I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4307
To reduce the reading deficit in the United States by applying the findings
of scientific research in reading instruction to all students who are
learning to read the English language and to amend the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve literacy through family
literacy projects and to reauthorize the inexpensive book distribution
program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 13, 2000
Mr. GOODLING introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To reduce the reading deficit in the United States by apply-
ing the findings of scientific research in reading instruc-
tion to all students who are learning to read the English
language and to amend the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 to improve literacy through fam-
ily literacy projects and to reauthorize the inexpensive
book distribution program.
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 ‘‘Reading Deficit Elimi-
nation Act’’.
TITLE I—REDUCING THE
READING DEFICIT
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Millions of dollars have been spent by the
Federal Government to determine how the skill of
reading is acquired. The principles for teaching such
skill are now available and it is time to apply them
in the Nation’s classrooms.
(2) America has a reading deficit. According to
the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), con-
ducted by the National Center for Education Statis-
tics every 10 years, 41,000,000 adults were unable
to perform even the simplest literacy tasks.
(3) The 1998 National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress (NAEP) found that 69 percent of
4th grade students are reading below the proficient
level.
(4) The 1998 NAEP found that minority stu-
dents on average continue to lag far behind their
nonminority counterparts in reading proficiency,
even though many of the minority students are in
programs authorized under title I of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6301 et seq.).
(5) Reading scores continue to decline or re-
main stagnant, even though Congress has spent
more than $120,000,000 over the past 30 years for
such programs, a substantial portion of which has
been dedicated to improving the reading skills of dis-
advantaged students.
(6) The cost of providing special education at
the Federal, State, and local levels exceeds
$60,000,000,000 each year.
(7) More than half of the students being placed
in the special learning disabilities category of special
education programs have not learned to read.
(8) The ability to read the English language
with fluency and comprehension is essential if indi-
viduals are to reach their full potential.
(9) Since 1965 the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD) has sup-
ported extensive systematic research on reading de-
velopment, reading disorders, and reading difficulties
at a cost of more than $200,000,000.
(10) Relying extensively on the NICHD sup-
ported research, the National Research Council
(NRC), created by the National Science Foundation
(NSF), issued a report in 1998 entitled ‘‘Preventing
Reading Difficulties in Young Children’’. The report
shows that optimal reading development requires
that students acquire skills in phonemic awareness,
systematic phonics, reading fluency, and comprehen-
sion strategies, and that the students be provided
with interesting reading material written at the stu-
dents’ instructional level.
(11) The National Reading Panel (NRP), re-
quested by Congress and created by the NICHD,
issued a report in the spring of 2000 that surveyed
100,000 reports on reading instruction and analyzed
10,000 reports that were based on methodologically
sound reading research.
(12) The NRP found that systematic phonics
instruction is one of the necessary components of a
total reading program. According to the NRP re-
port, the sequence of reading instruction that ob-
tains maximum benefits for students should include
instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic
phonics, reading fluency, spelling, writing, and read-
ing comprehension strategies.
(13) The ability to read is the cornerstone of
academic success. Without that skill we limit the fu-
ture success of the next generation.
tion to 0.5 percent of the total amount of Federal
discretionary spending for the preceding fiscal year
as the total number of children enrolled in kinder-
garten through fourth grade in public elementary
schools in States submitting requests under sub-
section (b) bears to the total number of such chil-
dren in all States. The funds reduced under this
paragraph and made available under paragraph (2)
shall be known as ‘‘READ funds’’.
(2) REALLOTMENT.—The amount of funds re-
duced under the preceding sentence shall be reallot-
ted to States in accordance with the allotments de-
termined under subsection (b) and used in accord-
ance with the requirements under subsections (c)
and (d) in order to reduce the national reading def-
icit through the use of programs of reading instruc-
tion based on scientifically based reading research.
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall be ef-
fective for fiscal year 2001 and for each fiscal year
thereafter until the fiscal year that begins after the
date described in section 106.
