FT 19.06 Frémont Reading Act of 2021 (Statute)

[Anna Komnene]

AN ACT
To promote reading among the youth.

Section I. Title.

This legislation may be cited as the Frémont Reading Act of 2021.

Section II. Establishing the Octavia Butler Stipend.

i. The Commonwealth of Frémont establishes the Octavia Butler Stipend. Its purpose is to assist young writers in the process of the production of their first independent work.
ii. A selection board of renowned writers, literary critics, and literary scholars shall each year grant 50 stipends to applicants.
iii. Eligible for the Octavia Butler Stipend are
    a. young fiction writers aged 18 to 30 with
    b. permanent residency in the Commonwealth of Frémont who
    c. have never published an independent piece of work but may have previously written published
works in literary journals or anthologies.
iv. Besides high literary quality, the selection board should take the personal background of the applicants into account. The Octavia Butler Stipends actively and specifically seeks to promote minority writers and writers of low socioeconomic status. The selection board will aim for a regional balance within the group of stipendiaries.
v. The stipend shall award a monthly grant of $2,200 for 18 months to each stipendiary. An extension for 12 months for substantiated reasons is permissible.
vi. The stipend shall assist writers in finding literary agents and publishers for the publication of their work.

Section III. Promoting reading among school students.

i. Schools may request up to $7,000 annually from the Commonwealth for the acquisition of fiction and non-fiction books. Their respective students will be able to lend these books without charge.
ii. Each month, the Commonwealth designates Books of The Month for different age groups. School students may request their schools to order a copy of the Book of The Month for them, which they will be allowed to keep. The Commonwealth will cover the expenses. Books produced by Octavia-Butler-stipendiaries will be treated preferably in the selection of the Book of The Month.
iii. Students may request to place the number of books they have privately read during the respective grading period on their report cards if they, in brief oral examinations by a teacher of their choice, can convincingly demonstrate that they have read those books. Schools should actively encourage students to take these options.
iv. Middle schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading of a book of the students’ choice.
v. Elementary schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading. In lower classes, the teacher will read a book to the students.

Section IV. Establishing the Frémont Literature Week.

i. The 20th calendar week (May) shall be declared the Frémont Literature Week.
ii. The Monday of the Frémont Literature Week is designated the Frémont Reading Day. Office-holders are encouraged to visit schools on this day and read to young students.
iii. On Wednesday, Tuesday, and Friday of the Frémont Literature Week, the Commonwealth government shall invite school classes for the Frémont Literature Days. The Frémont Literary Days are a decentral event which takes place simultaneously in at least ten places in the Commonwealth with similar events and activities.
iv. The Frémont Literature Days shall offer a variety of literature-related events and activities, such as meet-ups with writers, workshops, and other activities that aim to promote reading and interest in literature.
vi. The Commonwealth government guarantees the coverage of
     a. all travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate above 35%;
     b. 80% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 25% and 35%;
     c. 65% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 20% and 25%;
     d. 50% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 10% and 20%.

Section V. Public bookcases.

i. The Commonwealth provides the municipalities with a total sum of $15,000,000 funds for the construction and maintenance of public bookcases.
ii. The Commonwealth will primarily grant these funds for construction and maintenance projects in areas with high poverty rates.

Section VI. Enactment.

This act shall be enacted on January 1st, 2022.

Sponsor: Amanda Huggenkiss

The floor is open.

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

Thanks to the speaker for allowing me to bring this to the floor.

This is my first bill, and I'm afraid it has become a rather long one.

The declared aim of this bill is to promote reading. Reading books (also, real books) independently has a super important effect on children and teenagers that cannot be understated. It helps to develop language and critical thinking skills. Students who often read books have been found to statistically perform better in school than their peers. However, studies also indicate that, to put it simply, poor children read fewer books.

If Frémont wants to eliminate class-based educational inequality and wants to ensure that the educational success of students is not based on their socio-economic status, it would be a very sensible idea for the Commonwealth to actively promote reading among children and teenagers. This is what this bill aims for.

I see that Section II is not as straightforward as other parts of the bill, so I will briefly address this section. The aim of the Octavia Butler Stipend is to encourage the publication of books that are interesting for young people who usually don't read by supporting writers with similar backgrounds. I am convinced that teenagers who have never independently read a book are not really enthusiastic about John Steinbeck, Hemingway, or Salinger. Books from young authors with similar perspectives are more likely to be interesting to them.

