The bill amends the Strong Readers Act by removing the previously established three-year pilot program for employing a literacy instructional team. Instead, it mandates the State Department of Education to employ a literacy instructional team to support school districts in implementing literacy requirements. The bill also introduces a provision that prohibits school districts, which decline assistance from the literacy instructional team, from being eligible for certain funds. Additionally, it requires the Department to submit a biennial report evaluating the effectiveness of the literacy instructional team members and their impact on student reading proficiency.

Furthermore, the bill updates the qualifications for literacy instructional team members, emphasizing the need for training in various aspects of reading instruction and dyslexia intervention. It specifies that the team will include a minimum of five regional literacy leads, with at least one designated as a dyslexia specialist, and a minimum of ten literacy specialists. The report to be submitted by the Department will now occur biennially, starting December 31, 2026, and will include data on the effectiveness of the literacy instructional team in improving reading proficiency among students. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation.