I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2864 
To amend the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 regarding school library media specialists, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2007 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself and Mr. EHLERS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 regarding school library media 
specialists, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Kids’ 
Interest in Learning and Libraries Act’’ or the ‘‘SKILLs 
Act’’. 
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TITLE 
I—SCHOOL 
LIBRARY 
MEDIA SPECIALIST REQUIRE-
MENTS 
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 1002(b)(4) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6302) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2002’’ and inserting ‘‘2008’’. 
SEC. 102. STATE PLANS. 
Section 1111(b)(8) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(8)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as sub-
paragraph (F); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(E) how the State educational agency will 
meet the goal of ensuring that there is not less 
than 1 highly qualified school library media spe-
cialist in each school receiving funds under this 
part, as described in section 1119(h)(2); and’’. 
SEC. 103. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY PLANS. 
Section 1112(b)(1)(N) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6312(b)(1)(N)) 
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is amended by inserting ‘‘, including ensuring that there 
is not less than 1 highly qualified school library media spe-
cialist in each school’’ before the semicolon. 
SEC. 104. SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAMS. 
Section 1114(b)(1)(D) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6314(b)(1)(D)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘school library media specialists,’’ 
after ‘‘teachers,’’. 
SEC. 105. TARGETED ASSISTANCE SCHOOLS. 
Section 1115(c)(1)(F) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6315(c)(1)(F)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘school library media specialists,’’ 
after ‘‘teachers,’’. 
SEC. 106. QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS, PARAPROFES-
SIONALS, AND SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPE-
CIALISTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1119 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6319) 
is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘TEACH-
ERS
AND
PARAPROFESSIONALS’’ and inserting 
‘‘TEACHERS, 
PARAPROFESSIONALS, 
AND 
SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (h) through (l) 
as subsections (i) through (m), respectively; 
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(3) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(h) SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS.— 
‘‘(1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REQUIRE-
MENT.—Each local educational agency receiving as-
sistance under this part shall ensure, to the extent 
feasible, that each school that is served by the local 
educational agency and receives funds under this 
part employs not less than 1 highly qualified school 
library media specialist. 
‘‘(2) STATE
GOAL.—Each State educational 
agency receiving assistance under this part shall— 
‘‘(A) establish a goal of having not less 
than 1 highly qualified school library media spe-
cialist in each public school that is served by 
the State educational agency and receives funds 
under this part; and 
‘‘(B) specify a date by which the State will 
reach this goal, which date shall be not later 
than the beginning of the 2010–2011 school 
year.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by sub-
section (a)(2)), by striking ‘‘and paraprofessionals’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, paraprofessionals, and school library 
and media specialists’’. 
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1119(l) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (as 
redesignated by subsection (a)(2)) (20 U.S.C. 6319(l)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘subsection (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (m)’’. 
SEC. 107. IMPROVING LITERACY THROUGH SCHOOL LI-
BRARIES. 
Section 1251 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6383) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘well-trained, 
professionally certified’’ and inserting ‘‘highly quali-
fied’’; 
(2) in subsection (e)(3)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘DISTRIBUTION.—The’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘DISTRIBUTION.— 
‘‘(A) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) 
BALANCE
AMONG
TYPES
OF 
SCHOOLS.—In awarding grants under this sub-
section, the Secretary shall take into consider-
ation whether funding is proportionally distrib-
uted among projects serving students in ele-
mentary, middle, and high schools.’’; 
(3) in subsection (f)(2)— 
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(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘the need for student 
literacy improvement at all grade levels,’’ 
before ‘‘the need for’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘well-trained, profes-
sionally certified’’ and inserting ‘‘highly 
qualified’’; 
(4) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(B) a needs assessment of which grade 
spans are served, ensuring funding is propor-
tionally distributed to serve students in elemen-
tary, middle, and high schools;’’; 
(5) in subsection (g)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking the semi-
colon at the end and inserting ‘‘and reading 
materials, such as books and materials that— 
‘‘(A) are appropriate for students in all 
grade levels to be served and for students with 
special learning needs, including students who 
are limited English proficient; and 
‘‘(B) engage the interest of readers at all 
reading levels;’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘profes-
sional 
development 
described 
in 
section 
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1222(d)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘professional devel-
opment in information literacy instruction that 
is appropriate for all grades, including the as-
sessment of student literacy needs, the coordi-
nation of reading and writing instruction across 
content areas, and training in literacy strategies 
in all content areas’’. 
