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H.R. 820: Prescribe A Book Act

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H.R. 820: Prescribe A Book Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-02-18 · Education · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-02-18 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Prescribe A Book Act

Plain summary

Prescribe A Book Act - Creates a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Prescribe A Book Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] · 84 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

James P. McGovern (D-MA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), André Carson (D-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) and 24 more.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr820 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112