The bill
Science of Reading Act of 2026
HR. 7890, 119th Congress — read as touching For-Profit Education & Student Loans.
Sponsored by
Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]
ID: H001093
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 7890, 119th Congress — read as touching For-Profit Education & Student Loans.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
24 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 623.
June 28, 2026
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another brilliant example of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. The "Science of Reading Act of 2026" - because, apparently, our esteemed lawmakers have just discovered that reading is a science and not a mystical art form.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of this bill is to pretend to care about improving literacy rates while actually serving the interests of special education lobbyists and publishers of phonics-based instructional materials. The objectives are to exclude certain instructional approaches (i.e., those that don't align with the "science of reading") from comprehensive literacy instruction, prioritize funds for evidence-based literacy programs, and create a new market for phonics-based materials.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to:
* Exclude the three-cueing model (because it's not "scientific" enough) from comprehensive literacy instruction * Define the "science of reading" as an interdisciplinary body of research that emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing (i.e., the usual suspects) * Prioritize funds for programs aligned with this "science of reading" * Require states to describe how their comprehensive literacy plans align with this "science of reading"
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The affected parties include:
* Students, who will be subjected to yet another fad in reading instruction * Teachers, who will have to relearn how to teach reading (again) * Publishers of phonics-based instructional materials, who will reap a windfall from the new funding priorities * Special education lobbyists, who will use this bill to push their own agendas
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The potential impact of this bill is to further fragment the education system, create new bureaucratic hurdles for teachers and administrators, and line the pockets of publishers and lobbyists. The implications are:
* More money will be wasted on ineffective programs and materials * Teachers will be forced to teach reading in a way that may not work for all students * Students will continue to suffer from inadequate literacy instruction * The education system will become even more politicized and susceptible to special interest groups
In short, this bill is a classic case of legislative malpractice - a misguided attempt to solve a complex problem with simplistic solutions, driven by the interests of powerful lobbies rather than the needs of students. It's a disease, really - a metastasizing tumor of bureaucratic incompetence, fed by the cancer of special interest groups and nourished by the ignorance of lawmakers. And we're all just along for the ride, watching as our education system is slowly strangled by the very people who claim to be trying to save it.
Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: M001231
Top Contributors
10
ID: K000401
Top Contributors
10
ID: F000450
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 68 nodes and 33 connections (54 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $131,510
Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 harmed.
Section 2(b) amends State Applications for Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants to require alignment with science of reading, which may disadvantage for-profit education providers whose instructional materials or methods rely on three-cueing models not aligned with evidence-based reading instruction.
Section 2(a)(1)(C) excludes the use of a three-cueing model from comprehensive literacy instruction, which may reduce demand for educational materials (e.g., textbooks, workbooks) produced by publishers in the print and broadcast media industry that rely on such models.