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #i1 #bjbf,mr4 ,kim introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to expand equitable access to developmentally-appropriate literacy materials1 programs1 and family engagement in reading1 especially in underserved communities1 and strengthen the connection between literacy and long-term academic and economic success4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,open ,books1 ,open ,doors ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the #bjbd ,national ,assessment of ,educational ,progress reading assessment results show a continued decline in reading scores for both fourth and eighth grade students1 with average scores lower than both #bjbb and #bjai levels4 7#b7 ,according to the ,annie ,e4 ,casey ,foundation1 #a in #f children who are not reading proficiently in third grade do not graduate from high school on time1 a rate #d times greater than that for proficient readers4 7#c7 ,families with incomes of #ajj1jjj or more have nearly twice the number of books than families with less than #ce1jjj in annual income1 at #abe and #gc respectively4 7#d7 ,according to the ,american ,consortium for ,equity in ,education1 #de percent of children in the ,united ,states live in neighborhoods that lack public libraries and stores that sell books or in homes where books are not present4 7#e7 #he percent of all juveniles who interact with the juvenile court system are functionally low literate4 7#f7 ,only #b percent of the #bj1fjj1jjj #ag- to #ba-year-olds in the ,united ,states are eligible1 propensed to serve1 and of high academic quality for military service1 and only #bi percent of youth are eligible for military service without requiring some form of a standards waiver4 7#g7 ,a #bjbe study from the ,university of ,florida and the ,university ,college ,london found that daily reading for pleasure among individuals in the ,united ,states has declined by more than #dj percent over the past #b decades1 a trend with serious implications for children's literacy development and long-term education outcomes4 7#h7 ,children born to parents with low literacy skills are likely to have low skills themselves1 perpetuating poverty and other socioeconomic issues related to low literacy4 7#i7 ,according to the ,department of ,education1 #dc1jjj1jjj adults in the ,united ,states1 nearly #a in #e adults in the ,united ,states1 can't read well enough to hold a basic job4 7#aj7 ,according to the ,nobel ,prize-winning economist ,james ,heckman1 every #a invested in early childhood1 including literacy programs1 yields between #d to #af in long-term economic benefits4 7#aa7 ,according to the ,world ,literacy ,foundation1 low literacy costs the ,united ,states economy more than #cjj1jjj1jjj1jjj in lost earnings1 lower workplace productivity1 higher crime1 and more government assistance4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea definitions ,the terms local educational agency and ,state educational agency have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,book desert ,the term book desert means a geographic area 7as defined by census tract1 ,,zip ,code1 or local educational agency7 where children and families have limited or non-consistent access to developmentally-appropriate1 high-interest1 and culturally relevant books and print materials in the home1 schools1 or community settings1 as evidenced by meeting #a or more of the following criteria1 as determined by the ,secretary3 7,a7 ,fewer than #a book available per #cjj children younger than #ah years of age4 7,b7 ,no public library or bookstore within a #a-mile radius in an urban area or a #aj-mile radius in a rural area4 7,c7 ,a high concentration of poverty1 housing instability1 or limited ,english proficiency that contributes to barriers in accessing books4 7,d7 #dj percent of households with children lacking reading materials at home4 7,e7 ,limited or no book distribution programs1 literacy events1 or reading-focused community infrastructure4 7#c7 ,evidence-based literacy program ,the term evidence-based literacy program means any instructional or community-based program1 intervention1 or practice that-- 7,a7 is grounded in the science of reading and incorporates methods shown1 through high-quality research1 to be effective in improving literacy skills for infants1 toddlers1 children1 teens1 young adults1 parents1 or other caregivers2 7,b7 demonstrates measurable outcomes in improving reading comprehension1 phonemic awareness1 vocabulary acquisition1 early language development1 fluency1 or engagement with reading2 7,c7 has been evaluated through a rigorous study1 such as randomized control trials1 quasi-experiential designs1 or longitudinal research1 and shows statistically significant positive effects on literacy outcomes for the target population2 and 7,d7 includes components for adult-child interaction1 culturally responsive instruction1 or family and caregiver engagement1 where appropriate4 7#d7 ,family literacy ,the term family literacy means services that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours1 and of sufficient duration1 to make sustainable changes in a family1 and that integrate all of the following activities3 7,a7 ,interactive literacy activities between parents and their children4 7,b7 ,training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children4 7,c7 ,parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency and financial literacy4 7,d7 ,a developmentally-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences4 7#e7 ,qualified applicant ,the term qualified applicant means a ,state government1 ,tribal government1 local government1 ,state educational agency1 ,state humanities council1 ,state