Recognizing the critical importance of early literacy, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) have both worked intensively with states on birth through third grade improvement strategies across literacy and other learning domains. Third grade reading laws are one strategy that many states have employed to address early literacy challenges; at least 26 states have passed third grade reading laws over the past 20 years. This brief is intended to give an overview of the current status of state third grade reading laws and policies, with the goal of supporting states' early literacy goals. A closer look at third grade reading implementation approaches in four states with high levels of recent growth, Tennessee, Indiana, Nevada, and Mississippi, suggests deeper lessons for states beyond the specifics of a law.