Governor Kotek Signs Bill Guaranteeing Free Books for Oregon’s Youngest Learners

Gresham, OR - Today, Governor Tina Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson joined legislators and community partners to commemorate the signing of House Bill 4022 at an event at Multnomah County's new East County Library in Gresham. The bill codifies the Oregon Imagination Library Program, which provides a free book each month to children ages 0-5, as an official state program.

"Starting a love of reading as early as possible is a key part of improving our state's educational outcomes," Governor Kotek said. "The fact that almost every legislator supported this bill shows that we can put aside our differences and work together. Thank you to Dolly Parton, the legislators that made this possible, and our program partners: you are changing the lives of our youngest Oregonians."

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners, including the State of Oregon. Today, the program spans five countries and sends more than 3 million free books each month to children around the world.

"Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is an engine of connection that brings people together to celebrate something we can all get behind," First Lady Kotek Wilson said. "Reading aloud together creates moments of connection that may be a child's first memory of safe space. It's in those moments children learn they are loved - that they are secure, and that the world is full of wonder waiting to be discovered."

During the ceremonial signing event, First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson spoke about the benefits of the program and read a passage from Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. She has participated in read?aloud events across Oregon to help increase enrollment in the program.

In 2023, $1.7 million was appropriated by the legislature to the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to help administer and expand the program. Continuing this funding was part of the Governor's Recommended Budget. The state's investment in the Imagination Library allows local partners to quickly launch book deliveries to as many children as possible across Oregon.

"Years from now, no one will remember the bill number. But thousands of Oregon kids will remember the excitement of finding a new book waiting in their mailbox every month," Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D - Tigard, Metzger & South Beaverton), who championed the initial program funding in 2025 and HB 4022 in 2026, said. "Every child deserves the chance to fall in love with reading. This program is simple, proven, and powerful-and now it will reach families in every corner of Oregon."

"We just made a law that says every baby and every kid in Oregon, from the day they're born until they turn five, can be enrolled to receive brand-new books delivered right to their front door," Representative Jules Walters (D - Tualatin, West Linn, Durham, Rivergrove, and parts of Lake Grove) said. "I'm thankful to Governor Kotek for signing it for the whole state, so no matter where in Oregon you live, these books will find you."

The program currently serves more than 75,000 Oregon children, representing approximately 36 percent of the state's children under age five, who receive free monthly book deliveries through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in every zip code in Oregon. Families pay nothing to participate, with costs supported through collaborative funding from local community partners, the Dollywood Foundation, and the State of Oregon.

"One Oregon parent summed up how valuable the Imagination Library is to her family, sharing that getting books in the mail each month not only makes her daughter feel special but also serves as a meaningful reminder for her to slow down and make time to read together," Laurie McNichols, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Oregon State Director, said.

"On behalf of Dolly Parton and the entire Dollywood Foundation team, we are incredibly grateful to Governor Kotek, legislative champions like Majority Leader Ben Bowman, and our incredible local program partners across the state," Scott Herrick, State Relations Director for the Imagination Library/Dollywood Foundation, said. "This milestone is a shared victory for every Oregonian who believes in the power of early literacy."

House Bill 4022 was one of the most bipartisan bills passed during this year's legislative session. The bill codifies the Imagination Library as an official state program. Interested families should sign up here.

A recording of the event remarks can be found here.