(b) DETERMINATION OF ALLOTMENTS.—For each
fiscal year in which subsection (a) applies, the Secretary
of Education shall pay to each State, that submits a re-
quest for an allotment under this subsection, an allotment
for such fiscal year in an amount that bears the same rela-
tion to the total amount made available under subsection
(a) for the fiscal year as the total number of children en-
rolled in kindergarten through fourth grade in public ele-
mentary schools in the State bears to the total number
of such children in all States submitting requests for the
fiscal year.
(c) WITHIN STATE ALLOCATIONS.—Each State that
receives an allotment under this section shall allocate 95
percent of the allotted funds to local educational agencies
in the State. Each local educational agency in the State
shall receive an allocation under this subsection in an
amount that bears the same relation to 95 percent of the
funds the State receives under this section for a fiscal year
as the total number of children enrolled in kindergarten
through fourth grade in all public elementary schools
served by the local agency bears to the total number of
such children in all public elementary schools served by
all local educational agencies in the State.
(d) REQUIRED USES OF FUNDS.—Funds paid to a
local educational agency under this title shall be used in
accordance with the following requirements:
(1) TEACHER TRAINING.—Ten percent of such
funds shall be used to train teachers on the teaching
of reading based on scientifically based reading re-
search and using scientific principles of reading in-
struction.
(2) INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.—Twenty per-
cent of such funds shall be used for the purchase of
reading instructional materials or programs of read-
ing instruction that have been developed using sci-
entifically based reading research and are based on
scientific principles of reading instruction.
(3) STUDENT
ASSESSMENT.—Ten percent of
such funds shall be used to assess the ability of each
student enrolled in a public elementary school to
proficiently decode words and to read with com-
prehension at the student’s grade level. Standards
for such assessments shall be—
(A) developed and administered at the
State or local level;
(B) consistent with all other measurements
and criteria used by the State or local edu-
cational agency to evaluate student performance
in reading ability;
(C) based on standards developed from sci-
entifically based reading research; and
(D) made available through the Internet
and published in a journal of public record in
each school district.
(4) TEACHER BONUSES.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Ten percent of such
funds may be used toward the payment to
teachers in first through fourth grades of a
bonus of $200 (not to exceed $1,400 per teach-
er per fiscal year) for each child who enters
such a grade at the beginning of a school year
unable to read at a proficient level for that
grade and who leaves such grade at the conclu-
sion of the school year able to read at a pro-
ficient level, as determined by the State or local
assessment standards for that grade level.
(B) LIMITATIONS.—
(i) PAYMENT TO TEACHER WITH PRI-
MARY
RESPONSIBILITY.—A bonus may
only be paid under subparagraph (A) to
the teacher who was the individual pri-
marily responsible for teaching the child to
read during a majority of the school year.
(ii) MATCHING
REQUIREMENT.—The
Secretary shall not make an allotment
under this section to a State unless the
State agrees that, with respect to the
amount of the bonus under subparagraph
(A), the State or local educational agency
will make available matching funds equal
to 30 percent of the Federal funds pro-
vided under the bonus. The matching
funds shall be made available from non-
Federal State or local sources.
(5) TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Fifty percent of such
funds shall be used to provide tuition assistance
grants to a parent or guardian of any child in
fourth grade who has no physiological disability
and who has not mastered the decoding skills
prerequisite to an ability to read at a proficient
level (as determined under the State or local as-
sessment standard) by the end of third grade.
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—A tuition assistance
grant to a parent or guardian under subpara-
graph (A) may not exceed an amount equal to
the average per-pupil expenditure for the local
educational agency. The tuition assistance
grant shall be used to purchase tutoring in
reading, during, after, or before regular school
hours, or on the weekends, from a private sec-
tor provider, who is approved by the State or
local educational agency and uses instructional
practices based on scientifically based reading
research, for a child. Assistance under such a
grant shall be made available on a month-by-
month basis until the child is reading at a pro-
ficient level for the child’s grade level.
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Each State receiv-
ing an allotment under this section may use 5 percent of
the allotted funds for the administrative costs of carrying
out this title.
