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UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1650
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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 children 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 nonpr ofit organization chosen by the Department for 10
Libraries and Archives to deliver the state 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 in 17
coordination with the statewide program provider. A nonprofit organization shall 18
be eligible to apply to be the statewide program provider. The statewide program 19
provider shall be selected by the department ba sed on evidence of the applicant's 20
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) children on a wee kly 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 26 RS BR 1650
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engagement throughout the duration of the state program; 1
(c) Provide at least six (6) child-selected new books that children get to keep; 2
(d) Build on pedagogical and literacy principles to scaffold fluency to improve 3
reading comprehension with children; 4
(e) Provide a customizable portal to generate individualized data reports for 5
analysis of a child's progress; 6
(f) Collect, disaggregate, and distribute detailed data on all metrics of the state 7
program, such as parental engagement, books read, and allowable 8
demographic data; 9
(g) Provide summary data to the department for all children served by the state 10
program; 11
(h) Secure the required fifty percent (50%) matching funds; and 12
(i) Guarantee that the total cost of the state program, including matching 13
funds, shall not exceed one hundred twenty dollars ($120) per child per 14
year. 15
(4) The Department of Libraries an d Archives shall promulgate regulations in 16
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as necessary to administer the state program. 17
(5) (a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury a trust and agency 18
account to be known as the Kids Love to Read Program fund. The fund 19
shall consist of moneys received from state appropriations, gifts, grants, and 20
federal funds. 21
(b) The fund shall be administered by the Department for Libraries and 22
Archives. 23
(c) Amounts deposited in the fund shall be used for the purposes set fo rth in 24
this section and for no other purpose. 25
(c) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, fund amounts not expended at the close of a 26
fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal 27
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year. 1
Section 2. There is hereby appropriated General Fund moneys from the Budget 2
Reserve Trust Fund account established in KRS 48.705 in the amount of $500,000 in 3
fiscal year 2027-2028 to the Kids Love to Read Program fund. 4