{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-cosponsors-21st-century-dyslexia-act", "WESTERMAN COSPONSORS 21st CENTURY DYSLEXIA ACT", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", "westerman", "https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif) and Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) introduced the 21st Century Dyslexia Act. This legislation works to incorporate the modern, scientific understanding of dyslexia into federal statute and prevent the harm unidentified dyslexia can inflict on young students.\n\n\u201cFor far too long, students with dyslexia have faced a mountain of obstacles to learn in a way that\u2019s best suited to them,\u201d Westerman said. \u201cEducators weren\u2019t properly trained and parents often felt powerless to help their children who struggled with dyslexia. I\u2019ve been honored to meet many of these students and parents during my time as the co-chair of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus, and I know that their futures are bright when we equip them with the tools they need for success. I\u2019m proud to once again lead this important legislation alongside Congresswoman Houchin and Dyslexia Caucus Co-Chair Brownley, and I hope it serves as a roadmap for raising dyslexia awareness and giving schools across the country the right resources to educate the next generation.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been continually disappointed in how students with Dyslexia are left to fend for themselves in our education system,\u201d Houchin said. \u201cI remember the years of sleepless nights and wrong information that delayed my own son\u2019s diagnosis, and ultimately delayed his ability to receive appropriate accommodations. Our family\u2019s story isn\u2019t unique, which is why the 21st Century Dyslexia Act is necessary.\u201d\n\n\u201cStudents with dyslexia face unique challenges and should have access to the resources and supportive learning environments they need to live up to their fullest potential,\u201d said Brownley. \u201cBy reclassifying dyslexia as its own category within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, this legislation raises the much-needed awareness of the most common learning disability among American students and provides the proper accommodations and services for these students. As the mother of a child who struggled with dyslexia when she was in school, I know the importance of this issue all too well. That is why I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues of the Congressional Dyslexia Caucus to ensure that all individuals living with dyslexia can thrive and succeed.\u201d\n\nU.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.\n\n\u201cWe know how to teach a student with dyslexia and help them reach their full potential,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cUnfortunately, a student is often not screened for dyslexia until after they have already fallen behind, if at all. This legislation brings a 21st century approach to dyslexia based on science that allows children with dyslexia to achieve their God given potential.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nCurrently, dyslexia is included as one of many neurocognitive differences under \u201cSpecific Learning Disabilities\u201d (SLD) in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Despite dyslexia being the most prevalent neurocognitive difference within SLD, students are rarely tested. This prevents them from getting the services and accommodations necessary to assist dyslexic students learning to read. When children are not identified with dyslexia, evidence shows lifelong harm can occur, including lower career wages, reduced graduation rates, and increased rates of incarceration.\n\nThis legislation helps students by pulling dyslexia out of the overly broad definition of SLD and including it in the list of disabilities that define a \u201cchild with a disability,\u201d thus classifying dyslexia as its own category within IDEA.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/westerman-cosponsors-21st-century-dyslexia-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9279199875891209, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}