service commission1 public library1 local educational agency1 public school1 juvenile justice facility1 community-based organization1 nonprofit organization1 or a consortium of such entities1 that works with children and has a demonstrated record of promoting literacy for infants1 toddlers1 children1 and young adults for not less than #a year4 7#f7 ,qualified literacy materials ,the term qualified literacy materials-- 7,a7 means any developmentally-appropriate1 culturally relevant1 and accessible print or digital content-- 7i7 designed to support literacy development in infants1 toddlers1 children1 or young adults2 and 7ii7 which may be provided in ,english or any other language2 and 7,b7 may include-- 7i7 storybooks1 chapter books1 graphic novels1 and picture books2 7ii7 multi-lingual and dual-language materials2 7iii7 books in accessible formats1 such as braille and large print2 7iv7 comics1 newspapers1 magazines1 poetry1 play scripts1 and encyclopedias2 7v7 educational brochures and printed media intended to support language acquisition1 vocabulary building1 and reading comprehension2 7vi7 digital materials and e-books that can be accessible offline2 and 7vii7 reading-level-appropriate content reflecting diverse cultures1 experiences1 and voices4 7#g7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 #d4 ,open ,books1 ,open ,doors ,grant ,program 7a7 ,establishment 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to qualified applicants to help promote child literacy4 7#b7 ,funding allocations ,the ,secretary shall allocate funds appropriated to carry out this ,act for a fiscal year as follows3 7,a7 ,not less than #gj percent of the funds shall be awarded as grants to qualified applicants located within1 or that coordinate or provide services to1 communities within book deserts and that collaborate with-- 7i7 barbershops or salons2 7ii7 houses of worship2 7iii7 community centers2 7iv7 childcare centers2 7v7 ,head ,start or ,early ,head ,start centers2 7vi7 laundromats2 7vii7 primary care providers1 community health centers1 health clinics1 and urgent care centers2 7viii7 a local entity providing services under the special supplemental nutrition program for women1 infants1 and children established under section #ag of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aghf72 7ix7 independent bookstores2 7x7 youth-serving organizations2 7xi7 direct mail programs2 7xii7 family literacy programs2 or 7xiii7 other highly trafficked places1 as designated by the ,secretary4 7,b7 #ae percent of the funds shall be awarded as grants to qualified applicants for early screening1 early intervention1 and educator training related to children with learning disabilities-- 7i7 which shall-- 7,i7 complement funding awarded under the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adja et seq472 7,,ii7 support programs that are developmentally-appropriate1 non-punitive1 and followed by family communication and support1 not identification alone2 and 7,,iii7 support programs that do not stigmatize or over-pathologize early readers2 and 7ii7 priority for which shall be to qualified applicants serving areas where the rate of reading disabilities or the rate of dyslexia screening or identification1 is higher than the national average4 7,c7 7i7 ,not less than #h percent of the funds shall be awarded as grants to qualified applicants proposing to develop1 pilot1 or scale promising strategies that expand access to books1 promote reading engagement1 or enhance literacy instruction and family literacy1 of which-- 7,i7 not less than #be percent shall be awarded to qualified applicants that are small entities or community-based organizations or pilot programs serving not more than #e1jjj children2 and 7,,ii7 not less than #be percent shall be awarded to qualified applicants that conduct family literacy programs2 7ii7 ,recipients of grants under clause 7i7 shall participate in an evaluation process as determined by the ,secretary to assess effectiveness1 scalability1 and alignment with the purpose of this ,act4 7iii7 ,the ,secretary shall publish and disseminate findings1 toolkits1 or case studies from strategies developed1 piloted1 or scaled under this paragraph to qualified applicants1 ,state agencies1 educators1 and the general public to encourage replication or continuous improvement4 7,d7 ,not more than #e percent of the funds may be used for technical assistance and capacity building1 including for regional hubs or intermediary nonprofit organizations to provide coaching1 help convene grantees1 or share best practices4 7,e7 ,not more than #c percent of the funds may be used to support public engagement or awareness campaigns1 including supporting national or regional campaigns to promote reading habits1 funding public service announcements1 digital ads1 or toolkits for local partners1 and conducting special campaigns for reading in non-,english languages or within immigrant or refugee communities4 7,f7 ,not more than #c percent of the funds may be used to support disaster-impacted areas1 as defined by the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7b7 ,applications ,a qualified applicant that desires to receive a grant under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such a time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require1 including the following3 7#a7 ,a description of the educational and financial need of the community to be served by the qualified applicant4 7#b7 ,a description of how the qualified applicant would partner with local publishers1 businesses1 libraries1 or other stakeholders to raise additional funds to carry out grant activities and increase book donations4 7#c7 ,a description of how the qualified applicant would conduct