Bill > SF4449

This bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families for Minnesota's Rally to Read program in fiscal year 2026. The funds are intended to support community reading coalitions across the state that aim to improve reading proficiency scores and reduce reading inequities among children, with a specific focus on brain development from prenatal stages to age three. The grant money can be used for various purposes, including coordination, facilitation, meetings, data tracking, and evaluation, and must be matched by private funds. Rally to Read is required to implement a targeted strategy to prioritize children most in need of literacy resources, building on existing successful programs to ensure children are prepared to read by age three and proficient at all grade levels. This is a one-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2028.