UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 853
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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 nonprofit organization 18
shall be eligible to apply to be the statewide program provider. The statewide 19
program provider shall be selected by the department based on evidence of the 20
applicant's ability to: 21
(a) Deliver an evidence-based self-selected reading program consisting of 22
independent reading level books that are individually mailed to the 23
residences of kindergarten through grade five (5) students on a weekly 24
basis; 25
(b) Incorporate at least weekly phone calls, texts, or application notifications in 26
multiple languages to a parent or guardian to drive parental and family 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 853
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engagement throughout the duration of the program; 1
(c) Provide at least six (6) student selected new books that students get to keep; 2
(d) Build on pedagogical and literacy principles to scaffold fluency to improve 3
reading comprehension with student exercises; 4
(e) Provide a customizable portal to generate individualized data reports for 5
analysis of student progress; 6
(f) Collect, disaggregate, and distribute detailed data on all metrics of the 7
program, such as parental engagement, books read, and allowable 8
demographic data; 9
(g) Provide summary data to the department for all students served by the 10
program; 11
(h) Secure the required fifty percent (50%) matching funds; and 12
(i) Guarantee that the total cost of the program, including matching funds, 13
shall not exceed one hundred twenty dollars ($120) per student per year. 14
(4) The Department of Libraries and Archives shall promulgate regulations in 15
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as necessary to administer the program. 16
(5) (a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury a trust and agency 17
account to be known as the Kids Love to Read Program fund. The fund 18
shall consist of moneys received from state appropriations, gifts, grants, and 19
federal funds. 20
(b) The fund shall be administered by the Department for Libraries and 21
Archives. 22
(c) Amounts deposited in the fund shall be used for the purposes set forth in 23
this section and for no other purpose. 24
(c) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, fund amounts not expended at the close of a 25
fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal 26
year. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 853
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Section 2. There is hereby appropriated General Fund moneys from the Budget 1
Reserve Trust Fund account established in KRS 48.705 in the amount of $500,000 in 2
fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Kids Love to Read Program fund. 3