I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1526 
To aid and support pediatric involvement in reading and education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2009 
Mr. PAYNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To aid and support pediatric involvement in reading and 
education. 
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 ‘‘Prescribe A Book 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a nonprofit organization that has, as de-
termined by the Secretary, demonstrated effective-
ness in the following areas: 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(A) Providing peer-to-peer training to 
healthcare providers in research-based methods 
of literacy promotion as part of routine pedi-
atric health supervision visits. 
(B) Delivering a training curriculum 
through a variety of medical education settings, 
including residency training, continuing medical 
education, and national pediatric conferences. 
(C) Providing technical assistance to local 
healthcare facilities to effectively implement a 
high-quality Pediatric Early Literacy Program. 
(D) Offering opportunities for local health-
care facilities to obtain books at significant dis-
counts, as described in section 7. 
(E) Integrating the latest developmental 
and educational research into the training cur-
riculum for healthcare providers described in 
subparagraph (B). 
(2) PEDIATRIC EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘‘Pediatric Early Literacy Program’’ 
means a program that— 
(A) creates and implements a 3-part model 
through which— 
(i) healthcare providers, doctors, and 
nurses, trained in research-based methods 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
of early language and literacy promotion, 
encourage parents to read aloud to their 
young children, and offer developmentally 
appropriate recommendations and strate-
gies to parents for the purpose of reading 
aloud to their children; 
(ii) healthcare providers, at health su-
pervision visits, provide each child between 
the ages of 6 months and 5 years a new, 
developmentally 
appropriate 
children’s 
book to take home and keep; and 
(iii) volunteers in waiting areas of 
healthcare facilities read aloud to children, 
modeling for parents the techniques and 
pleasures of sharing books together; 
(B) demonstrates, through research pub-
lished in peer-reviewed journals, effectiveness in 
positively altering parent behavior regarding 
reading aloud to children, and improving ex-
pressive and receptive language in young chil-
dren; and 
(C) receives the endorsement of nationally 
recognized medical associations and academies. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
The Secretary is authorized to award grants to eligi-
ble entities under this Act to enable the eligible entities 
to implement Pediatric Early Literacy Programs. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATION. 
An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under 
this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and including such informa-
tion as the Secretary may reasonably require. 
SEC. 5. MATCHING REQUIREMENT. 
An eligible entity receiving a grant under this Act 
shall provide either directly or through private contribu-
tions, in cash or in-kind, non-Federal matching funds 
equal to not less than 50 percent of the grant received 
by the eligible entity under this Act. 
SEC. 6. USE OF GRANT FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving a 
grant under this Act shall— 
(1) enter into contracts with private nonprofit 
organizations, or with public agencies, selected based 
on the criteria described in subsection (b), under 
which each contractor will agree to establish and op-
erate a Pediatric Early Literacy Program; 
(2) provide such training and technical assist-
ance to each contractor of the eligible entity as may 
be necessary to carry out this Act; and 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(3) include such other terms and conditions in 
an agreement with a contractor as the Secretary de-
termines to be appropriate to ensure the effective-
ness of such programs. 
(b) CONTRACTOR CRITERIA.—Contractors shall be 
selected under subsection (a)(1) on the basis of the extent 
to which the contractors give priority to serving a substan-
tial number or percentage of at-risk children, including— 
(1) low-income children (defined in this section 
as children from families with incomes below 200 
percent of the poverty line), particularly low-income 
children in high-poverty areas; 
(2) children without adequate medical insur-
ance; 
(3) children enrolled in a State Medicaid pro-
gram, established under title XIX of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or in the State 
Children’s Health Insurance Program established 
under title XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et 
seq.); 
(4) children living in rural areas; 
(5) migrant children; and 
(6) children with limited access to libraries. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
SEC. 7. RESTRICTION ON PAYMENTS. 
The Secretary shall make no payment to eligible enti-
ties under this Act unless the Secretary determines that 
the eligible entity or a contractor of the eligible entity, as 
the case may be, has made arrangements with book pub-
lishers or distributors to obtain books at discounts that 
are at least as favorable as discounts that are customarily 
given by such publisher or distributor for book purchases 
made under similar circumstances in the absence of Fed-
eral assistance. 
SEC. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 
An eligible entity receiving a grant under this Act 
shall report annually to the Secretary on the effectiveness 
of the program implemented by the eligible entity and the 
programs instituted by each contractor of the eligible enti-
ty, and shall include in the report a description of each 
program. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act— 
(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
(2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; 
(3) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; 
(4) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and 
(5) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2014. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:16 Mar 17, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1526.IH
H1526
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS