HR 5769119th CongressIn Committee

21st Century Dyslexia Act

Introduced: Oct 17, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9] (R-Indiana)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the 21st Century Dyslexia Act, would amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to explicitly recognize dyslexia as a distinct condition alongside existing categories like specific learning disabilities, and to clarify its definition. It also adds a new provision requiring that accommodations and related services be provided with equal access to all eligible children, including those from low-income families, those with low socioeconomic status, and those who are limited English proficient (LEP). In effect, the bill aims to improve identification and support for students with dyslexia and to reduce barriers to receiving appropriate services, regardless of family income or language background.

Key Points

1Adds dyslexia as a formal category alongside specific learning disabilities in IDEA, and expands the statutory definition of dyslexia.
2Defines dyslexia as an unexpected reading difficulty in individuals who have the intellectual capacity to read well, commonly caused by difficulties with phonological processing (the ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken language), affecting reading, speaking, and spelling.
3Adjusts related definitional language in IDEA to ensure dyslexia is recognized within the same framework as other disabilities.
4Creates a new Section (608A) titled “Provision of Accommodations and Services,” requiring local educational agencies (LEAs) and other agencies to provide equal access to accommodations and services for all eligible children, including those from low-income families, those with low socioeconomic status, and those who are LEP.
5Emphasizes that eligibility determinations and the provision of accommodations or services must ensure equal access for all eligible children, reducing disparities based on income or language ability.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Students with dyslexia and their families, as well as school districts, teachers, and IEP teams responsible for identifying needs and arranging accommodations.Secondary group/area affected: Students with other recognized disabilities who may benefit from clarified processes and expanded access to services; administrators and education professionals responsible for implementing IDEA accommodations.Additional impacts: Potential changes in screening, identification, and service provision procedures; possible considerations for training, resource allocation, and monitoring to ensure compliance with the new equal-access requirement, along with considerations for budgeting and implementation timelines.

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