As I said, this is my first bill, so I don't know whether this is oven-ready. I am particularly unsure about the numbers and I look forward to hearing your opinion on this. This is an important topic, and it would be great if parliament passes this or an altered version.

[Anna Komnene]

As a former book club organizer, I have to say I like how this bill is encouraging reading and supporting indie authors. I always felt like reading as a kid helped me develop my imagination and creativity. One of my friends when I was little told her parents that playing with me made her head hurt because I was so imaginative.   I don't know if it happens for everyone, but it definitely did for me. So there's a lot here that I like.

My main concern so far is about requiring 30 minutes per day of silent reading in middle/elementary school. I feel like it's too much time per day and might end up taking away from other activities in English/Literature classes. I'd feel more comfortable with the bill if the requirement was removed or changed to a number of minutes per week or per month (for more flexibility). Or maybe during a certain time frame (such as during Frémont Literature Week).

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

Thanks for the feedback. I can certainly see your point. Thus, I'm offering this amendment:

Section III. Promoting reading among school students.
[...]
iv. During Frémont Literature Week, middle schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading of a book of the students’ choice.

I am willing to change my stance on this point regarding middle schools, but I insist on keeping the independent reading time for elementary schools. Elementary schools are supposed to provide the groundwork for further education and I am strongly convinced that promoting reading comprehension skills, analytical thinking, creativity, and pleasure of reading should be a salient part of this gorundwork.

[Anna Komnene]

That sounds like a good distinction to make between elementary and middle school. The amendment looks good to me.

24 hours for objections.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

This is an excellent proposal. It is clear that the honorable member from Minnesota has put a lot of care into this bill —this is exactly the kind of leadership we need from our freshmen members.

I particularly admire that this bill serves to promote contemporary literature and authors from poor and minority communities without tearing down the literary giants of past generations. Too often we see a false dichotomy between not teaching the classics and teaching nothing but the classics. But this debate is both unhelpful and unnecessary. A good English education will expose students to a broad range of authors, styles, and forms. There is value in exposing students—especially students from low-income or minority communities—to the works of Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Salinger; and there is value in elevating new and previously neglected voices. If we forgo either, we are not doing our jobs to educate the rising generation of young Frémonters.

My only criticism is actually that I prefer the original bill to the amendment; while I am sensible to the concerns raised by the honorable speaker, we must also consider that many voracious readers in Elementary school lose interest in reading as they move into middle school. I'd like to see us set aside time in the school week for silent reading outside of Frémont Literature Week; if not daily, then at least once a week. Reading is arguably the most important skill in the modern world, and if we have to make time for it, let us make time.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I like the idea of encouraging reading, however I have my doubts about section 3. Forcing kids to do something rarely makes them enjoy it. A recess break where children are encouraged to read and are given the resources to do so would be far more productive.

As an aside, might I suggest the Australian Premier's Reading Challenge as a rather effective childrens literacy and reading programme for inspiration.

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

First of all, thank you both for your comments.

I like the idea of encouraging reading, however I have my doubts about section 3. Forcing kids to do something rarely makes them enjoy it.

This is --in response to the remarks of the first minister-- one of the reasons why I introduced the amendment and changed my position after the comments of the speaker. In middle schools particularly, the school-related workload grows considerably to a point in which I don't see it as justifiable to force teenagers to sit still and read a book when they have different things on their minds. Also, I see the possibility that some supervising teachers will not comply with independent reading time and instead do a normal class. There are, of course, still other elements in the bill that encourage middle school children to read, particularly Section III i, ii, iii.

I must, however, insist on the preservation of the independent reading time for elementary school. Young children are still in a formative phase of their interests and character. They are more 'inspirable' for different kinds of things, so I think 'forcing' them to read - school, by the way, forces children to deal with many strange and unknown issues all the time - is justified and also fruitful in this case.

As an aside, might I suggest the Australian Premier's Reading Challenge as a rather effective childrens literacy and reading programme for inspiration.

Thank you for the suggestion. I promise to look into it and to maybe introduce an amendment if I have time to draft one.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

I must, however, insist on the preservation of the independent reading time for elementary school. Young children are still in a formative phase of their interests and character. They are more 'inspirable' for different kinds of things, so I think 'forcing' them to read - school, by the way, forces children to deal with many strange and unknown issues all the time - is justified and also fruitful in this case.

