H.R. 9986House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Read for Reentry Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated August 2, 2026 at 6:19 PM UTC

The Read for Reentry Act of 2026 directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive study of library services in state and federal prisons. The study must be completed within one year and reported to Congress. It aims to gather data on how prison libraries operate, who uses them, and whether they affect outcomes such as recidivism and parole compliance. The findings could inform future policies on educational and reentry resources for incarcerated people.

Key Provisions

The Comptroller General must complete the study within one year of the law’s enactment.
The report must describe any library services provided in state and federal prisons.
It must identify funding sources for those library services.
It must collect demographic data on incarcerated individuals who have access to libraries, including age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, education level, criminal background, and length of incarceration.
The study must examine recidivism rates and parole compliance rates for individuals released from prisons that offer library services.
It must include information on workforce placement outcomes for those released from such prisons.
The report must detail disciplinary infractions involving incarcerated individuals who have library access.
Any other relevant findings about prison libraries and services must be included.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

July 30, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 30, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

July 30, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 30, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9986

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 30, 2026

Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Simon, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To require a GAO study on State and Federal prison libraries, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Read for Reentry Act of 2026.

GAO Study

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on libraries and library services offered in State and Federal prisons, and submit to Congress a report, that—

(1)

includes a description of any library services provided in such prisons;

(2)

identifies any sources of funding for such libraries and library services;

(3)

includes the demographic information of all incarcerated individuals in State and Federal prisons that offer library services, including—

(A)

age;

(B)

race;

(C)

ethnicity;

(D)

gender identity;

(E)

level of education;

(F)

criminal background; and

(G)

length of incarceration;

(4)

identifies the prison recidivism rate for an individual released from a State or Federal prison that offers library services;

(5)

identifies the parole compliance rate for an individual released from a State or Federal prison that offers library services;

(6)

includes a description about workforce placement for individuals released from a State or Federal prison that offers library services;

(7)

identifies the rate of disciplinary infractions (as defined by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons) involving an incarcerated individual in a State or Federal prison that offers library services; and

(8)

includes any other relevant information or findings, as determined by the Comptroller General, with respect to such libraries and library services.