Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB262: Establish state policy on evidence-based reading instruction
Status: Chaptered, May 22, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act requiring that early literacy instruction be evidence-based and include scientifically supported components; disallowing ineffective approaches to reading instruction; providing a definition; and providing an effective date.".
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT REQUIRING THAT EARLY LITERACY INSTRUCTION BE EVIDENCE-BASED AND INCLUDE SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED COMPONENTS; DISALLOWING INEFFECTIVE APPROACHES TO READING INSTRUCTION; PROVIDING A DEFINITION; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE." WHEREAS, THERE IS A GROWING CONVERGENCE OF EVIDENCE REGARDING THE SCIENCE OF READING; AND WHEREAS, THE SCIENCE OF READING IS GROUNDED IN RIGOROUS RESEARCH THAT ENCOMPASSES COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE, AND EDUCATION; AND WHEREAS, EFFECTIVE READING INSTRUCTION INVOLVES PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, VOCABULARY, FLUENCY, AND COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES, ALL OF WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR LITERACY DEVELOPMENT; AND WHEREAS, SYSTEMATIC PHONICS INSTRUCTION IS CRITICAL FOR TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO DECODE WORDS AND UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LETTERS AND SOUNDS; AND WHEREAS, SUCCESSFUL COMPREHENSION STEMS FROM THE ABILITY TO INTEGRATE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE TEXT, NECESSITATING STRATEGIES THAT BUILD THIS CONNECTION; AND WHEREAS, STUDIES SHOW THAT IMPLEMENTING SCIENCE-BASED READING INSTRUCTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES LITERACY RATES AMONG ALL STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE AT RISK FOR READING DIFFICULTIES; AND WHEREAS, EDUCATORS MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCIENCE OF READING TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH THESE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND SUPPORT DIVERSE LEARNERS; AND WHEREAS, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT ACCESS TO QUALITY READING INSTRUCTION BASED ON THE SCIENCE OF READING CAN REDUCE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AMONG STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS; AND WHEREAS, THE STATE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO DEFINE THE BASIC SYSTEM OF FREE QUALITY SCHOOLS UNDER ARTICLE X OF THE MONTANA …
Sponsors
- Reksten, Linda (R, 13) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : (S) Died in Committee
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading Concurred
- : (S) Tabled in Committee
Votes
- Do Pass (February 14, 2025): 94 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (February 13, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Education - K-12
Common questions
- What is HB262?
- HB262 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Establish state policy on evidence-based reading instruction.
- What does HB262 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act requiring that early literacy instruction be evidence-based and include scientifically supported components; disallowing ineffective approaches to reading instruction; providing a definition; and providing an effective date.".
- What is the status of HB262?
- Chaptered as of May 22, 2025. Latest action: (S) Died in Committee (May 22, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB262?
- Reksten, Linda (R, 13).
- Where is the official record for HB262?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1377
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.