S.Amdt. 3253

SA 3253. Mr. CASSIDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of part I of subtitle F of title V, insert the
following:

SEC. 578. REVIEW OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESSES AND
PROCEDURES OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION
ACTIVITY.

(a) In General.--The Director of the Department of Defense
Education Activity (in this section referred to as ``DODEA'')
shall review the special education processes and procedures
in place within DODEA to locate, identify (through screening
or other evidence-based tools), evaluate, and refer children
with disabilities from birth to age 21 and provide evidence-
based interventions and supports for students with
disabilities.
(b) Consistency With Existing Law.--The review required by
subsection (a) shall be conducted consistent with child-find
requirements under Department of Defense Instruction 1342.12,
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1400 et seq.), and part 300 of title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(c) Provision of Special Education Materials and
Information to Congress.--As part of the review required by
subsection (a), the Director shall provide to the appropriate
congressional committees the following:

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(1) A briefing on the special education processes and
procedures of DODEA, particularly those for locating,
identifying, evaluating, and referring for specific learning
disabilities, including dyslexia.
(2) Documents, including documents not publicly available,
related to subsection (d).
(d) Provision of Materials and Information to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, as part of the review required by
subsection (a), the Director shall provide to the appropriate
congressional committees the following information regarding
any screening programs of DODEA as that information pertains
to locating and identifying, including screening, for early
literacy skill development in children in DODEA schools:
(A) A description of the following:
(i) The extent to which DODEA ensures that it locates and
identifies, including by screening, children enrolled in an
elementary school operated by DODEA for deficiencies in early
literacy skill development.
(ii) The extent to which DODEA ensures that it locates,
identifies, and screens new enrollees in each such school
regardless of year, unless the new enrollee has already been
identified with a specific learning disability, including
dyslexia.
(iii) The extent to which DODEA ensures it provides
comprehensive literacy instruction (as defined in section
2221(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6641(b)(1))).
(iv) The extent to which DODEA provides high-quality
training for school personnel, particularly specialized
instructional support personnel (as defined in section
8101(47)(A)(ii) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(47)(A)(ii))) related to early
literacy, reading, and specific learning disabilities,
including dyslexia.
(v) The extent to which DODEA ensures that each district of
schools operated by DODEA employs at least one specialized
instructional support personnel who specializes in early
literacy, reading, and specific learning disabilities,
including dyslexia.
(B) Information with respect to the following:
(i) The number of children at schools operated by DODEA
screened for deficiencies in early literacy skill
development, including dyslexia, each year and the grade in
which those children were screened.
(ii) The number and types of early literacy screening tools
used by DODEA each year.
(iii) The total number of children evaluated and identified
with specific learning disabilities, disaggregated by
dyslexia and other reading disabilities, as applicable, that
are served by DODEA.
(iv) The total number of such children described in
subparagraph (C), disaggregated by each subgroup of student
(as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2))).
(v) The number of days, on average, from referral from the
screening program to evaluation for specific learning
disabilities, including dyslexia.
(vi) The type of professional conducting intervention
programs for children with early literacy challenges and
specific learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia.
(vii) A list of, and descriptions of materials related to,
early literacy and reading interventions used by DODEA to
provide special education and related services to children
with specific learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia.
(viii) The number of trainings per year provided by DODEA
to school personnel on screening for evaluating and providing
services to children with early literacy challenges and
specific learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia.
(ix) A list of organizations outside of DODEA, if
applicable, that are consulted with on such screening
programs and related reading intervention programs.
(2) Protection of personally identifiable information.--The
Director shall ensure that any information provided to the
appropriate congressional committees under paragraph (1) does
not reveal personally identifiable information.
(e) Assessment of Definitions Used by DODEA.--As part of
the review required by subsection (a), the Director shall
provide to the appropriate congressional committees a
description of how DODEA's definitions of the following terms
align with or differ from the following definitions:
(1) Comprehensive literacy instruction.--The term
``comprehensive literacy instruction'' has the meaning given
that term in section 2221(b)(1) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6641(b)(1)).
(2) Specific learning disabilities.--The term ``specific
learning disabilities'' has the meaning of that term under
section 300.309 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) Screening program.--The term ``screening program''
means a screening program that is--
(A) evidence-based and proven for validity and reliability
to measure early literacy and reading skills;
(B) efficient and low-cost; and
(C) readily available.
(4) Evidence-based.--The term ``evidence-based'' has the
meaning given that term in section 8101(21)(A)(i) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801(21)(A)(i)).
(f) Dyslexia Definition Used by DODEA.--As part of the
review required by subsection (a), the Director shall provide
to the appropriate congressional committee the definition of
``dyslexia'' used by DODEA.
(g) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
______