AB 2222 Will Not Be Heard By Assembly Education Committee

Sacramento, CA (April 12, 2024) – Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas and Assembly Education Committee Chair Al Muratsuchi announced yesterday that AB 2222, authored by California State Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-48), will not advance in the Legislature this year, citing budget concerns and a need for the bill to receive closer review by all stakeholders, given its size and complexity, before moving forward. AB 2222 is sponsored by Decoding Dyslexia CA, EdVoice, and Families In Schools.

“While we understand the unique budget challenges this year given the State deficit, we hoped that comprehensive early literacy reform could have been a priority this year considering the importance that reading has on a child’s future academic success and life outcomes. Hundreds of thousands of students in California are reading below grade level. An evidence-based approach to early literacy instruction is critical to accelerate the path to literacy and opportunity for children, especially California’s most vulnerable children,” said EdVoice CEO Marshall Tuck.

Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas shared in a statement that “it’s clear that California students’ reading and literacy rates are a serious problem. We need a methodical and inclusive process before enacting a costly overhaul of how reading is taught statewide. I want the Legislature to study this problem closely, so we can be sure stakeholders are engaged and, most importantly, that all students benefit, especially our diverse learners. I thank Assemblymember Blanca Rubio and Education Committee Chair Al Muratsuchi for their partnership and leadership, as well as the advocates working on this issue. This is critical work and it will continue. I look forward to collaborating with everyone in the months ahead.”

“We are encouraged by Speaker Rivas’s commitment to further review the bill through an inclusive process. We will continue to partner with key stakeholders to strengthen the bill and we are grateful to the leadership of Assemblymember Rubio now and in the future to ensure that this legislation passes,” Tuck added.

In a statement, Assemblywoman Rubio noted that “despite this setback, I will not give up on comprehensive, evidence-based early literacy reform to help close the extreme reading achievement gap our state is currently facing. It’s what our educators need and our students deserve–particularly low-income Black and Latino students, English learners, and students with disabilities who are experiencing disproportionate reading challenges in our classrooms. I appreciate the commitment from The Speaker and Chair of Education to review how to effectively implement this policy in the coming year. I am grateful to the bill’s co-sponsors Decoding Dyslexia CA, EdVoice, and Families In Schools for their commitment to early literacy reform, and to the many organizations, parents, educators, and community leaders who fiercely advocated for AB 2222. I am inspired to be part of a growing movement that prioritizes teaching children to read using the most effective resources and research available.”

AB 2222 received the support of 16 bipartisan legislators, nearly 70 advocacy organizations–including the CA/HI NAACP, California State PTA, Children’s Defense Fund California, and Smart Justice California–25 school districts representing 300,000 students, and more than 1,150 concerned California educators, parents, and advocates.

Details may be found on the campaign website www.californiakidsread.org.