Jack Reed

This resolution designates September 2026 as "National Literacy Month" to draw attention to reading proficiency challenges across the United States. It cites troubling statistics, including that 28 percent of American adults, roughly 59 million people, perform at the lowest literacy proficiency level, and that low literacy costs the economy over $2 trillion in lost productivity and earnings plus billions more in health care costs. The resolution notes that literacy struggles disproportionately affect students of color, low-income individuals, and English learners, and are linked to lower graduation rates, reduced employment, and higher incarceration. It encourages the federal government, states, localities, schools, libraries, nonprofits, businesses, and the public to mark the month with appropriate programs and activities. As a simple resolution, it carries no funding, legal mandates, or enforcement mechanisms, serving mainly as a symbolic call to raise awareness about literacy issues.

The Quality Educator Partnership Act authorizes federal funding to strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention in high-need schools serving low-income students. The bill establishes $600 million in fiscal year 2027 and $1 billion annually for the following four years to support educator workforce programs, with funds distributed to planning grants for states, competitive implementation grants to test innovative approaches, partnerships between schools and teacher preparation programs, and research on promising practices in teacher recruitment and training. Key components include incentives to attract underrepresented groups into teaching, structured mentoring and induction programs for new teachers, "Grow Your Own" initiatives that recruit local residents as teachers, and specialized support for high-need teaching fields such as special education, mathematics, science, bilingual education, and early childhood education. The bill defines eligible partnerships as collaborations between high-need school districts and teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities, with optional participation from state agencies and nonprofits, and requires schools to report data on student poverty and academic performance. Research funded under the bill will examine strategies to improve teacher diversity, retention, and effectiveness while ensuring that educational technology supplements rather than replaces classroom teachers.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for designating September 13 through 19, 2026, as "National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week." It highlights concerning statistics showing that millions of American adults struggle with basic literacy, numeracy, and English proficiency, and that nearly 21 million adults lack a high school credential. The resolution recognizes adult education and family literacy programs as essential tools for helping individuals gain skills needed for employment, further education, and economic advancement, while also noting how parents' literacy skills impact their children's educational success. It calls for stronger partnerships between adult education providers, employers, workforce systems, and community organizations, and urges public, private, and nonprofit groups to support and expand these programs. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new programs, allocate funding, or establish binding legal requirements, but rather serves to raise public awareness about the importance of adult education nationwide.

This bill creates a new federal law making it explicitly illegal for anyone to trade securities while possessing material, nonpublic information they know or recklessly disregard is secret and obtained wrongfully. The law also prohibits people from improperly sharing such secret information with others if they know it will lead to trading based on that information. The bill applies broadly to stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, and covers trades made directly or indirectly, including through intermediaries. The legislation provides limited exceptions for pre-planned trades that comply with existing securities regulations and allows the Securities and Exchange Commission to grant additional exemptions as needed. By adding this new section to existing securities law, the bill strengthens the government's ability to prosecute insider trading cases and impose penalties, affecting corporate insiders, investment professionals, and anyone else who might trade on confidential information they obtained improperly.

This bill requires public transit agencies that receive federal funding to equip new large buses with protective barriers around the driver's workstation, starting two years after the law takes effect. The barriers must extend from floor to ceiling, fully enclose the operator's area to prevent unwanted entry by people or objects, and allow the driver to maintain clear visibility of the road and surroundings. The requirement applies to new fixed-route buses that are at least 30 feet long and have a useful life of at least 10 years, but transit agencies can skip the requirement if their labor unions representing bus operators agree to waive it. This bill aims to improve safety and security for bus drivers, who face various workplace hazards and assaults while operating vehicles. The legislation does not specify new federal funding amounts, but instead modifies existing safety requirements for buses purchased with current federal transit grants.

This joint resolution uses Congress's authority to reject federal regulations and would disapprove a rule issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding state laws on interest paid on escrow accounts. The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 19, 2026, would have determined that federal banking law preempts certain state laws governing how banks must handle interest earned on escrow deposits. If passed, this resolution would invalidate the rule entirely, preventing it from taking effect and allowing state interest-on-escrow laws to remain in force without federal preemption. The measure was introduced by Senator Reed and referred to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. This type of resolution is a congressional tool to block agency regulations the legislative branch opposes.

The Disaster Relief Fairness Act of 2026 automatically approves major disaster declarations requested by state governors and Indian tribal leaders between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029, if the damage meets federal thresholds or if individual assistance is deemed warranted. The bill requires the President to provide the disaster assistance requested in these approved declarations, removing the current presidential discretion to deny such requests. The legislation specifically prevents the President from withholding assistance based on missed administrative deadlines. This bill affects states, tribal governments, and disaster victims seeking federal emergency aid under the Stafford Act during the specified four-year period. The bill does not specify new funding amounts, instead working within existing disaster relief appropriations and mechanisms.

To provide funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships program.

This bill realigns the federal Job Corps program to address shortages of skilled workers needed for shipbuilding and defense manufacturing. The Department of Defense will partner with Job Corps centers and apprenticeship programs to expand training in trades relevant to the defense industrial base, including establishing new "transition hubs" near shipyards and defense suppliers. Military recruiters will inform recruits who fail to meet enlistment standards about Job Corps opportunities, and the bill streamlines enrollment for veterans and active-duty service members by exempting them from certain background check requirements. The legislation also grants Job Corps center operators greater local authority to hire staff, adjust trade offerings, and partner with educational institutions without seeking prior approval from the Department of Labor. Additionally, the bill allows Job Corps centers to accept grants and donations from external sources to support defense industrial base training, provided these funds are not used to offset existing federal obligations.

This resolution designates April 2026 as Financial Literacy Month.