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READ Act Necessary for Student Success, Westerman Says

October 26, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON –Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) issued the following statement Monday (October 26) following passage of the READ Act (H.R. 3033), a bill co-sponsored by Westerman:

"Dyslexia is the most common learning disability. Dyslexia affects more than 90 percent of all individuals identified as learning disabled, and it is estimated dyslexia affects one out of six U.S. school children," Westerman said. "This learning disability causes difficulty with reading comprehension, math, and a variety of other subject areas. More research is needed to understand dyslexia so students receive research-based instruction and have the best opportunity to learn and succeed in the 21st century. That is why I co-sponsored and voted for the READ Act of 2015, a bill that requires the National Science Foundation to fund dyslexia research. This bill is good for students, educators, and America."

The READ Act does not increase federal spending. H.R. 3033 authorizes multi-directorate, merit-reviewed, and competitively awarded dyslexia research projects using funds appropriated for the NSF Research and Related Activities account and the Education and Human Resources Directorate.

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