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AN ACT relating to elementary literacy and making an appropriation therefor. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 171 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) The Kids Love to Read Program is hereby established. The purpose of the 5
program shall be to promote the development of a comprehensive statewide 6
initiative for encouraging students in kindergarten through grade five (5) to 7
develop and continue a love of reading and learning. For purposes of this section, 8
"state program" means the Kids Love to Read Program and "statewide program 9
provider" means the nonprofit organization chosen by the Department for 10
Libraries and Archives to deliver the program. 11
(2) State program funds shall be used to provide, through the Kids Love to Read 12
Program, one (1) book each week of the school year to each registered child in 13
kindergarten through grade five (5). Books shall be sent to each child's home at 14
no cost to families. The state program shall contribute a fifty percent (50%) 15
match of funds, if available, necessary for the program. 16
(3) The Department for Libraries and Archives shall administer the state program, 17
including determining a statewide program provider. A program is eligible and 18
may apply to be the statewide program provider if it is a nonprofit organization 19
and meets the following: 20
(a) Delivers an evidence-based self-selected reading program consisting of 21
independent reading level books that are individually mailed to the 22
residences of kindergarten through grade five (5) students on a weekly 23
basis; 24
(b) Incorporates at least weekly phone calls, texts, or application notifications 25
in multiple languages to a parent or guardian to drive parental and family 26
engagement throughout the duration of the program; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2340
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(c) Provides at least six (6) student selected new books that students get to keep; 1
(d) Builds on pedagogical and literacy principles to scaffold fluency to improve 2
reading comprehension with student exercises; 3
(e) Includes a customizable portal to generate individualized data reports for 4
analysis of student progress; 5
(f) Collects, disaggregates, and distributes detailed data on all metrics of the 6
program, such as parental engagement, books read, and allowable 7
demographic data; 8
(g) Provides summary data to the department for all students served by the 9
program; 10
(h) Agrees to secure the required fifty percent (50%) matching funds; and 11
(i) Agrees that the total cost of the program, including matching funds, shall 12
not exceed one hundred twenty dollars ($120) per student per year. 13
(4) The Department of Libraries and Archives shall promulgate regulations in 14
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as necessary to administer the program. 15
(5) (a) The Kids Love to Read Program trust fund is hereby created as a trust fund 16
in the State Treasury to be administered by the Department for Libraries 17
and Archives for the purposes set forth in this section. 18
(b) The trust fund shall consist of state general fund appropriations, gifts and 19
grants from public and private sources, and federal funds. All moneys 20
included in the fund shall be appropriated for the purposes set forth in this 21
section. 22
(c) Any unallotted or unencumbered balances in the trust fund shall be 23
invested as provided in KRS 42.500(9). Income earned from the investments 24
shall be credited to the trust fund. 25
(d) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, any fund balance at the close of the fiscal 26
year shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2340
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continuously appropriated only for the purposes specified in this section. 1
Section 2. There is hereby appropriated General Fund moneys from the Budget 2
Reserve Trust Fund account established by KRS 48.705 in the amount of $500,000 in 3
fiscal year 2024-2025 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Kids Love to Read 4
Program trust fund. 5