I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3606 
To improve the English language and literacy skills of English language 
learners and their families, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2023 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. CROCKETT, and Mr. BOW-
MAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To improve the English language and literacy skills of 
English language learners and their families, 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 ‘‘Families Learning and 
Understanding English Together Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘FLUENT Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Census Bureau’s American Community 
Survey of 2021 estimated 21.6 percent of United 
States households speak a language other than 
English at home. 
(2) In many recently immigrated families, care-
givers speak little to no English, can possess low lit-
eracy skills in their primary language due to limited 
or interrupted education, and frequently struggle to 
assist their children’s English and primary language 
and literacy development. 
(3) The United States is a Nation of immi-
grants, and even today, according to the Census Bu-
reau’s American Community Survey of 2021, more 
than 45,270,103 individuals who live in the United 
States were born outside the country. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to improve the educational, 
social, and economic advancement of families with English 
language learners who have unmet literacy needs by ex-
panding and enhancing family literacy activities and serv-
ices for such families. 
SEC. 4. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM
AUTHORIZED.—From funds made 
available pursuant to section 9, and after reserving funds 
under section 9(b), the Secretary may award grants to 
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family literacy providers to provide, directly or through a 
contract with another provider, family literacy services de-
signed for English language learners and their families. 
Each grant under this Act shall be for a period of 1 year 
and may be renewed for a total of 5 additional years. 
(b) APPLICATION.—Family literacy providers who de-
sire to receive a grant under this Act shall submit an ap-
plication at such time, containing such information, and 
in such manner as the Secretary may require. Such appli-
cation shall include the following: 
(1) An assurance that services provided with 
funds under this Act shall be provided to the hard-
est-to-reach populations, prioritizing English lan-
guage learner populations with the greatest eco-
nomic, educational, and social need. 
(2) A description of the services that will be 
provided with funds under this Act, including the 
manner in which the services will be research-based 
literacy instruction for children who are English 
learners and caregivers who are English language 
learners. 
(3) A description of the outcome measures, con-
sistent with section 6, that are based on research 
and will be employed by the family literacy provider 
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to measure the effectiveness of services provided 
with funds under this Act. 
(4) An assurance that, in providing family lit-
eracy services through the grant, the family literacy 
provider will collaborate with one or more of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A State or Tribal local educational 
agency. 
(B) A public elementary school. 
(C) A public secondary school. 
(D) A nonprofit entity (such as a commu-
nity-based organization, library, community col-
lege, or early childhood provider). 
(5) A requirement that any preservice educators 
or paraprofessionals who facilitate family or adult 
literacy activities be trained and under the direct su-
pervision of a highly qualified family literacy pro-
vider trained in research-based methods of early lan-
guage and literacy promotion. 
(c) GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant under 
this Act for a fiscal year shall not be less than $150,000 
or more than $1,000,000. 
(d) SERVICES
REQUIREMENTS.—Family literacy 
services under this Act shall be provided in sufficient in-
tensity in terms of hours, and shall be of sufficient dura-
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tion, to make sustainable changes in a family and shall 
integrate all of the following activities: 
(1) Interactive literacy activities between care-
givers and their children that includes online and 
digital learning resources. 
(2) Education that helps caregivers learn how 
to advocate for their children and support their chil-
dren’s primary and English language and literacy 
development and educational success. 
(3) Adult literacy education which includes dig-
ital and systems literacy that improves conceptual 
knowledge and reasoning skills. 
(4) An age-appropriate education plan, devel-
oped in partnership with caregivers, to prepare chil-
dren for success in school, career, and civic life. 
(e) SPECIAL RULE.—Family literacy services under 
this Act may be provided to a family only if— 
(1) each caregiver in the family has attained 16 
years of age; and 
(2) the family has at least one child who has 
not yet attained 8 years of age. 
SEC. 5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 
(a) ACTIVITIES BY SECRETARY.—The Secretary, act-
ing through the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 
Secondary Education, shall, through grants or contracts 
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as described in subsection (b), provide technical assistance 
and training to family literacy providers receiving a grant 
under section 4 for the purposes described in subsection 
(c). 
