Kentucky: House bill would provide for dyslexia, dysgraphia support in schools
- The end of childhood
- Jan 22
- 2 min read
Jan 21, 2026, Lexington Times: Committee advances bill on dyslexia and dysgraphia
FRANKFORT — Legislation that would strengthen how Kentucky schools identify and support students with reading and writing difficulties was approved by the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Wednesday.
Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, is sponsoring the bill. She said it seeks to expand literacy support in schools by formally recognizing dysgraphia in state education law and improving early screening, intervention and teacher preparation related to reading and writing disorders.
House Bill 389 would define dysgraphia in statute and require the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to annually update its dyslexia toolkit to include guidance and evidence-based strategies for identifying and supporting students with both dyslexia and dysgraphia.
The legislation would also require that literacy screeners and diagnostic tools used by school districts be approved by KDE and that districts report data on the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices.
“This bill was brought to me a few years ago by moms in my district,” Heavrin said. “I really wanted to focus on the dyslexia and dysgraphia portion so that we could strengthen identification and support.” . . .
Rep. Tina Bojanowski, D-Louisville, said students with dyslexia and dysgraphia often fall through the cracks of the special education system. She is a co-sponsor on the bill.
“A child diagnosed with dyslexia may not be eligible for special education services,”
Bojanowski said. “It’s important that we have mechanisms in place so that our kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia get the interventions and support that they need.” . . .
“This problem is bigger than we realize, and it’s not fair to our kids,” Lewis said. “This bill is long overdue.”
HB 389 will now head to the full House of Representatives.
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