Sorry for not being clear, I definitely support independent reading time for elementary schools. I only object to it in Middle Schools. The main purpose of Elementary education is to support the emotional and social development of children so they become healthy well adjusted people ready to take responsibilities and grow independent. Learning is mainly confined to drilling in numeracy and literacy. Such an environment is perfect to introduce children to reading to help improve their development.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

While we're discussing Education, two unrelated points I'd like to strongly advocate for.
One, I'm a firm supporter of abolishing Middle Schools and moving to two-tier education. There's a lot of studies in Britain from the 70s through 90s that two tiered schooling led to superior outcomes and Britain has now abolished almost all middle schools.
And two, forcing high schoolers to start school as early as 7 in the morning is ridiculous. One of the most important things for teenage development is good sleep, and absurdly early starts actively harm that. They also lead to schools finishing more than two hours before parents end work, forcing them to rake out money for childcare for younger offspring. A far more reasonable timetable would be high schools running 9-4, with elementary schools running 9.30-4.30. (allowing schools to still stagger their buses). This would save Fremont parents thousands of dollars spent on childcare annually and would vastly improve young american's sleep patterns which are so vital for their healthy development.

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

Thanks to ASW's input, I was able to draft an amendment, adding the Parliament's Reading Challenge to the bill.

[...]
[NEW SECTION] Section VI. Parliament's Reading Challenge.
i. The Parliament of Frémont establishes the Parliament's Reading Challenge. The speaker will serve as the nominal patron of the challenge.
ii. All children aged 6 - 16 with permanent residency in Frémont are allowed to participate in the challenge.
iii. The speaker will compile a list of fiction books that may be read for the challenge. It should contain at least 200 titles of different genres.
iv. Each book will award the participants in the challenge a certain number of points depending on the page-count or word-count and level of difficulty of the book.
v. In order to be awarded these points, the participants may ask official examiners to verify that the participants have read the respective books. All schoolteachers, public libraries, and book shops are officially registered as official examiners. Official examiners will have access to an online archive of summaries of the books.
vi. The children with the highest, second-highest, and third-highest scores of all participants of their birth cohort will be honored by the speaker of parliament during the Frémont Literature Days.
vii. Awards for other participants, depending on their scores and/or the number of years participated in the challenge, may be introduced.
viii. Children of lower-income families may request books from the book list for free at the expense of the Commonwealth.
ix. The competition period starts on July 1st and ends on April 1st.

Section VI. VII. Enactment.

This act shall be enacted on January 1st, 2022.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Suggesting a small amendment to that

[...]
[NEW SECTION] Section VI. First Minister's Reading Challenge.
i. The Parliament of Frémont establishes the First Minister's Reading Challenge. The First Minister will serve as the nominal patron of the challenge.
ii. All children aged 6 - 16 with permanent residency in Frémont are allowed to participate in the challenge.
iii. The First Minister will compile a list of fiction books that may be read for the challenge. It should contain at least 200 titles of different genres.
iv. Each book will award the participants in the challenge a certain number of points depending on the page-count or word-count and level of difficulty of the book.
v. In order to be awarded these points, the participants may ask official examiners to verify that the participants have read the respective books. All schoolteachers, public libraries, and book shops are officially registered as official examiners. Official examiners will have access to an online archive of summaries of the books.
vi. The children with the highest, second-highest, and third-highest scores of all participants of their birth cohort will be honored by the First Minister during the Frémont Literature Days.
vii. Awards for other participants, depending on their scores and/or the number of years participated in the challenge, may be introduced.
viii. Children of lower-income families may request books from the book list for free at the expense of the Commonwealth.
ix. The competition period starts on July 1st and ends on April 1st.

Section VI. VII. Enactment.

This act shall be enacted on January 1st, 2022.

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

It's not that important to me how this program is called, so I'll let you name it since you were the one who came up with the idea.

I withdraw my amendment in support of ASVs.

[Anna Komnene]

Looks like a great idea to me.

24 hours for objections to ASV's amendment.

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

I would then request a final vote on this bill.

[YE]

30 mins of reading literally every day probably wouldn’t realistically be enforced at the secondary school level in particular.

[Anna Komnene]

I'll start the vote later tonight unless anyone has objections.

[Anna Komnene]

With no objections, we'll now have a final vote on this bill. Members please vote AYE, NAY, or ABSTAIN.

AN ACT
To promote reading among the youth.

Section I. Title.

This legislation may be cited as the Frémont Reading Act of 2021.