TITLE II—PREPARING, TEACH-
ING, AND RECRUITING HIGH 
QUALITY TEACHERS, SCHOOL 
LIBRARY 
MEDIA 
SPECIAL-
ISTS, AND PRINCIPALS 
SEC. 201. TEACHER, SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST, 
AND PRINCIPAL TRAINING AND RECRUITING 
FUND. 
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in the title heading, by striking ‘‘HIGH 
QUALITY 
TEACHERS 
AND 
PRIN-
CIPALS’’ and inserting ‘‘HIGH QUALITY 
TEACHERS, SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA 
SPECIALISTS, AND PRINCIPALS ’’; and 
(2) in the part heading, by striking ‘‘TEACH-
ER 
AND 
PRINCIPAL’’ 
and 
inserting 
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‘‘TEACHER, SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA 
SPECIALIST, AND PRINCIPAL’’. 
SEC. 202. PURPOSE. 
Section 2101(1) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601(1)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) increase student academic achievement 
through strategies such as— 
‘‘(A) improving teacher, school library 
media specialist, and principal quality; and 
‘‘(B) increasing the number of highly 
qualified teachers in the classroom, highly 
qualified school library media specialists in the 
library, and highly qualified principals and as-
sistant principals in schools; and’’. 
SEC. 203. STATE APPLICATIONS. 
Section 2112(b) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6612(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, school li-
brary media specialists,’’ before ‘‘and principals’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (10), by inserting ‘‘, school li-
brary media specialist,’’ before ‘‘and paraprofes-
sional’’. 
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SEC. 204. STATE USE OF FUNDS. 
Section 2113(c) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6613(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by inserting ‘‘highly qualified school library 
media specialists,’’ before ‘‘principals’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, 
highly qualified school library media special-
ists,’’ before ‘‘and principals’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘teachers and 
principals’’ each place the term appears and insert-
ing ‘‘teachers, school library media specialists, and 
principals’’. 
SEC. 205. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS. 
Section 2123(a) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6623(a)) is amended 
by inserting after paragraph (8) the following: 
‘‘(9)(A) Developing and implementing strategies 
to assist in recruiting and retaining highly qualified 
school library media specialists; and 
‘‘(B) providing appropriate professional devel-
opment for such specialists, particularly related to 
skills necessary to assist students to improve the 
students’ academic achievement, including skills re-
lated to information literacy.’’. 
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TITLE III—GENERAL 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(23)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (B)(ii)(II), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (C)(ii)(VII), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) when used with respect to a school li-
brary media specialist employed in an elemen-
tary school or secondary school in a State, 
means that the school library media specialist— 
‘‘(i) holds at least a bachelor’s degree; 
‘‘(ii) has obtained full State certifi-
cation as a school library media specialist 
or passed the State teacher licensing exam-
ination, with State certification in library 
media, in such State, except that when 
used with respect to any school library 
media specialist teaching in a public char-
ter school, the term means that the school 
library media specialist meets the require-
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ments set forth in the State’s public char-
ter school law; and 
‘‘(iii) has not had certification or li-
censure requirements waived on an emer-
gency, temporary, or provisional basis.’’. 
SEC. 302. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents in 
section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 note) is amended— 
(1) by striking the item relating to section 1119 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘Sec. 1119. Qualifications for teachers, paraprofessionals, and school library 
media specialists.’’; 
(2) by striking the item relating to title II and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘TITLE II—PREPARING, TRAINING, AND RECRUITING HIGH QUAL-
ITY TEACHERS, SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, AND 
PRINCIPALS’’; 
and 
(3) by striking the item relating to part A of 
title II and inserting the following: 
‘‘PART A—TEACHER, SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST, AND PRINCIPAL 
TRAINING AND RECRUITING FUND’’. 
Æ 
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