A 1325: Requires all incarcerated individuals who do not have a high-school diploma or its equivalent to receive a reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening upon intake by the department of corrections; requires for such individuals who perform below a certain proficiency level to be provided with intervention services that are evidence-based, effective and consistent with science-based research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1325 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, TAYLOR, FORREST, COLTON, KELLES, SHIMSKY, GLICK, LEVENBERG, OTIS, RAGA, BURDICK, DAVILA, LEE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CRUZ, EPSTEIN, HUNTER, LUPARDO, RA, REYES, SAYEGH, WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to a reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening for incarcerated individuals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 137-a 2 to read as follows: 3 § 137-a. Reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening. 4 1. As part of the intake process, an incarcerated individual who does 5 not have a high school diploma or its equivalent shall receive a reading 6 proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening administered by the 7 department, provided however, nothing in this section shall preclude the 8 incarcerated individual from completing a department-provided screening 9 that is intended to be self-administered. If an incarcerated individual 10 demonstrates that such individual is below the proficiency level 11 required to be a high-functioning reader, such individual shall be 12 provided with dyslexia intervention that is evidence-based, effective, 13 and consistent with science-based research specifically tailored to 14 addressing dyslexia. 15 2. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of educa- 16 tion, shall promulgate rules and regulations that require, but are not 17 limited to the following: 18 (a) Teachers at all correctional facilities shall have and demonstrate 19 awareness of the best practices of scientific reading instruction; 20 (b) Each incarcerated individual who does not have a high school 21 diploma or its equivalent shall receive a reading proficiency level 22 assessment and a dyslexia screening; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01711-01-5 
 A. 1325 2 1 (c) A process be established in which incarcerated individuals, upon 2 intake, are assessed and administered a dyslexia screening by the 3 department, and provided with dyslexia intervention by the department 4 that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent with science-based 5 research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia. The department 6 shall ensure that such intervention services are provided by licensed 7 professionals in permanent competitive positions in the classified 8 service employed by the department. 9 3. Each superintendent shall submit a plan to the department that 10 allows incarcerated individuals to voluntarily receive a reading profi- 11 ciency level assessment, dyslexia screening, and reading instruction 12 that is evidence-based, effective, and consistent with science-based 13 research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia. 14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 15 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or 16 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 17 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 18 on or before such date.