Section II. Establishing the Octavia Butler Stipend.

i. The Commonwealth of Frémont establishes the Octavia Butler Stipend. Its purpose is to assist young writers in the process of the production of their first independent work.
ii. A selection board of renowned writers, literary critics, and literary scholars shall each year grant 50 stipends to applicants.
iii. Eligible for the Octavia Butler Stipend are
    a. young fiction writers aged 18 to 30 with
    b. permanent residency in the Commonwealth of Frémont who
    c. have never published an independent piece of work but may have previously written published
works in literary journals or anthologies.
iv. Besides high literary quality, the selection board should take the personal background of the applicants into account. The Octavia Butler Stipends actively and specifically seeks to promote minority writers and writers of low socioeconomic status. The selection board will aim for a regional balance within the group of stipendiaries.
v. The stipend shall award a monthly grant of $2,200 for 18 months to each stipendiary. An extension for 12 months for substantiated reasons is permissible.
vi. The stipend shall assist writers in finding literary agents and publishers for the publication of their work.

Section III. Promoting reading among school students.

i. Schools may request up to $7,000 annually from the Commonwealth for the acquisition of fiction and non-fiction books. Their respective students will be able to lend these books without charge.
ii. Each month, the Commonwealth designates Books of The Month for different age groups. School students may request their schools to order a copy of the Book of The Month for them, which they will be allowed to keep. The Commonwealth will cover the expenses. Books produced by Octavia-Butler-stipendiaries will be treated preferably in the selection of the Book of The Month.
iii. Students may request to place the number of books they have privately read during the respective grading period on their report cards if they, in brief oral examinations by a teacher of their choice, can convincingly demonstrate that they have read those books. Schools should actively encourage students to take these options.
iv. During Frémont Literature Week, middle schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading of a book of the students’ choice.
v. Elementary schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading. In lower classes, the teacher will read a book to the students.

Section IV. Establishing the Frémont Literature Week.

i. The 20th calendar week (May) shall be declared the Frémont Literature Week.
ii. The Monday of the Frémont Literature Week is designated the Frémont Reading Day. Office-holders are encouraged to visit schools on this day and read to young students.
iii. On Wednesday, Tuesday, and Friday of the Frémont Literature Week, the Commonwealth government shall invite school classes for the Frémont Literature Days. The Frémont Literary Days are a decentral event which takes place simultaneously in at least ten places in the Commonwealth with similar events and activities.
iv. The Frémont Literature Days shall offer a variety of literature-related events and activities, such as meet-ups with writers, workshops, and other activities that aim to promote reading and interest in literature.
vi. The Commonwealth government guarantees the coverage of
     a. all travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate above 35%;
     b. 80% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 25% and 35%;
     c. 65% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 20% and 25%;
     d. 50% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 10% and 20%.

Section V. Public bookcases.

i. The Commonwealth provides the municipalities with a total sum of $15,000,000 funds for the construction and maintenance of public bookcases.
ii. The Commonwealth will primarily grant these funds for construction and maintenance projects in areas with high poverty rates.

Section VI. First Minister's Reading Challenge.

i. The Parliament of Frémont establishes the First Minister's Reading Challenge. The First Minister will serve as the nominal patron of the challenge.
ii. All children aged 6 - 16 with permanent residency in Frémont are allowed to participate in the challenge.
iii. The First Minister will compile a list of fiction books that may be read for the challenge. It should contain at least 200 titles of different genres.
iv. Each book will award the participants in the challenge a certain number of points depending on the page-count or word-count and level of difficulty of the book.
v. In order to be awarded these points, the participants may ask official examiners to verify that the participants have read the respective books. All schoolteachers, public libraries, and book shops are officially registered as official examiners. Official examiners will have access to an online archive of summaries of the books.
vi. The children with the highest, second-highest, and third-highest scores of all participants of their birth cohort will be honored by the First Minister during the Frémont Literature Days.
vii. Awards for other participants, depending on their scores and/or the number of years participated in the challenge, may be introduced.
viii. Children of lower-income families may request books from the book list for free at the expense of the Commonwealth.
ix. The competition period starts on July 1st and ends on April 1st.

Section VII. Enactment.

This act shall be enacted on January 1st, 2022.

[YE]

Abstain.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Aye!

[Anna Komnene]

Aye

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

Aye!

[Battista Minola 1616]

Abstain

[Anna Komnene]

With 3 votes in favor, 3 abstentions, and 1 not voting, this bill passes the Frémont Parliament.

AN ACT
To promote reading among the youth.

Section I. Title.