(f) PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT.—Funds to re-
duce the national reading deficit may be matched by the
private sector and administered by the State under this
title.
(g) PRIVATE DONATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.—The Secretary of Education shall allot any
funds received by the Department of Education from the
private sector for purposes of this section in the same
manner as funds are allotted to the States under sub-
section (b) for use in accordance with subsection (c).
(h) STATE OR LOCAL GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DE-
VISES.—A State or local educational agency may accept,
use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of services
or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of
aiding or facilitating the purposes and required uses of
this title.
SEC. 104. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) AVERAGE PER-PUPIL EXPENDITURE.—The
term ‘‘average per-pupil expenditure’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 14101 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 8801).
(2) 
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL; 
LOCAL
EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCY.—The terms ‘‘elementary school’’
and ‘‘local educational agency’’ have the meanings
given the terms in section 14101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8801).
(3) NATIONAL
READING
DEFICIT.—The term
‘‘national reading deficit’’ means the percentage of
children enrolled in grades kindergarten through
fourth grade who are unable to read at a proficient
reading level for their grade level, as determined by
the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
(4) READING.—The term ‘‘reading’’ means a
complex system of deriving meaning from print that
requires all of the following:
(A) The skills and knowledge to under-
stand how phonemes (speech sounds) are con-
nected to print.
(B) The ability to decode unfamiliar words.
(C) The ability to read fluently.
(D) Sufficient background information and
vocabulary to foster reading comprehension.
(E) The development of appropriate active
strategies to construct meaning from print.
(F) The development and maintenance of a
motivation to read.
(G) Scientifically based reading research.
(5) SCIENTIFICALLY
BASED
READING
RE-
SEARCH.—The term ‘‘scientifically based reading
research’’—
(A) means research that involves the appli-
cation of rigorous, systematic, and objective
procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to
reading development, reading instruction, and
reading difficulties; and
(B) includes research that—
(i) 
employs 
systematic, 
empirical
methods that draw on observation or ex-
periment;
(ii) involves rigorous data analyses
that are adequate to test the stated
hypotheses and justify the general conclu-
sions drawn;
(iii) relies on measurements or obser-
vational methods that provide valid data
across evaluators and observers and across
multiple measurements and observations;
and
(iv) has been accepted by a peer-re-
viewed journal or approved by a panel of
independent experts through a comparably
rigorous, objective, and scientific review.
(6) SCIENTIFIC
PRINCIPLES
OF
READING
IN-
STRUCTION.—The term ‘‘scientific principles of
reading instruction’’ means a method of instruction
that teaches in sequence the following scientific prin-
ciples of reading:
(A) The teaching of phonemic awareness,
which is the understanding that spoken words
and syllables are made up of sequences of ele-
mentary speech sounds.
(B) The teaching, explicitly and in isola-
tion, of each single speech sound-spelling rep-
resented by each letter or letter combination.
The provision of practice in recognizing the
speech sound-spelling relationship in decodable
text.
(C) The teaching of frequent, highly reg-
ular speech sound-spelling relationships system-
atically progressing from easier to more dif-
ficult, and providing practice reading them
daily, first in isolation and then in the context
of words and sentences.
(D) The teaching of students, directly, how
to sound out words by blending the words’
speech sound-spellings together sequentially
from left to right, and then providing practice
using words composed of only those speech
sound-spelling relationships that have been pre-
viously taught.
(E) The use of connected, decodable text
for students to practice the speech sound-spell-
ing relationships the students have learned.
(F) The teaching of reading comprehension
using interesting teacher-read stories that in-
clude words most students have not yet learned
to read, but which are part of the students’ spo-
ken vocabulary.
(G) The teaching of decoding and com-
prehension skills concurrently but separately,
until reading becomes fluent such that com-
prehension skills learned through teacher-read
literature can be applied to students’ own read-
ing once the students become fluent decoders.
SEC. 105. SUNSET.
Effective on the date the National Assessment of
Educational Progress publishes a notice certifying that the
national reading deficit is less than 5 percent of the total
number of children enrolled in grades kindergarten
through fourth grade in the United States, the provisions
of this title are repealed.
