21st Century Dyslexia Act

Bill Cassidy

Republican · LA · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Jack Reed (D-RI)Original· 2025-10-15
• John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO)Original· 2025-10-15
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)· 2025-10-21
• Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)· 2025-11-19
• Jim Banks (R-IN)· 2025-12-04

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 542.

2026-08-05

Source: Congress.gov

21st Century Dyslexia Act This bill addresses the education of children with disabilities, with a particular focus on children with dyslexia. Currently, dyslexia is listed as one of the disabilities under the definition of specific learning disability in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This bill instead removes dyslexia from the definition of specific learning disability and establishes a stand-alone definition for dyslexia within the IDEA. Specifically, the bill defines dyslexia for purposes of the IDEA as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell. Additionally, the bill requires a local educational agency or other agency, in determining eligibility for or providing an accommodation or service under the IDEA, to provide equal access to (1) children from low-income families, (2) children from families with low socioeconomic status, and (3) children who are limited English proficient.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 3010 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3010 To amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to improve provisions relating to dyslexia, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 15, 2025 Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Hickenlooper, and Mr. Reed) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to improve provisions relating to dyslexia, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Dyslexia Act''. SEC. 2. DYSLEXIA. (a) Definitions.--Section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``or specific learning disabilities'' and inserting ``specific learning disabilities, or dyslexia''; (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: ``(4) Dyslexia.--The term `dyslexia' means an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell.''; and (3) in paragraph (30)-- (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``dyslexia,''; and (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or of environmental'' and all that follows and inserting ``or dyslexia''. (b) Provision of Accommodations and Services.--The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is amended by inserting after section 608 (20 U.S.C. 1407) the following: ``SEC. 608A. PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES. ``In determining eligibility for, or providing, an accommodation or service under this title, a local educational agency or other agency shall provide equal access, to the accommodation or service, to all eligible children, including eligible children who are-- ``(1) children from low-income families; ``(2) children from families with low socioeconomic status; and ``(3) children who are limited English proficient.''. <all>

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