---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7293"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7293"
heading: "Ready to learn programming"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7293"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter IV — 21st Century Schools"
  - "Part F — National Activities"
  - "Subpart 4 — academic enrichment"
---

# §7293. Ready to learn programming

- (a) **Awards to promote school readiness through ready to learn programming—**
  - (1) **In general—** Awards made to [eligible entities](/usc/20/6631.md?p=b-1) described in [paragraph (3)](#a-3) to fulfill the purpose described in [section 7291(a)(2) of this title](/usc/20/7291.md?p=a-2) shall—
    - (A) be known as “Ready to Learn Programming awards”; and
    - (B) be used to—
      - (i) develop, produce, and distribute accessible educational and instructional video programming for preschool and [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) children and their [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38) in order to facilitate student academic achievement;
      - (ii) facilitate the development, directly or through contracts with producers of children’s and family educational television programming, of educational programming for preschool and [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) children, and the accompanying support materials and services that promote the effective use of such programming;
      - (iii) facilitate the development of programming and digital content containing Ready-to-Learn programming and resources for [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38) and caregivers that is specially designed for nationwide distribution over public television stations’ digital broadcasting channels and the Internet;
      - (iv) contract with entities (such as public telecommunications entities) so that programming developed under this section is disseminated and distributed to the widest possible audience appropriate to be served by the programming, and through the use of the most appropriate distribution [technologies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50); and
      - (v) develop and disseminate education and training materials, including interactive programs and programs adaptable to [distance learning](/usc/20/7801.md?p=14) [technologies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50), that are designed—
        - (I) to promote school readiness; and
        - (II) to promote the effective use of materials developed under clauses [(ii)](#a-1-B-ii) and [(iii)](#a-1-B-iii) among [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38), family members, teachers, principals and other [school leaders](/usc/20/7801.md?p=44), Head Start providers, providers of [family literacy services](/usc/20/7801.md?p=24), [child](/usc/20/7801.md?p=3) care providers, early childhood educators, [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) teachers, public libraries, and after-school program personnel caring for preschool and [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) children.
  - (2) **Availability—** In awarding or entering into grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) shall ensure that [eligible entities](/usc/20/6631.md?p=b-1) described in [paragraph (3)](#a-3) make programming widely available, with support materials as appropriate, to young children, [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38), [child](/usc/20/7801.md?p=3) care workers, Head Start providers, and providers of [family literacy services](/usc/20/7801.md?p=24) to increase the effective use of such programming.
  - (3) **Eligible entities—** To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, an entity shall be a public telecommunications entity that is able to demonstrate each of the following:
    - (A) A capacity for the development and national distribution of educational and instructional television programming of high quality that is accessible by a large majority of disadvantaged preschool and [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) children.
    - (B) A capacity to contract with the producers of children’s television programming for the purpose of developing educational television programming of high quality.
    - (C) A capacity, consistent with the entity’s mission and nonprofit nature, to negotiate such contracts in a manner that returns to the entity an appropriate share of any ancillary income from sales of any program-related products.
    - (D) A capacity to localize programming and materials to meet specific [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) and local needs and to provide educational outreach at the local level.
  - (4) **Coordination of activities—** An entity receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall consult with the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) and the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) of Health and Human Services—
    - (A) to maximize the use of high-quality educational programming by preschool and [elementary school](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) children, and make such programming widely available to Federally funded programs serving such populations; and
    - (B) to coordinate activities with Federal programs that have major training components for early childhood development, including programs under the Head Start Act ([42 U.S.C. 9831](/usc/42/9831.md) et seq.) and [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) training activities funded under the [Child](/usc/20/7801.md?p=3) Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ([42 U.S.C. 9858](/usc/42/9858.md) et seq.) [[42 U.S.C. 9857](/usc/42/9857.md) et seq.], regarding the availability and utilization of materials developed under [paragraph (1)(B)(v)](#a-1-B-v) to enhance [parent](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38) and [child](/usc/20/7801.md?p=3) care provider skills in early childhood development and education.
- (b) **Applications—** To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a), an entity shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) an application at such time and in such manner as the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) may reasonably require. The application shall include—
  - (1) a description of the activities to be carried out under this section;
  - (2) a list of the types of entities with which such entity will enter into contracts under [subsection (a)(1)(B)(iv)](#a-1-B-iv);
  - (3) a description of the activities the entity will undertake widely to disseminate the content developed under this section; and
  - (4) a description of how the entity will comply with [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2).
- (c) **Reports and evaluations—**
  - (1) **Annual report to Secretary—** An entity receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall prepare and submit to the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) an annual report. The report shall describe the program activities undertaken with funds received under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, including each of the following:
    - (A) The programming that has been developed, directly or indirectly, by the [eligible entity](/usc/20/6631.md?p=b-1), and the target population of the programming.
    - (B) The support and training materials that have been developed to accompany the programming, and the method by which the materials are distributed to consumers and users of the programming.
    - (C) The means by which programming developed under this section has been distributed, including the [distance learning](/usc/20/7801.md?p=14) [technologies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50) that have been utilized to make programming available, and the geographic distribution achieved through such [technologies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=50).
    - (D) The initiatives undertaken by the entity to develop public-private partnerships to secure non-Federal support for the development, distribution, and broadcast of educational and instructional programming.
  - (2) **Report to Congress—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a biannual report that includes the following:
    - (A) A summary of the activities assisted under [subsection (a)](#a).
    - (B) A description of the education and training materials made available under [subsection (a)(1)(B)(v)](#a-1-B-v), the manner in which outreach has been conducted to inform [parents](/usc/20/7801.md?p=38) and [child](/usc/20/7801.md?p=3) care providers of the availability of such materials, and the manner in which such materials have been distributed in accordance with such subsection.
- (d) **Administrative costs—** An entity that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section may use up to 5 percent of the amount received under the grant, contract, or agreement for the normal and customary expenses of administering the grant, contract, or agreement.
- (e) **Funding rule—** Not less than 60 percent of the amount used by the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) to carry out this section for each fiscal year shall be used to carry out activities under clauses [(ii)](#a-1-B-ii) through [(iv)](#a-1-B-iv) of subsection (a)(1)(B).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title IV, § 4643, as added Pub. L. 114–95, title IV, § 4601, Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2034.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Head Start Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(4)(B), is subchapter B (§ 635 et seq.) of chapter 8 of subtitle A of title VI of Pub. L. 97–35, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 499, which is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 9831 et seq.) of chapter 105 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9801 of Title 42 and Tables.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (a)(4)(B), is subchapter C (§ 658A et seq.) of chapter 8 of subtitle A of title VI of Pub. L. 97–35, as added by Pub. L. 101–508, title V, § 5082(2), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–236, which is classified generally to subchapter II–B (§ 9857 et seq.) of chapter 105 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 9857(a) of Title 42 and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as an Effective Date of 2015 Amendment note under section 6301 of this title.