Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act

Subjects: Labor and Employment


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1268 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1268

To amend the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and the Educational 
   Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to strengthen research in adult 
                               education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 25, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and the Educational 
   Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to strengthen research in adult 
                               education.

    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 ``Strengthening Research in Adult 
Education Act''.

SEC. 2. STRENGTHEN RESEARCH IN ADULT EDUCATION.

    (a) Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002.--The Education Sciences 
Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 102 (20 U.S.C. 9501)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8), 
                (9) through (13), (14) through (22), and (23), as 
                paragraphs (3) through (9), (11) through (15), (17) 
                through (25), and (27), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Adult education; adult education and literacy 
        activities.--The terms `adult education' and `adult education 
        and literacy activities' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 203 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 
        U.S.C. 3272).'';
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (9), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A), the following:
            ``(10) Digital literacy skills.--The term `digital literacy 
        skills' has the meaning given the term in section 202 of the 
        Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).'';
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (15), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A) the following:
            ``(16) Information literacy skills.--The term `information 
        literacy skills' means the set of skills needed to find, 
        retrieve, understand, evaluate, analyze, discern the 
        reliability and accuracy of, and effectively use information 
        (which encompasses spoken and broadcast words and videos, 
        printed materials, and digital content, data, and images).''; 
        and
                    (E) by inserting after paragraph (25), as 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A), the following:
            ``(26) Student.--Unless otherwise provided, the term 
        `student' means any elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or 
        adult education student.'';
            (2) in section 111(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9511(b)(1)), in the 
        matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, and adult 
        education'' after ``postsecondary study'';
            (3) in section 115(a) (20 U.S.C. 9515(a))--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
                (29 U.S.C. 3271 et seq.),'' after ``the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et 
                seq.),''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``children'' and inserting ``individuals'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``and'' after the semicolon;
                            (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                        subparagraph (D); and
                            (iv) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 
                        the following:
                    ``(C) access to, and opportunities for, adult 
                education and literacy activities; and'';
            (4) in section 116(c)(4)(A)(ii) (20 U.S.C. 
        9516(c)(4)(A)(ii))--
                    (A) by inserting ``adult educators,'' after 
                ``professional educators,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``State directors of adult 
                education,'' after ``postsecondary education 
                executives,'';
            (5) in section 131(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9531(b)(1))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) improve the literacy, numeracy, digital 
                literacy skills, and information literacy skills of 
                individuals who need adult education;'';
            (6) in section 133 (20 U.S.C. 9533)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (10)(D), by striking 
                        ``and'' after the semicolon;
                            (ii) in paragraph (11), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) carry out research initiatives regarding the impact 
        of adult education and literacy activities, including--
                    ``(A) research into successful State and local 
                adult education and literacy activities that--
                            ``(i) result in increased literacy, 
                        numeracy, digital literacy skills, information 
                        literacy skills, and educational attainment for 
                        adult learners; or
                            ``(ii) prepare students for postsecondary 
                        education or employment; and
                    ``(B) research to determine which indicators of 
                performance and measurable skills gains are most 
                effective, valid, reliable, and accessible for use 
                across a broad range of adult education and literacy 
                programs to assess the progress of adult learners and 
                improve instruction in adult education and literacy 
                programs.''; and
                    (B) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``At 
                        least 1 center shall be assigned the topic of 
                        adult education.'' after ``paragraph (2).''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) by striking subparagraph (A) 
                                and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) Adult education.'';
                                    (II) by redesignating subparagraphs 
                                (C) through (K) as subparagraphs (E) 
                                through (M), respectively; and
                                    (III) by inserting after 
                                subparagraph (B) the following:
                    ``(C) Digital literacy skills.'';
                    ``(D) Information literacy skills.'';
            (7) in section 153(a)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1))--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(D) secondary school graduation and completion 
                rates, including the four-year adjusted cohort 
                graduation rate and the extended-year adjusted cohort 
                graduation rate (as defined in section 8101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
                7801)), school dropout rates, and adult literacy;'';
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (O) 
                as subparagraphs (G) through (P), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the 
                following:
                    ``(F) access to, and opportunity for, adult 
                education and literacy activities;''; and
                    (D) in subparagraph (L), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and in adult 
                education'' after ``secondary schools'';
            (8) in section 154(b)(2)(A) (20 U.S.C. 9544(b)(2)(A)), by 
        striking ``vocational and adult education,'' and inserting 
        ``career and technical education, adult education,''; and
            (9) in section 172(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 9562(a)(2))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as 
                subparagraph (F); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the 
                following:
                    ``(E) educational practices that improve digital 
                literacy skills and information literacy skills; and''.
    (b) Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002.--Section 
206(b)(2) of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (20 
U.S.C. 9605(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F) as 
        subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
                    ``(B) Representatives of local or regional adult 
                education providers.''.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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