This legislation may be cited as the Frémont Reading Act of 2021.

Section II. Establishing the Octavia Butler Stipend.

i. The Commonwealth of Frémont establishes the Octavia Butler Stipend. Its purpose is to assist young writers in the process of the production of their first independent work.
ii. A selection board of renowned writers, literary critics, and literary scholars shall each year grant 50 stipends to applicants.
iii. Eligible for the Octavia Butler Stipend are
    a. young fiction writers aged 18 to 30 with
    b. permanent residency in the Commonwealth of Frémont who
    c. have never published an independent piece of work but may have previously written published
works in literary journals or anthologies.
iv. Besides high literary quality, the selection board should take the personal background of the applicants into account. The Octavia Butler Stipends actively and specifically seeks to promote minority writers and writers of low socioeconomic status. The selection board will aim for a regional balance within the group of stipendiaries.
v. The stipend shall award a monthly grant of $2,200 for 18 months to each stipendiary. An extension for 12 months for substantiated reasons is permissible.
vi. The stipend shall assist writers in finding literary agents and publishers for the publication of their work.

Section III. Promoting reading among school students.

i. Schools may request up to $7,000 annually from the Commonwealth for the acquisition of fiction and non-fiction books. Their respective students will be able to lend these books without charge.
ii. Each month, the Commonwealth designates Books of The Month for different age groups. School students may request their schools to order a copy of the Book of The Month for them, which they will be allowed to keep. The Commonwealth will cover the expenses. Books produced by Octavia-Butler-stipendiaries will be treated preferably in the selection of the Book of The Month.
iii. Students may request to place the number of books they have privately read during the respective grading period on their report cards if they, in brief oral examinations by a teacher of their choice, can convincingly demonstrate that they have read those books. Schools should actively encourage students to take these options.
iv. During Frémont Literature Week, middle schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading of a book of the students’ choice.
v. Elementary schools will devote at least 30 minutes per day to silent independent reading. In lower classes, the teacher will read a book to the students.

Section IV. Establishing the Frémont Literature Week.

i. The 20th calendar week (May) shall be declared the Frémont Literature Week.
ii. The Monday of the Frémont Literature Week is designated the Frémont Reading Day. Office-holders are encouraged to visit schools on this day and read to young students.
iii. On Wednesday, Tuesday, and Friday of the Frémont Literature Week, the Commonwealth government shall invite school classes for the Frémont Literature Days. The Frémont Literary Days are a decentral event which takes place simultaneously in at least ten places in the Commonwealth with similar events and activities.
iv. The Frémont Literature Days shall offer a variety of literature-related events and activities, such as meet-ups with writers, workshops, and other activities that aim to promote reading and interest in literature.
vi. The Commonwealth government guarantees the coverage of
     a. all travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate above 35%;
     b. 80% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 25% and 35%;
     c. 65% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 20% and 25%;
     d. 50% of travel-related expenses for schools from school districts with a child poverty rate between 10% and 20%.

Section V. Public bookcases.

i. The Commonwealth provides the municipalities with a total sum of $15,000,000 funds for the construction and maintenance of public bookcases.
ii. The Commonwealth will primarily grant these funds for construction and maintenance projects in areas with high poverty rates.

Section VI. First Minister's Reading Challenge.

i. The Parliament of Frémont establishes the First Minister's Reading Challenge. The First Minister will serve as the nominal patron of the challenge.
ii. All children aged 6 - 16 with permanent residency in Frémont are allowed to participate in the challenge.
iii. The First Minister will compile a list of fiction books that may be read for the challenge. It should contain at least 200 titles of different genres.
iv. Each book will award the participants in the challenge a certain number of points depending on the page-count or word-count and level of difficulty of the book.
v. In order to be awarded these points, the participants may ask official examiners to verify that the participants have read the respective books. All schoolteachers, public libraries, and book shops are officially registered as official examiners. Official examiners will have access to an online archive of summaries of the books.
vi. The children with the highest, second-highest, and third-highest scores of all participants of their birth cohort will be honored by the First Minister during the Frémont Literature Days.
vii. Awards for other participants, depending on their scores and/or the number of years participated in the challenge, may be introduced.
viii. Children of lower-income families may request books from the book list for free at the expense of the Commonwealth.
ix. The competition period starts on July 1st and ends on April 1st.

Section VII. Enactment.

This act shall be enacted on January 1st, 2022.

Frémont House of Commons
Passed 3-0-4 in the Frémont Parliament Assembled,