Senate HELP Committee Advances K-12 Education Bills

On July 30, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first significant markup of K-12 education legislation this Congress. AESA has been closely following these proposals and shares the positions outlined below on the bills and amendments considered by the committee.

S. 5046 is a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from transferring responsibility for programs administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the Department of Labor through interagency agreements (IAAs). It would also prohibit the Department of Education from transferring responsibility for programs administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the Department of Health and Human Services. AESA supports these efforts to maintain these programs within the Department of Education. The legislation passed the committee by a vote of 13-9. An amendment requiring the Department to submit a public report to Congress on the cost of implementing its interagency agreements, including an accounting of staff detailed or transferred to other agencies, also passed. The bill’s future in the Senate is unclear, but its sponsors hope it will factor into appropriations discussions. The bill conflicts with efforts in the House, where the House Education and Workforce Committee recently voted to codify some of the Department’s IAAs.

The READ Act is a bipartisan bill intended to align federal literacy efforts with the science of reading by directing federal funds toward evidence-based reading instruction, similar to legislation already enacted in several states. It would modify the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant program under ESEA to target competitive grants to the lowest-performing states—defined as states ranking in the bottom 20% for two consecutive NAEP assessment cycles in fourth-grade reading. States would also be required to evaluate teacher preparation programs and update K-8 teaching licensure standards to ensure educators are trained in evidence-based literacy instruction. AESA supports efforts to strengthen evidence-based literacy instruction and improve reading outcomes for students. The bill passed by a vote of 20-2.

The 21st Century Dyslexia Act is bipartisan legislation that would change how public schools identify and support students with dyslexia by removing dyslexia from the broader “Specific Learning Disability” category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and establishing it as a distinct disability category. AESA shares concerns raised by many disability organizations about the legislation and its proposed definition of dyslexia. A broad coalition of disability organizations that support students with dyslexia has opposed the legislation. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 12-10.