Proposal to Chairman Bill Cassidy

My name is Tomas Socias, and I am a high school senior in Washington, D.C. I am also a former U.S. Senate Page. During my time as a Page, I learned about the HELP Committee that you chair, and also came to understand the importance of advocating for the issues that we care about.

I am one of the kids for whom the READ Act is intended. I was diagnosed with dyslexia later than expected, during the summer between my high school sophomore year and junior year. The delayed diagnosis created anxiety and a feeling of being behind in school. It also affected my self-confidence. For years, I worked hard and still struggled during exams, especially with reading comprehension. Once I was able to receive accommodations, my grades improved. My effort did not change. What changed is that someone finally noticed what I needed and provided it to me. My goal is to advocate so that this doesn’t happen to other kids.

The READ Act, which your committee advanced by a vote of 20-2 on July 30, 2026, takes important steps in this direction. It requires states receiving its literacy grants to provide literacy screening for indicators of dyslexia at least once before third grade and requires schools to inform families of K-8 students at risk. ^[1]

The screening process is essential, and it is positive to see that nearly every state now has dyslexia laws. However, a study of fourth-grade NAEP reading data from 2003 to 2022 across 47 states found statistically significant reading gains for students with specific learning disabilities in only four of them. ^[2] The study’s lead author has argued that these laws are less effective without the resources and strategies to carry them out. ^[2] One reason could be that, although many of these laws require screening, they lag behind in funding the training that schools and professionals need to respond when a screening flags a student. When a screener flags a child and school staff are not trained to provide targeted support, the screening becomes a non-actionable data point.

During the introduction of the National Literacy Month resolution, you said “literacy opens the door for children to achieve the American Dream.” ^[5] For students like me, that door only opens when someone notices that we need help and has the resources to provide what is needed to change our trajectory.

I founded The Informed Ballot, a nonpartisan student-led project to help disseminate information about laws and politics. We read senators’ statements, bills and floor records so others don’t have to. We summarize content plainly and present information in simple terms. Our quizzes present political information through questions and brief explanations. The candidate-matching quiz also offers read-aloud controls for position cards, candidate details, and the answer key, providing another way to explore the information.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with your staff, share my experience in more detail, and help build support for these initiatives.

Thank you for the attention you have brought to the needs of the dyslexia community and for your leadership on this issue.