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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7890

Rep. Houchin Introduces Science of Reading Act to Prioritize Phonics in Schools

Science of Reading Act of 2026

2 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill updates federal education law to define and prioritize the "science of reading" — an evidence-based approach that emphasizes phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing as the core building blocks for teaching kids to read.

    From policy text

    “identifies instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing as essential components to skilled reading”
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  • The bill bans federal literacy funding from being used for the "three-cueing model," a teaching method where kids guess words based on pictures, context clues, or sentence structure instead of sounding out letters. This model would be explicitly excluded from the definition of comprehensive literacy instruction.

    From policy text

    “does not include the use of a three-cueing model”
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  • States applying for federal comprehensive literacy grants would need to show how their plans align with the science of reading. Priority for both state-level grants and local subgrants would go to programs that follow these evidence-based methods.

    From policy text

    “A description of the extent to which the State comprehensive literacy instruction plan is aligned to the science of reading.”
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  • The bill includes protections to ensure it does not override special education rights under IDEA, Section 504, or the ADA, and explicitly says the federal government cannot mandate specific curricula or instructional content for states or local schools.

    From policy text

    “Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be construed to-- (1) limit or alter the rights, protections, and individualized instructional requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act”
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  • The changes apply to any funds awarded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act on or after the date the bill is enacted, meaning existing programs would need to shift their approach when new funding cycles begin.

    From policy text

    “This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to funds awarded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 note et seq.) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
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Education

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 12, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

The next federal grant cycle after enactment

Federal literacy grants begin requiring alignment with science of reading

Schools and states applying for new federal literacy funding would need to show they use evidence-based reading instruction and have dropped three-cueing methods. This could trigger curriculum changes and teacher training updates across participating districts.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Science of Reading Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7890
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)
D: 1R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.