TITLE II—IMPROVING LITERACY
THROUGH FAMILY LITERACY
PROJECTS; 
REAUTHORIZA-
TION OF INEXPENSIVE BOOK
DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
Subtitle A—Family Literacy
SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 1002(b) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6302(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘$118,000,000 for fiscal year
1995’’ and inserting ‘‘$175,000,000 for fiscal year
2001’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘four’’ and inserting ‘‘three’’.
SEC. 202. IMPROVING BASIC PROGRAMS OPERATED BY
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
Section 1111(c) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(7) the State educational agency will encour-
age local educational agencies and individual schools
participating in a program assisted under this part
to offer family literacy services (using funds under
this part), if the agency or school determines that a
substantial number of students served under this
part by the agency or school have parents who do
not have a high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent or who have low levels of literacy.’’.
SEC. 203. EVEN START FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMS.
(a) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.—Section 1201 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6361) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘high qual-
ity’’ after ‘‘build on’’; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(2) promote the academic achievement of chil-
dren and adults;’’;
(3) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4) use instructional programs based on sci-
entifically based reading research (as defined in sec-
tion 2252) and the prevention of reading difficulties
for children and, to the extent such research is avail-
able, scientifically based reading research (as so de-
fined) for adults.’’.
(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—
(1) RESERVATION
FOR
MIGRANT
PROGRAMS,
OUTLYING
AREAS, AND
INDIAN
TRIBES.—Section
1202(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6362(a)) is
amended—
(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘(or, if
such 
appropriated 
amount 
exceeds
$200,000,000, 6 percent of such amount)’’
after ‘‘1002(b)’’;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘If the
amount of funds made available under this sub-
section exceeds $4,600,000,’’ and inserting
‘‘After the date of the enactment of the Read-
ing Deficit Elimination Act,’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) COORDINATION OF PROGRAMS FOR AMER-
ICAN
INDIANS.—The Secretary shall ensure that
programs under paragraph (1)(C) are coordinated
with family literacy programs operated by the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs in order to avoid duplication
and to encourage the dissemination of information
on high quality family literacy programs serving
American Indians.’’.
(2) RESERVATION FOR FEDERAL ACTIVITIES.—
Section 1202(b) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6362(b)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(b) RESERVATION FOR FEDERAL ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) EVALUATION, 
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE,
PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT, AND REPLICATION ACTIVI-
TIES.—From amounts appropriated under section
1002(b), the Secretary may reserve not more than 3
percent of such amounts for purposes of—
‘‘(A) carrying out the evaluation required
by section 1209; and
‘‘(B) providing, through grants or con-
tracts with eligible organizations, technical as-
sistance, program improvement, and replication
activities.
‘‘(2) RESEARCH.—In the case of fiscal years
2001 through 2004, if the amounts appropriated
under section 1002(b) for any of such years exceed
such amounts appropriated for the preceding fiscal
year, the Secretary shall reserve from such excess
amount $2,000,000 or 50 percent, whichever is less,
to carry out section 1211(b).’’.
(c) RESERVATION FOR GRANTS.—Section 1202(c)(1)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6362(c)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘From funds reserved under
section 2260(b)(3), the Secretary shall award
grants,’’ and inserting ‘‘For any fiscal year for
which at least one State applies and qualifies and
for which the amount appropriated under section
1002(b) exceeds the amount appropriated under
such section for the preceding fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall reserve, from the amount of such excess
remaining after the application of subsection (b)(2),
the amount of such remainder or $1,000,000, which-
ever is less, to award grants,’’; and
(2) by adding at the end ‘‘No State may receive
more than one grant under this subsection.’’.
(d) ALLOCATIONS.—Section 1202(d)(2) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6362(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘that section’’ and in-
serting ‘‘that part’’.
(e) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1202(e) of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6362(e)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘or’’ after
‘‘higher education,’’ and inserting ‘‘a religious orga-
nization, or’’; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘nonprofit or-
ganization’’ and inserting ‘‘nonprofit organization,
including a religious organization,’’.
