# 119-s-3365: Right to Read Act of 2025

119-s-3365, Right to Read Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3365
- As of: 2026-10-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3365
- Congress: 119
- Title: Right to Read Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-12-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-15

## Summary

**Would set national standards and targeted funding to make sure every student has access to an *effective school library* and evidence-based reading instruction.** It would define what a quality library is, tie grants and data to library access, and focus on digital and information literacy training. - Students and families: Low-income, minority students, students with disabilities, and English learners would face new protections so they are not disproportionately enrolled in schools without effective libraries. States must report progress on access and reading supports. - School staff and librarians: School librarians would be included as teacher-equivalent staff for hiring, retention, and professional development. Grants would fund recruitment, training, and library program improvements. - States and local districts: New Title I and Title II rules would require library-focused plans and allow districts to use funds for library services, family engagement, and digital literacy projects. The bill would authorize $500 million per year for Comprehensive Literacy grants and $100 million per year for Innovative Literacy grants for FY2026–2030. *Would authorize roughly $600 million annually for FY2026–2030, increasing federal education spending during that period.*

## Cosponsors (8)

- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Hundreds of millions for school libraries: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would authorize $500 million a year for Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants and $100 million a year for Innovative Approaches to Literacy for each fiscal year 2026–2030. States and districts would be able to use these funds to recruit, hire, and retain State‑certifi…
- Biennial school library data collection: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Department of Education would direct NCES to collect school library data every two years. The data would include library space, whether schools employ full‑time State‑certified librarians, counts of librarians and staff, types and counts of print and virtual collections, student dev…
- Liability protections for school staff: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would protect teachers, school librarians, principals, paraprofessionals, and other school staff from liability for harm when they act in line with State or local right‑to‑read policies. The protection would apply only when the person's actions conformed with those State or loc…
- New national library and reading definitions: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would set national definitions for an "effective school library," the "right to read," and "information literacy," and it would say school librarians are included in the legal term "teacher." The "effective school library" definition would require at least one full‑time State‑c…
- State and district library plans and rights: mixed, medium. If enacted, State education plans would have to include a right‑to‑read policy and notify districts, schools, teachers, librarians, parents, and tribes about it. States would need to describe how they will stop low‑income, minority, disabled, and English learner students from being enrolled in scho…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3365 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3365)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3365 (as of 2026-10-15).