A new bill filed by State Rep. Cecil Brockman in the North Carolina House seeks to mandate dyslexia screening and provide related interventions in public schools, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 947 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Every Child Reads.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill mandates dyslexia screening and interventions in North Carolina schools, requiring kindergarten through third, sixth, and ninth graders to be screened. Students showing potential indicators of dyslexia will undergo comprehensive assessment and receive Science of Reading-based intervention strategies. Educators must be trained to administer these screenings and interventions. It also requires literacy instruction in middle schools to align with the Science of Reading. The NC Pre-K program will transfer from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Public Instruction effective July 1, 2025. The act is effective upon becoming law and applies to the 2025-26 school year.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Brian Biggs proposed the most bills (54) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Brockman graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2006 with a BA.
Brockman, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2015 to represent the state’s 60th House district, replacing previous state representative Marcus Brandon.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil Brockman, Brian Biggs, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 947 | 04/10/2025 | Every Child Reads. |
| Cecil Brockman, Brian Biggs, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 946 | 04/10/2025 | Montessori Teaching License. |
| Cecil Brockman, Cynthia Ball, Lindsey Prather, and Phil Rubin | HB 816 | 04/07/2025 | Voucher School Transparency Act. |
| Cecil Brockman, Amber M. Baker, Frances Jackson, PhD, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 709 | 04/02/2025 | K-3 Literacy and Improvement Act. |
| Cecil Brockman | HB 712 | 04/02/2025 | Universal Income/Pay-It-Forward Fund. |
| Cecil Brockman, Allen Buansi, Amos L. Quick, III, and Ya Liu | HB 713 | 04/02/2025 | Universal Free Breakfast and Lunch. |
| Cecil Brockman and Carla D. Cunningham | HB 714 | 04/02/2025 | Universal Healthcare. |
| Cecil Brockman, Brandon Lofton, Carla D. Cunningham, and Cynthia Ball | HB 715 | 04/02/2025 | Universal Pre-K. |
| Cecil Brockman, Allen Buansi, Charles Smith, and Vernetta Alston | HB 722 | 04/02/2025 | Enact Criminal Justice Debt Reform. |
| Cecil Brockman and Amos L. Quick, III | HB 317 | 03/05/2025 | Restore Down-Zoning Auth./City of High Point. |