(f) SUBGRANTS
FOR LOCAL PROGRAMS.—Section
1203(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6363(b)(2)) is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘(2) MINIMUM SUBGRANT AMOUNTS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subparagraphs (B) and (C), no State shall
award a subgrant under paragraph (1) in an
amount less than $75,000.
‘‘(B) SUBGRANTEES IN NINTH AND SUC-
CEEDING
YEARS.—No State shall award a
subgrant under paragraph (1) in an amount
less than $52,500 to an eligible entity for a fis-
cal year to carry out an Even Start program
that is receiving assistance under this part or
its predecessor authority for the ninth (or any
subsequent) fiscal year.
‘‘(C) 
EXCEPTION
FOR
SINGLE
SUBGRANT.—A State may award one subgrant
in each fiscal year of sufficient size, scope, and
quality to be effective in an amount less than
$75,000 if, after awarding subgrants under
paragraph (1) for such fiscal year in accordance
with subparagraphs (A) and (B), less than
$75,000 is available to the State to award such
subgrants.’’.
(g) USES OF FUNDS.—Section 1204 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6364) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘family-cen-
tered education programs’’ and inserting ‘‘family lit-
eracy services’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS FOR FAMILY LITERACY SERV-
ICES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—States may use a portion of
funds received under this part to assist eligible enti-
ties receiving a subgrant under section 1203(b) in
improving the quality of family literacy services pro-
vided under Even Start programs under this part,
except that in no case may a State’s use of funds
for this purpose for a fiscal year result in a decrease
from the level of activities and services provided to
program participants in the preceding year.
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In carrying out paragraph (1),
a State shall give priority to programs that were of
low quality, as evaluated based on the indicators of
program quality developed by the State under sec-
tion 1210.
‘‘(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP LOCAL
PROGRAMS RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—In carrying
out paragraph (1), a State may use the funds re-
ferred to in such paragraph to provide technical as-
sistance to help local programs of demonstrated ef-
fectiveness to access and leverage additional funds
for the purpose of expanding services and reducing
waiting lists.
‘‘(4) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.—
Assistance under paragraph (1) shall be in the form
of technical assistance and training, provided by a
State through a grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement with an entity that has experience in of-
fering high quality training and technical assistance
to family literacy providers.’’.
(h) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—Section 1205 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6365) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (9) and (10)
as paragraphs (13) and (14), respectively;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through
(8) as paragraphs (6) through (9), respectively;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(5) with respect to the qualifications of staff
the cost of whose salaries are paid, in whole or in
part, with Federal funds provided under this part,
ensure that—
‘‘(A) not later than 4 years after the date
of the enactment of the Reading Deficit Elimi-
nation Act—
‘‘(i) a majority of the individuals pro-
viding academic instruction—
‘‘(I) shall have obtained an asso-
ciate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree
in a field related to early childhood
education, elementary school edu-
cation, or adult education; or
‘‘(II) shall meet qualifications es-
tablished by the State for early child-
hood education, elementary school
education, or adult education provided
as part of an Even Start program or
another family literacy program;
‘‘(ii) the individual responsible for ad-
ministration of family literacy services
under this part has received training in the
operation of a family literacy program; and
‘‘(iii) paraprofessionals who provide
support for academic instruction have a
high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent; and
‘‘(B) beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of the Reading Deficit Elimination Act,
all new personnel hired to provide academic
instruction—
‘‘(i) have obtained an associate’s,
bachelor’s, or graduate degree in a field re-
lated to early childhood education, elemen-
tary school education, or adult education;
or
‘‘(ii) meet qualifications established by
the State for early childhood education, el-
ementary school education, or adult edu-
cation provided as part of an Even Start
program or another family literacy pro-
gram;’’;
(4) by inserting after paragraph (9) (as so re-
designated by paragraph (2)) the following:
‘‘(10) use instructional practices in reading for
children based on scientific principles of reading in-
struction (as defined in section 104(6) of the Read-
ing Deficit Elimination Act) and, to the extent sup-
ported by research, apply these practices to adult
reading instruction;
‘‘(11) encourage participating families to attend
regularly and to remain in the program a sufficient
time to meet their program goals;’’;
‘‘(12) include reading readiness activities for
preschool children based on scientific principles of
reading instruction (as defined in section 104(6) of
the Reading Deficit Elimination Act) to ensure chil-
dren enter school ready to learn to read;’’; and
(5) in paragraph (14) (as so redesignated), by
striking ‘‘program.’’ and inserting ‘‘program to be
used for program improvement.’’.
