Speaker Robert Rivas Champions $200 Million Budget Investment to Improve Child Literacy Across California

SACRAMENTO—  California is making a significant $200 million investment in child literacy in the state budget, a major win championed by Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) to strengthen the efforts of California educators and school leaders with the training, materials, and support needed to help every student succeed.

This funding will advance evidence-based early literacy and provide direct support to help California’s children learn to read in a proficient and timely manner. 

Building on this budget investment, Speaker Rivas’ Assembly Bill 1454 passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday with unanimous, bipartisan support. With joint authors Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), AB 1454 will strengthen early literacy instruction in the state by ensuring credentialing and curriculum are aligned with evidence-based literacy practices. The budget also includes $250,000 to support guidance for the instructional materials adoption, informed by AB 1454. 

What Speaker Robert Rivas Says

“Strong reading skills are the foundation for every student’s success, and AB 1454 demonstrates a commitment to improving California’s reading and literacy rates. This legislation is a critical step and will improve literacy outcomes for California’s students,” Speaker Rivas said during floor session on June 5, 2025.

What Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi Says

“Assembly Bill 1454 is a significant measure to advance the foundational goal of teaching every child in California to read. This bill will promote evidence-based literacy instruction to teach reading skills that will lay the foundation for lifelong success. After more than two years working on this measure, I appreciate our education stakeholders coming together to strengthen professional development for early literacy instruction, update instructional materials, and provide training and support for school site administrators.”

What Assemblymember Blanca Rubio Says

“The passage of AB 1454 in Senate Education is another win for California’s students, families, and teachers alike. I am grateful for the committee’s support on this comprehensive and critical piece of legislation. As this bill moves forward, I am confident that the appetite to see and create concrete change in our schools, statewide, is huge. Thank you again to the members of the Senate Education Committee, to the Speaker, to the Chair of Assembly Education, and the early supporters who have believed in this bill and helped it move forward.”

Overview of Assembly Bill 1454

• Updates instructional materials: Requires the State Board of Education to adopt instructional materials that align with evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills.
• Supports administrator preparation: Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to update school administrator and reading specialist standards to include training to support effective literacy instruction.

How We Got Here

California has made significant investments in literacy initiatives in recent years, including literacy coaches and pandemic learning recovery. Speaker Rivas has made child literacy a top priority, authoring and supporting key legislation such as AB 1454 to strengthen early literacy efforts statewide. This new funding builds on that momentum, ensuring California continues to advance toward the goal of every child becoming a confident, capable reader.

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For more information, follow Speaker Robert Rivas at the following social media channels:

Instagram: @caspeakerrivas

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CASpeakerRivas/