Support Louisiana Literacy

Reading Justice urges you to support Louisiana House Bill 69 in the upcoming 2023 legislative session. The bill was sponsored by Independent lawyer Joseph Marino and is currently pending in the House Education Committee. The proposed law offers innovative solutions to our state’s literary woes, beginning with identification of the number one obstacle to educational success: dyslexia. 

HB69 “requires every child in grades K-3 to be screened at least once for dyslexia” as well as providing for “implementation of a pilot program relative to dyslexia screening.” Screening is defined, crucially, as not just a “progress monitoring tool” but as an assessment to be developed “solely for dyslexia,” and to be “evidence-based with proven, published psychometric validity.” 

Once dyslexic students have been identified, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is tasked with providing assistance to the student in alignment with their program. Later, there are provisions for the gathering of data so that the state can submit an annual report “relative to the occurrence of dyslexia” and the establishment of qualification for teacher dyslexia practitioner or therapist ancillary certificates. Overall, this bill is a necessary step to right Louisiana’s faltering educational system and must be passed urgently.

How can you help?

Respectfully write to your state legislator (​​Find My Legislators - Louisiana State Legislature) asking them to support the bill. Explain why you are passionate about it and how it might affect your life or that of a family member or friend. If you live near their office, book an appointment with your legislator to speak with them personally about why they should support this bill. To be even more impactful, visit or testify at the Education Committee hearings (Louisiana House of Representatives Committee Meeting Schedule). After committee, the bill will go to the full House, but, unfortunately, most bills never get out of committee. That is why it is so important to get involved now and help advance education for all of Louisiana.

Further reading:
HB69 

Steps to be Successfully Involved in the Legislative Process | Lanterman.org