(i) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.—Section 1206 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6366) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B) by striking ‘‘part;’’
and inserting ‘‘part, or who are attending secondary
school;’’; and
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(3) CHILDREN 8 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.—
If an Even Start program assisted under this part
collaborates with a program under part A, and funds
received under such part A program contribute to
paying the cost of providing programs under this
part to children 8 years of age or older, the Even
Start program, notwithstanding subsection (a)(2),
may permit the participation of children 8 years of
age or older.’’.
(j) PLAN.—Section 1207(c) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6367(c)) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting ‘‘and continuous improve-
ment’’ after ‘‘plan of operation’’;
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking
‘‘goals;’’ and inserting ‘‘objectives, strategies to
meet such objectives, and how they are con-
sistent with the program indicators established
by the State;’’;
(C) in subparagraph (E), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end;
(D) in subparagraph (F)—
(i) by striking ‘‘Act, the Goals 2000:
Educate America Act,’’ and inserting
‘‘Act’’; and
(ii) by striking the period at the end
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(G) a description of how the plan pro-
vides for rigorous and objective evaluation of
progress toward the program objectives de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) and for continuing
use of evaluation data for program improve-
ment.’’; and
(2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(1)(A)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(1)’’.
(k) AWARD OF SUBGRANTS.—Section 1208 of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6368) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(B)—
(i) by striking ‘‘including a high’’ and
inserting ‘‘such as a high’’; and
(ii) by striking ‘‘part A;’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘part A, a high number or percentage
of parents who have been victims of domes-
tic violence, or a high number or percent-
age of parents who are receiving assistance
under a State program funded under part
A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);’’;
(B) in paragraph (1)(F), by striking ‘‘Fed-
eral’’ and inserting ‘‘non-Federal’’;
(C) in paragraph (1)(H), by inserting
‘‘family literacy projects and other’’ before
‘‘local educational agencies’’; and
(D) in paragraph (3), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘one or
more of the following individuals:’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘one individual with expertise in family lit-
eracy programs, and may include other individ-
uals, such as one or more of the following:’’;
and
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking paragraph (3) and insert-
ing the following:
‘‘(3) CONTINUING
ELIGIBILITY.—In awarding
subgrant funds to continue a program under this
part after the first year, the State educational agen-
cy shall review the progress of each eligible entity in
meeting the objectives of the program referred to in
section 1207(c)(1)(A) and shall evaluate the pro-
gram based on the indicators of program quality de-
veloped by the State under section 1210.’’; and
(B) by amending paragraph (5)(B) to read
as follows:
‘‘(B) The Federal share of any subgrant re-
newed under subparagraph (A) shall be limited in
accordance with section 1204(b).’’.
(l) RESEARCH.—Section 1211 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6369b) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘subsection
(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (a) and (b)’’;
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(b) SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH ON FAMILY
LITERACY.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—From amounts reserved
under section 1202(b)(2), the National Institute for
Literacy shall carry out research that—
‘‘(A) is scientifically based reading re-
search (as defined in section 2252); and
‘‘(B) determines—
‘‘(i) the most effective ways of improv-
ing the literacy skills of adults with read-
ing difficulties; and
‘‘(ii) how family literacy services can
best provide parents with the knowledge
and skills they need to support their chil-
dren’s literacy development.
