Improving America's Literacy Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5110 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5110

 To add requirements for certain literacy activities carried out under
          the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 23, 2026

 Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill;
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To add requirements for certain literacy activities carried out under
          the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving America's Literacy Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY STATE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 2221(b) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6641(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (K), by striking ``and'' after
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (L), by striking the period and
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(M) does not include the use of a three-cueing
                model.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Three-cueing model.--The term `three-cueing model'
        means an instructional approach or model that--
                    ``(A) uses meaning drawn from context, pictures, or
                syntax as the primary basis for teaching word
                recognition (commonly referred to as `meaning,
                structure and syntax, and visual cues' or `MSV'); or
                    ``(B) teaches visual memory as the primary basis
                for word recognition.''.
    (b) Grants.--Section 2222 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6642) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Duration; Annual Review; Renewal.--
            ``(1) Duration.--A grant awarded under this subpart shall
        be for a period of not more than 5 years total.
            ``(2) Annual review.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an
                annual review of each State educational agency
                receiving a grant under this subpart, which shall
                include--
                            ``(i) a review of the impacts of funding
                        under this subpart on student literacy
                        outcomes;
                            ``(ii) information about grant and subgrant
                        recipients by geographic location; and
                            ``(iii) a review of specific activities and
                        strategies employed by such recipients to
                        improve literacy outcomes.
                    ``(B) Public availability.--The Secretary, or the
                Secretary's designee, shall issue an annual report
                summarizing the annual review described in subparagraph
                (A) that shall be made publicly available on the
                website of the Department of Education.
            ``(3) Renewal.--Such grant may be renewed for an additional
        2-year period upon the termination of the initial period of the
        grant if the grant recipient demonstrates to the satisfaction
        of the Secretary that--
                    ``(A) the State has made adequate progress; and
                    ``(B) renewing the grant for an additional 2-year
                period is necessary to carry out the objectives of the
                grant described in subsection (d).'';
            (2) in subsection (d)(2)(E)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' after the
                semicolon;
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the
                end and inserting a semicolon;
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) demonstrates significant
                        deficiencies in reading or language arts, such
                        as through the results of the statewide
                        academic assessments required under section
                        1111(b)(2); or''.
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) An assurance that the State educational
                agency will use funds in accordance with the
                limitations described in subsection (e).''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Award Criteria.--The Secretary shall award grants under this
section to State educational agencies that--
            ``(1) will use the grant funds to carry out evidence-based
        activities, or support eligible entities that carry out
        evidence-based activities, defined for the purpose of this
        subsection as activities meeting the requirements of section
        8101(21)(A)(i)(I);
            ``(2) will use the grant funds to implement, or support
        eligible entities that implement, instructional strategies and
        materials that focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
        vocabulary, and comprehension; and
            ``(3) do not use a three-cueing model.''.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.

    Section 1003 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6303) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(F), by striking ``and'' after
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period and
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) an assurance that the local educational agency will
        comply with the requirements regarding literacy under
        subsection (j).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Additional Requirements Regarding Literacy.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
        this section, a State educational agency, in allocating funds
        to local educational agencies under this section, shall only
        allocate funds to local educational agencies that will ensure
        that literacy activities that are carried out using such funds
        are--
                    ``(A) evidence-based, defined for the purpose of
                this subsection as activities meeting the requirements
                of section 8101(21)(A)(i)(I); and
                    ``(B) implemented using instructional strategies
                and materials that focus on phonemic awareness,
                phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.''.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON LITERACY.

    (a) Research on Broader Evidence Implementation.--The Director of
the Institute of Education Sciences (referred to in this section as the
``Director'') shall conduct research to identify and evaluate State and
local strategies associated with significant improvements in student
literacy outcomes. Such research shall--
            (1) examine State educational agencies and local
        educational agencies that have demonstrated sustained increases
        in literacy achievement, including improvements on State
        assessments and the National Assessment of Educational
        Progress;
            (2) identify the instructional practices, curricular
        materials, professional development approaches, and policy
        supports implemented by such agencies, such as family and
        community engagement, student and teacher coaching,
        individualized reading plans, teacher training, integration of
        curriculum specialists, literacy instruction for English
        learners, and early grade retention policies; and
            (3) assess the extent to which such strategies meet the
        definition of evidence-based under section 8101(21) of the
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
        7801(21)).
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall--
            (1) submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
        and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and
        Workforce of the House of Representatives a report containing
        the findings of the evaluation carried out under this section;
            (2) disseminate findings regarding practices associated
        with improved literacy outcomes, including through regional
        educational laboratories awarded contracts under section 174 of
        the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564); and
            (3) make such report and findings publicly available on the
        website of the Department of Education.

SEC. 5. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be
construed to--
            (1) limit or alter the rights, protections, and
        individualized instructional requirements under the Individuals
        with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.),
        section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794),
        or the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et
        seq.); or
            (2) authorize any officer or employee of the Federal
        Government to mandate, direct, or control a State, local
        educational agency, or school's specific instructional content,
        academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of
        instruction.
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