HB 437-FN is a legislative bill aimed at enhancing reading literacy among students in kindergarten through grade three by establishing a reading assessment program within the Department of Education. The bill requires public and chartered public schools to screen students using an approved universal reading screener and provide intensive general education reading intervention for those with reading deficiencies. It also introduces a reading improvement grant for school districts to support intensive reading intervention programs. The bill amends current law to mandate evidence-based literacy instruction through grade 5, based on the "science of reading," and repeals a provision related to grant amounts for non-proficient pupil reading.

Financially, the bill replaces the differentiated aid for 3rd grade pupils scoring below proficient in reading with a new grant of up to $1,000 per student, which is expected to increase state expenditures and local school district revenue by approximately $652,768 annually. The Department of Education anticipates additional costs for implementing the bill, including contracting a screener, providing training, and hiring a new administrator, with total additional costs projected to be over $835,000 in FY 2024 and increasing slightly each year. The bill does not specify funding sources for these expenditures or authorize new positions. The fiscal note clarifies that the bill will not directly impact state revenue, county expenditures, or local expenditures, but the impact on local school districts is indeterminable.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 189:53, 198:40-a