‘‘(2) USE OF EXPERT ENTITY.—The National
Institute for Literacy shall carry out the research
under paragraph (1) through an entity, including a
Federal agency, that has expertise in carrying out
longitudinal studies of the development of literacy
skills in children and has developed effective inter-
ventions to help children with reading difficulties.’’.
(m) TREATMENT OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.—
Part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq.) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 1213. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
‘‘(a) RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS
INCLUDED
AS
PARTNERSHIP PARTICIPANTS.—In carrying out this part,
the Secretary, and any grantee or subgrantee receiving as-
sistance under this part, shall treat religious organizations
the same as other nongovernmental organizations, so long
as this part is implemented in a manner consistent with
the Establishment Clause of the first amendment to the
Constitution. The Secretary, and any grantee or sub-
grantee receiving assistance under this part, shall not dis-
criminate against an organization that participates in a
partnership that is an eligible entity receiving assistance
under this part, or an organization that participates in
a partnership that is applying to receive such assistance,
on the basis that the organization has a religious char-
acter.
‘‘(b) 
RELIGIOUS
CHARACTER
AND
INDEPEND-
ENCE.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A religious organization
that participates in a partnership that is an eligible
entity receiving assistance under this part, or that
participates in a partnership that is applying to re-
ceive such assistance, shall retain its religious char-
acter and control over the definition, development,
practice, and expression of its religious beliefs.
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
SAFEGUARDS.—Neither the
Federal Government nor a State or local government
shall require a religious organization—
‘‘(A) to alter its form of internal govern-
ance; or
‘‘(B) to remove religious art, icons, scrip-
ture, or other symbols;
in order to be eligible to participate in a partnership
that is an eligible entity receiving assistance under
this part or to participate in a partnership that is
applying to receive such assistance.
‘‘(3) EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES.—A religious or-
ganization’s exemption provided under section 702
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–
1) regarding employment practices shall not be af-
fected by its participation in, or receipt of funds
from, a program under this part.
‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN
PURPOSES.—No funds provided to a religious organiza-
tion under this part or section 1002(b) shall be expended
for sectarian worship or instruction or proselytization.
‘‘(d) PROHIBITION ON SERVING AS FISCAL AGENT.—
A religious organization may not serve as a fiscal agent
for a partnership that is an eligible entity receiving a
subgrant under this part.
‘‘(e) 
NONDISCRIMINATION
AGAINST
BENE-
FICIARIES.—Except as otherwise provided in law, a reli-
gious organization shall not discriminate against an indi-
vidual in regard to rendering services under this part on
the basis of religion, a religious belief, or refusal actively
to participate in a religious practice.
‘‘(f) FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—For pur-
poses of any Federal, State, or local law, receipt of finan-
cial assistance under this part or section 1002(b) shall
constitute receipt of Federal financial assistance or aid.
‘‘(g) TREATMENT OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.—An
eligible entity may not subject a participant, during an
Even Start program assisted under this part, to sectarian
worship or instruction or proselytization.
‘‘SEC. 1214. PROHIBITION ON VOUCHERS OR CERTIFICATES.
‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no
services under this part may be provided through voucher
or certificate.’’.
SEC. 204. EDUCATION OF MIGRATORY CHILDREN.
Section 1304(b) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6394(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(7) a description of how the State will encour-
age programs and projects assisted under this part
to offer family literacy services if the program or
project serves a substantial number of migratory
children who have parents who do not have a high
school diploma or its recognized equivalent or who
have low levels of literacy.’’.
SEC. 205. DEFINITIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 14101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801)
is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (15) through
(29) as paragraphs (16) through (30), respectively;
and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(15) FAMILY LITERACY SERVICES.—The term
‘family literacy services’ means services provided to
participants on a voluntary basis that are of suffi-
cient intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient
duration, to make sustainable changes in a family,
and that integrate all of the following activities:
‘‘(A) Interactive literacy activities between
parents and their children.
‘‘(B) Training for parents regarding how
to be the primary teacher for their children and
full partners in the education of their children.
‘‘(C) Parent literacy training that leads to
economic self-sufficiency.
