I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2889 
To ensure that students in schools have a right to read, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2023 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. OCASIO-COR-
TEZ, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Ms. CROCKETT, 
Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. MENG, Ms. MCCOLLUM, and Mr. MCGOVERN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To ensure that students in schools have a right to read, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Right to Read Act 
of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (19) through 
(28), paragraphs (29) through (43), paragraphs 
(44) through (49), and paragraphs (50) through 
(52) as paragraphs (20) through (29), paragraphs 
(31) through (45), paragraphs (47) through (52), 
and paragraphs (54) through (56), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (18) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(19) EFFECTIVE SCHOOL LIBRARY.—The term 
‘effective school library’ means a library that— 
‘‘(A) is staffed by supporting staff and at 
least one full-time State-certified school librar-
ian who— 
‘‘(i) is an instructional leader, infor-
mation specialist, and teacher; 
‘‘(ii) supports the digital learning en-
vironment 
and 
the 
development 
of 
participatory learning, inquiry learning, 
digital literacy, and information literacy; 
and 
‘‘(iii) supports, supplements, and ele-
vates the literacy experience through guid-
ance in reading for learning and motiva-
tional reading initiatives in order to en-
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hance student achievement and foster life-
long reading and learning; 
‘‘(B) is otherwise adequately staffed to be 
open to students before, during, and after the 
school day; 
‘‘(C) has a sufficient collection of profes-
sionally curated up-to-date digital and print 
materials and technology, including openly li-
censed educational resources; 
‘‘(D) provides appropriate facilities for 
maintaining and providing equitable access to 
materials, technology, connectivity, and library 
and literacy instruction; 
‘‘(E) provides regular skills development or 
training for classroom teachers, school librar-
ians, library paraprofessional staff, and other 
educators; 
‘‘(F) provides opportunities for collabora-
tion between classroom teachers and school li-
brarians; and 
‘‘(G) implements nationally recognized pro-
fessional standards of practice.’’; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (29), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
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‘‘(30) INFORMATION LITERACY.—The term ‘in-
formation literacy’ means the set of skills needed to 
find, retrieve, understand, evaluate, analyze, and ef-
fectively use information (which encompasses spoken 
and broadcast words and videos, printed materials, 
and digital content, data, and images).’’; 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (45), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(46) RIGHT
TO
READ.—The term ‘right to 
read’ means all students have access to— 
‘‘(A) linguistically and developmentally ap-
propriate, evidence-based reading instruction; 
‘‘(B) effective school libraries; 
‘‘(C) family literacy support; 
‘‘(D) culturally diverse and inclusive mate-
rials; 
‘‘(E) reading materials in the home; and 
‘‘(F) the freedom to choose reading mate-
rials.’’; and 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (52), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(53) TEACHER.—The term ‘teacher’ includes a 
school librarian.’’. 
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ing the development of digital literacy and 
information literacy skills’’ after ‘‘academic 
standards’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (J), by inserting 
‘‘(including 
school 
librarians)’’ 
after 
‘‘teachers’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (M), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (N), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(O) the State educational agency has a 
policy regarding the right to read and will no-
tify local educational agencies, Indian tribes 
and tribal organizations, schools, teachers, 
school librarians, principals, other school lead-
ers, specialized support personnel, parents, and 
the public of such policy.’’. 
(b) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY PLANS.—Section 
1112 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6312) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(A), by inserting ‘‘(in-
cluding school librarians)’’ after ‘‘teachers’’; and 
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(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (12)(B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(B) by striking paragraph (13); and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(13) how the local educational agency will— 
‘‘(A) support and improve effective school 
libraries by supporting the work of State-cer-
tified school librarians to ensure that students 
have equitable access to such libraries; and 
‘‘(B) assist schools in developing effective 
school libraries to provide students an oppor-
tunity to develop digital literacy and informa-
tion literacy skills and improve academic 
achievement; 
‘‘(14) the policies the local educational agency 
has in place to protect the right to read; and 
‘‘(15) any other information on how the local 
educational agency proposes to use funds to meet 
the purposes of this part, and that the local edu-
cational agency determines appropriate to provide, 
which may include a description of how the local 
educational agency will assist schools in identifying 
and serving gifted and talented students.’’. 
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SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE II. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
2003 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6603) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘except for 
subpart 2,’’ after ‘‘part B,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) LITERACY EDUCATION FOR ALL, RESULTS FOR 
THE NATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated— 
‘‘(1) for grants authorized under section 2222, 
$500,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each of the 
succeeding 4 fiscal years; and 
‘‘(2) for grants authorized under section 2226, 
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each of the 
succeeding 4 fiscal years.’’. 
(b) FORMULA GRANTS TO STATES.—Section 2101 of 
that Act (20 U.S.C. 6611) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(4)(B)— 
(A) by redesignating clauses (xiv) through 
(xxi) as clauses (xvii) through (xxiv), respec-
tively; 
(B) by striking clause (xiii) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(xiii) Supporting and improving ef-
fective school libraries that involve collabo-
ration with State-certified school librar-
ians.’’; and 
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(C) by inserting after clause (xiii) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(xiv) Developing, improving, and im-
plementing mechanisms to assist local edu-
cational agencies and schools in effectively 
recruiting, hiring, and retaining State-cer-
tified school librarians. 
‘‘(xv) Providing training to school li-
brarians, teachers, and school leaders on 
how to leverage effective school libraries 
for academic achievement, digital literacy, 
information literacy, and student and fam-
ily engagement. 
‘‘(xvi) Providing training to library 
paraprofessional and other library staff to 
improve the effectiveness of school library 
programs.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d)(3)(A), by inserting ‘‘(in-
cluding school librarians)’’ after ‘‘teachers’’. 
(c) LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.—Section 2103(b)(3) of 
that Act (20 U.S.C. 6613(b)(3)) is amended by striking 
subparagraph (K) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(K) programs and activities to support 
and improve effective school libraries that in-
volve collaboration with State-certified school li-
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brarians, such as efforts to promote and sup-
port digital literacy, information literacy, ex-
tended student inquiry, and capstone projects;’’. 
(d) RESERVATIONS.—Section 2201 of that Act (20 
U.S.C. 6621) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 
paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively. 
(e) LEARN PURPOSES AND DEFINITIONS.—Section 
2221(b) of that Act (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 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(M) provides opportunities for students to 
develop digital literacy and information literacy 
skills.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ‘‘public li-
braries, or pediatric literacy programs’’ after ‘‘which 
may include early childhood education programs’’. 
(f) COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY STATE DEVELOP-
MENT GRANTS.—Section 2222 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 
6642) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘From the 
amounts reserved by the Secretary under section 
2201(2) and not reserved under subsection (b),’’ and 
inserting ‘‘From amounts appropriated to carry out 
this section’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘reserved to carry out this subpart’’ 
and inserting ‘‘appropriated to carry out this 
section’’; and 
(B) in paragraphs (2) and (3), by striking 
‘‘subpart’’ and inserting ‘‘section’’ each place 
the term appears; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and the 
State agency responsible for administering child 
care programs’’ and inserting ‘‘the State agency 
responsible for administering child care pro-
grams in the State, and the State library ad-
ministrative agency’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘, 
diverse high quality print materials, and effec-
tive school libraries,’’ after ‘‘teachers of lit-
eracy’’; and 
(4) in subsection (f)(2)— 
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