H.R. 10437 — FLUENT Act

This section states that 25 percent of United States households speak a language other than English at home, that many recently immigrated caregivers with limited English and literacy skills struggle to assist with their children's language instruction, and that 51,900,000 immigrants live in the United States as of June 2025.

This section establishes the purpose of the Act to improve the educational, social, and economic advancement of families with English language learners who have unmet literacy needs by expanding and enhancing family literacy services for such families.

This section authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants of $150,000 to $1,000,000 to family literacy providers for research-based services to English language learners and their families. Grants last one year and may be renewed for up to four additional years. Providers must prioritize families with the greatest economic, educational, and social need; collaborate with local educational agencies, schools, or nonprofits; ensure staff training under qualified supervisors; and serve only families with caregivers age 16 or older and at least one child under age 8.

This section directs the Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, to provide technical assistance and training to family literacy providers receiving grants under section 4 by making grants to or entering contracts with at least two eligible national organizations with expertise in family literacy services for English language learners. It requires annual reports to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, submitted within 90 days after each fiscal year, describing actions taken to ensure the assistance is high quality and responsive to grantee needs.

This section requires each family literacy provider receiving a grant under this Act to meet culturally appropriate outcome measures on English language acquisition and academic achievement, primary language literacy, caregiving and life skills, caregiver communication with school personnel, child self-regulation of learning, caregiver participation in children's education, cross-cutting skills such as critical thinking and technology use, and workforce preparedness including credential attainment.

This section requires the Secretary to conduct an annual evaluation of the grant program under this Act to improve the program, further define its goals and objectives, and determine its effectiveness.

This section defines terms for purposes of the Act. It applies the meanings of "eligible provider," "family literacy activities," and "English language learner" from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with the latter modified by substituting "individual" for "eligible individual." It also defines "family literacy provider" as an entity located near a school with a majority or growing enrollment of English language learners and meeting one of five specified categories, and it defines "science of reading" as an evidence-based body of research on reading and writing that identifies phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing as essential components and excludes any three-cueing model.

This section authorizes appropriations of $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out the Act. It requires the Secretary to reserve not more than 2 percent of the funds for annual evaluations and $5,000,000 for technical assistance and training.