‘‘(D) An age-appropriate education to pre-
pare children for success in school and life ex-
periences.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) EVEN
START
FAMILY
LITERACY
PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 1202(e) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6362(e)) is amended—
(A) by striking paragraph (3); and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and
(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.
(2) READING AND LITERACY GRANTS.—Section
2252 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6661a) is amended—
(A) by striking paragraph (2); and
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3)
through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (4), re-
spectively.
SEC. 206. INDIAN EDUCATION.
(a) EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.—
Section 1143 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25
U.S.C. 2023) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A)—
(A) by striking ‘‘(f)’’ and inserting ‘‘(g)’’;
and
(B) by striking ‘‘(e))’’ and inserting ‘‘(f))’’;
(2) in subsection (d)(1)—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D)
and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respec-
tively; and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C)
the following:
‘‘(D) family literacy services,’’;
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘(f),’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(g),’’;
(4) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as
subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and
(5) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(e) Family literacy programs operated under this
section, and other family literacy programs operated by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, shall be coordinated with
family literacy programs for American Indian children
under part B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 in order to avoid duplication and
to encourage the dissemination of information on quality
family literacy programs serving American Indians.’’.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1146 of the Education
Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2026) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through
(14) as paragraphs (8) through (15), respectively;
and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(7) the term ‘family literacy services’ has the
meaning given such term in section 14101 of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 8801);’’.
Subtitle B—Inexpensive Book
Distribution Program
SEC. 211. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
FOR READING MOTIVATION.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 10501(a) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8131(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘books to students, that
motivate children to read.’’ and inserting ‘‘books to young
and school-aged children that motivate them to read.’’.
(b) 
REQUIREMENTS
OF
CONTRACT.—Section
10501(b)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131(b)(4)) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘training and’’ before ‘‘technical assistance’’.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
10501(e) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131(e)) is amended by striking
‘‘$10,300,000 for fiscal year 1995’’ and inserting
‘‘$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2000’’.
(d) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.—Section 10501 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 8131) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as
subsections (g) and (h), respectively;
(2) by redesignating subsections (a) through (c)
as subsections (b) through (d), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after the section heading the
following:
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this program is to
establish and implement a model partnership between a
governmental entity and a private entity, to help prepare
young children for reading, and motivate older children
to read, through the distribution of inexpensive books.
Local reading motivation programs assisted under this
section shall use such assistance to provide books, training
for volunteers, motivational activities, and other essential
literacy resources, and shall assign the highest priority to
serving the youngest and neediest children in the United
States.’’.
(e) NEW PROVISIONS.—Section 10501 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8131) is amended by inserting before subsection (g) (as
so redesignated by subsection (d)) the following:
‘‘(e) SPECIAL RULES FOR CERTAIN SUBCONTRAC-
TORS.—
‘‘(1) 
FUNDS
FROM
OTHER
FEDERAL
SOURCES.—Subcontractors 
operating 
programs
under this section in low-income communities with a
substantial number or percentage of children with
special needs, as described in subsection (c)(3), may
use funds from other Federal sources to pay the
non-Federal share of the cost of the program, if
those funds do not comprise more than 50 percent
of the non-Federal share of the funds used for the
cost of acquiring and distributing books.
‘‘(2) WAIVER
AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding
subsection (c), the contractor may waive, in whole or
in part, the requirement in subsection (c)(1) for a
subcontractor, if the subcontractor demonstrates
that it would otherwise not be able to participate in
the program, and enters into an agreement with the
contractor with respect to the amount of the non-
Federal share to which the waiver will apply. In a
case in which such a waiver is granted, the require-
ment in subsection (c)(2) shall not apply.
‘‘(f) MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS.—The contractor may
enter into a multi-year subcontract under this section, if—
‘‘(1) the contractor believes that such sub-
contract will provide the subcontractor with addi-
tional leverage in seeking local commitments; and
‘‘(2) the subcontract does not undermine the fi-
nances of the national program.’’.
SEC. 212. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by section 211 shall take ef-
fect on October 1, 2000.
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