outreach to marginalized and underserved communities to understand their literacy needs4 7#d7 ,a sustainability plan for how the qualified applicant will continue to promote child literacy after the grant period ends4 7#e7 ,a description on how the qualified applicant will1 where appropriate1 partner with or procure qualified literacy materials through local businesses as a way to support local economies4 7#f7 ,a description of how the qualified applicant will deliver1 or collaborate with partners already engaged in1 evidence-based literacy programs4 7c7 ,grant activities 7#a7 ,in general ,a qualified applicant that receives a grant under this ,act shall use the grant funds for at least one of the following3 7,a7 ,purchasing or renting property to construct and maintain distribution facilities for qualified literacy materials4 7,b7 ,establishing new literacy centers1 book-exchange boxes1 neighborhood libraries1 mobile libraries1 and book banks4 7,c7 ,purchasing and transporting qualified literacy materials or hosting book drives4 7,d7 ,conducting in person programs and utilizing digital and online tools that promote literacy1 adult engagement1 and reading comprehension4 7,e7 ,eliminating or waiving late fees at public and school-based libraries4 7,f7 ,facilitating community or cultural events that promote literacy and family literacy4 7,g7 ,implementing universal early screening and diagnostic or identification tools for learning disabilities1 such as dyslexia1 including training for staff on identifying and supporting students with reading disabilities4 7,h7 ,purchasing screening tools and providing follow-up assessments and referrals in collaboration with local educational agencies or community health providers4 7,i7 ,hiring1 paying1 and training 7including coaching7 educators1 volunteers1 health care professionals1 caretakers1 and parents in evidence-based literacy programs4 7,j7 ,providing meals or transportation services for individuals receiving services in any of the activities described in this subsection4 7#b7 ,administrative cap 7,a7 ,nonpublic entity ,a qualified applicant that is a non public entity and receives a grant under this ,act may use not more than #be percent of the grant funds on operating expenses1 including salaries1 utilities1 equipment1 and supplies1 unless the ,secretary approves a waiver of such cap4 7,b7 ,public entity ,a qualified applicant that is a public entity and receives a grant under this ,act may use not more than #be percent of the grant funds on operating expenses1 including salaries1 utilities1 equipment1 and supplies1 unless the ,secretary approves a waiver of such cap4 7d7 ,maintenance of effort ,a qualified applicant may receive grant funds for a fiscal year only if the ,secretary finds that the expenditures of the qualified applicant on literacy efforts for the preceding fiscal year were not less than the expenditures of the qualified applicant on literacy efforts for the second preceding fiscal year4 7e7 ,matching requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,each qualified applicant that receives a grant under this ,act shall provide1 from non-,federal sources1 an amount equal to #be percent of the amount of the grant to carry out activities supported by the grant4 7#b7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive the requirement under paragraph 7#a7 when determined appropriate by the ,secretary4 #e4 ,reporting requirements ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,education and ,workforce and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives1 a report containing the following information for each grantee3 7#a7 ,a breakdown of the number of students served through grant activities and relevant demographics 7including socioeconomic status1 race1 age1 and disability status7 in each grade that is participating in the program carried out with grant funds4 7#b7 ,state assessment data or other validated literacy engagement scales1 on a biannual basis1 for local educational agencies that receive support under the grant4 7#c7 ,survey responses from teachers and parents measuring the impact increased access to books is having on children's reading enthusiasm and confidence4 7#d7 ,the number of books per child before and after the program carried out with grant funds and the number of caregivers participating in the program4 #f4 ,interagency collaboration 7a7 ,in general ,to ensure implementation and maximize the impact of the grant program established under this ,act1 the ,secretary shall coordinate with relevant ,federal agencies1 including-- 7#a7 the ,corporation for ,national and ,community ,services2 7#b7 the ,food and ,nutrition ,service of the ,department of ,agriculture2 7#c7 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 including the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration1 the ,maternal and ,child ,health ,bureau1 and the ,office of ,head ,start2 7#d7 the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,affairs2 7#e7 the ,department of ,labor2 7#f7 the ,office of ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention of the ,department of ,justice2 7#g7 the ,federal ,communications ,commission2 7#h7 the ,institute of ,museum and ,library ,services2 and 7#i7 the ,national ,endowment for the ,humanities4 7b7 ,activities ,the coordination required under subsection 7a7 shall include-- 7#a7 aligning literacy efforts with existing ,federal early childhood1 education1 health1 and community development programs2 7#b7 sharing data and best practices to identify geographic areas of greatest need2 7#c7 ensuring consistent messaging and outreach to families across federally supported platforms2 7#d7 encouraging joint applications and cross-sector