(b) ACTIVITIES BY NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
grants to, or enter into contracts with, at least 2 eli-
gible national organizations to provide technical as-
sistance and training to family literacy providers re-
ceiving a grant under section 4 for the purposes de-
scribed in subsection (c). 
(2) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘el-
igible national organization’’ means a national orga-
nization with expertise in providing family literacy 
services to English language learner populations. 
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of technical assistance 
and training provided under this section are the following: 
(1) Assisting family literacy providers receiving 
a grant under section 4 to improve the quality of 
their family literacy services. 
(2) Enabling such family literacy providers that 
demonstrate the effective provision of family literacy 
services, based on improved outcomes for children 
and their caregivers, to provide technical assistance 
and training to government agencies and to family 
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literacy providers that work in collaboration with 
such agencies to improve the quality of their family 
literacy services. 
(3) Assisting such providers in the implementa-
tion of literacy curriculum and training activities, in-
cluding curriculum and training activities that sup-
port building on a child’s primary language. 
(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a 
report on the technical assistance and training provided 
pursuant to subsections (a) and (b). Each such report 
shall describe the actions taken by the Secretary to ensure 
that such technical assistance and training is of high qual-
ity and is responsive to the needs of grantees under this 
Act. 
SEC. 6. OUTCOME MEASURES. 
The Secretary shall require each family literacy pro-
vider receiving a grant under this Act to meet culturally 
appropriate and competent outcome measures described in 
the provider’s application under section 4, including out-
come measures with respect to— 
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(1) acquisition of the English language, includ-
ing improvement in academic achievement and aca-
demic language fluency and comprehension; 
(2) literacy skills and building of the primary 
language; 
(3) improved caregiving and life skills, such as 
communication and problem-solving skills; 
(4) the improved ability of caregivers who are 
English language learners to effectively communicate 
and partner with school personnel at the preschool, 
elementary, or secondary school their children at-
tend; 
(5) improvement in the developmental skills and 
ability of the children to direct, regulate, and assess 
their own learning; 
(6) increased caregiver participation in their 
children’s education, interactive literacy activities, 
and home environments to support children’s learn-
ing and growth; and 
(7) improved general, cross-cutting abilities 
such as applied academic skills, critical thinking 
skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, per-
sonal qualities, and skills in resource management, 
information use, systems thinking, and technology 
use. 
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SEC. 7. EVALUATION. 
The Secretary shall conduct an annual evaluation of 
the grant program under this Act. Such evaluation shall 
be used by the Secretary— 
(1) for program improvement; 
(2) to further define the program’s goals and 
objectives; and 
(3) to determine program effectiveness. 
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) ADULT EDUCATION PROVIDER.—The term 
‘‘adult education provider’’ has the meaning given 
the term ‘‘eligible provider’’ in section 203 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3272). 
(2) APPLICATION OF ESEA TERMS.—The terms 
‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘English learner’’, ‘‘local edu-
cational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the 
meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(3) ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER; FAMILY LIT-
ERACY ACTIVITIES.—The terms ‘‘English language 
learner’’ and ‘‘family literacy activities’’ have the 
meanings given the terms in section 203 of the 
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3272). 
(4) FAMILY
LITERACY
PROVIDER.—The term 
‘‘family literacy provider’’ means an entity that— 
(A) except in a case in which the Secretary 
waives the requirement of this subparagraph 
with respect to an entity, is located in a geo-
graphic area containing at least one public ele-
mentary school or secondary school with either 
a majority enrollment or recent increase in en-
rollment of children who have been identified as 
English learners; and 
(B) is one of the following: 
(i) A grantee under the Head Start 
Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), or any other 
Federal or State early childhood program. 
(ii) An adult education provider. 
(iii) A local educational agency. 
(iv) A public or private nonprofit 
agency. 
(v) Another entity that has the dem-
onstrated ability to provide family literacy 
services to English language learning 
adults and families. 
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(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028. 
(b) RESERVATIONS.—From funds made available 
pursuant to subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary 
shall reserve— 
(1) not more than 2 percent of such funds for 
conducting the annual evaluation required by section 
7; and 
(2) $5,000,000 for technical assistance and 
training under section 5. 
Æ 
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