HF 591 Summary

• Establishes a 15-member Minnesota Reads task force appointed by the Commissioner of Education, including elementary reading teachers, adult literacy educators, researchers, school administrators, parents, students, and business representatives, with first appointments due by August 15, 2021.

• Requires task force membership to include racial, cultural, linguistic, geographic, and economic diversity where possible, with members serving three-year terms without compensation but eligible for expense reimbursement.

• Directs task force to advise the Commissioner on developing and evaluating literacy programs for prenatal through adult learners, with a goal of achieving 100 percent grade 3 reading proficiency and 100 percent adult literacy rates by 2027.

• Requires task force to submit annual reports by February 15 to legislative education committees containing assessments of state literacy programs and outcomes, plus recommendations for legislative action with draft legislation.

• Appropriates funds from the general fund to the Department of Education for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 (amounts not specified in document).