partnerships among grantees supported by multiple agencies2 and 7#e7 identifying opportunities for co-location or integration of literacy services in federally supported housing1 health1 education1 and nutrition programs4 7c7 ,interagency working group 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish an interagency working group to support implementation of this ,act4 7#b7 ,meeting frequency ,the working group shall meet not less often than twice annually4 7#c7 ,report and national strategy ,the working group shall-- 7,a7 submit an interagency coordination report to ,congress every #b years outlining shared initiatives1 challenges1 and recommendations to strengthen ,federal literacy programming2 and 7,b7 create and develop a national strategy to promote literacy among young children from birth to age #e1 school-aged children from kindergarten to #abth grade1 and young adults4 #g4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to authorize the ,secretary to ban or censor materials or otherwise influence local curricular or content decisions based on political or viewpoint grounds4 #h4 ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary1 in coordination with each of the ,federal agencies listed in section #f7;a71 shall establish a ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access that shall-- 7#a7 identify1 collect1 and evaluate evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions that have been shown to have a significant effect on children accessing qualified literacy materials and improving literacy outcomes for children and families living in book deserts2 and 7#b7 provide guidance1 toolkits1 and technical resources to ,states1 local educational agencies1 health professionals1 libraries1 and nonprofit organizations seeking to expand book access in book deserts4 7b7 ,information ,to include ,the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access shall ensure the guidance1 toolkits1 and technical resources provided under subsection 7a7 include1 to the extent practicable1 the following information3 7#a7 ,the strength of the evidence that the guidance1 toolkit1 or technical resource expands book access and increases literacy outcomes4 7#b7 ,the populations that were served in the programs that are the bases for the guidance1 toolkit1 or technical resource1 along with where the populations are located1 such as urban1 suburban1 or rural areas4 7#c7 ,implementation models for the programs described in paragraph 7#b71 such as whether the programs were school-based1 library-based1 health care-based1 or community-based approaches4 7#d7 ,cost considerations of implementation4 7#e7 ,demonstrated literacy outcomes in the programs described in paragraph 7#b74 7#f7 ,findings and data from previous ,federal or ,state commissions recommending improvements to book access and increasing literacy outcomes4 7#g7 ,other supportive evidence or findings relied upon by the ,clearinghouse1 in consultation with ,federal agencies listed in section #f7;a71 in identifying evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions1 as described in subsection 7a77#a74 7c7 ,consistency with civil rights ,the guidance1 toolkits1 and technical resources provided by the ,clearinghouse shall be consistent with ,federal civil rights laws1 including title ,,ii of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaca et seq471 the ,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gja et seq471 and title ,,vi of the ,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;d et seq474 7d7 ,consultation ,in identifying the evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions for the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access1 the ,secretary shall consult with-- 7#a7 literacy researchers and experts2 and 7#b7 ,state educational agencies1 local educational agencies1 early childhood education providers1 community-based and nonprofit literacy groups focused on book access and literacy development1 libraries1 health providers1 educators1 and school administrators4 7e7 ,administration 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access shall be assigned such personnel and resources as the ,secretary considers appropriate to carry out this section4 7#b7 ,detail ,the heads of each of the ,federal agencies listed in section #f7;a7 may detail personnel to the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access4 7f7 ,production and publication of materials ,the ,secretary may produce and publish materials identified1 collected1 and evaluated by the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access to assist and train early childhood1 educational1 health care1 law enforcement1 and workforce agencies on the implementation of the evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions for literacy development and enhancing access to books4 7g7 ,collection of data1 feedback1 and evaluations ,for the purpose of continuous improvement of the ,federal ,clearinghouse on ,book ,access1 the ,secretary shall collect-- 7#a7 ,clearinghouse data analytics2 7#b7 user feedback on the implementation of evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions identified by the ,clearinghouse2 and 7#c7 any evaluations conducted on implementation of the evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions4 7h7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed to require ,state educational agencies or local educational agencies to adopt the evidence-based strategies1 programs1 and interventions identified pursuant to subsection 7a74 #i4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjca4 7b7 ,supplemental appropriations ,the ,secretary may request supplemental appropriations based on demand for literacy services4