# 119-hr-7327: Empowering Young Readers Act of 2026

119-hr-7327, Empowering Young Readers Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-22).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7327
- As of: 2026-07-22
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7327
- Congress: 119
- Title: Empowering Young Readers Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-03
- Sponsor: Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-22

## Summary

**Expands children’s access to books** by creating a Department of Education pilot that would give competitive grants to nonprofits to buy and distribute books and run family literacy events. - Families and children: Grants would fund book purchases, distributions, and local literacy activities like story times, with awards capped at $200,000 and lasting 2 years. - Nonprofit organizations: Nongovernmental and nonprofit groups could apply and must submit past work, a comprehensive plan, and a community leader’s support letter. - Public libraries and communities: Libraries may accept or refuse donated books, and the Secretary must report to Congress on pilot activities and any available changes in child literacy rates after the grants end. *The bill would authorize $10 million for fiscal year 2026 to be appropriated, creating potential federal spending of that amount if funded.*

## Cosponsors (5)

- Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (D-NC), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37] (D-TX), 2026-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), 2026-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2026-07-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More book access for kids and families: benefit, low. This bill would create a competitive pilot grant program at the Department of Education. The Secretary would have to start the program within 180 days of enactment. It would authorize $10 million for fiscal year 2026, available through fiscal year 2027. Grants would be up to $200,000 each and last…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-7327 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7327)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7327 (as of 2026-07-22).