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HUMAN SERVICES FEDERAL ISSUES

HUMAN SERVICES AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

HOUSE MOVES HEAD START REAUTHORIZATION

May 3, 2007

On Wednesday, May 2, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1429, legislation reauthorizing the Head Start program, by a margin of 365-48. The bill provides $7.4 billion in funding for FY 2008, a $500 million increase over existing funding.  The legislation seeks to increase enrollment (currently 900,000 children) while boosting teacher and staff salaries.  The bill contains a provision terminating the National Reporting System, a testing system to measure the progress of children in the program.  It also expands services for non-English speaking, migrant, and homeless children.  Authorization for the program expired in 2003.  Since then Congress has continued to fund Head Start, but there have been no policy changes.  

Floor debate centered around an amendment offered by Representative Fortuño (R-Puerto Rico).  The amendment would allow for religious organizations hosting Head Start sites to hire based on religious preference using federal funds.  This issue had been a point of contention in previous attempts to reauthorize Head Start.    In response to the Fortuño amendment, Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC) offered a successful Democratic amendment conforming the rights of religious groups to participate in Head Start programs on the same basis as other organizations.  Another amendment that garnered much attention was offered by Representative Price (R-GA); his amendment would have allowed states to coordinate Head Start with state-run early childhood development programs through a demonstration program that would basically be a block grant.  This amendment was defeated by a vote of 165-254.

Other successful amendments included amendments offered by Representatives Carnahan (D-MO), Hirono (D-HI), and Sestak (D-PA).  The Carnahan amendment provided that, in the event that the amounts appropriated to carry out the program do not exceed the funds appropriated for the previous years, Head Start grantees may negotiate a reduced funded enrollment level with the Secretary if the grantee can demonstrate that such reduction is necessary to maintain the quality of services.  The Hirono amendment revised the training and technical assistance program from Early Head Start, and directed 50% of the training and technical assistance funds to grantees directly for program improvement.  Finally, the Sestak amendment authorized the Education Secretary to carry out an educational loan forgiveness program for Head Start and Early Head Start teachers who have earned a bachelors degree in a field related to early childhood education and who commit to teach in a program for a minimum of three years.  A number of other amendments were adopted by voice vote. 

The White House said the Administration does not support the legislation passed by the House because of the religious hiring issue and the ending of the National Reporting System.  Senate Head Start reauthorization legislation (S. 556) has passed out of committee in February, but not come to the Senate floor.  

For additional information, contact Sheri Steisel (sheri.steisel@ncsl.org) or Lee Posey (lee.posey@ncsl.org), or call NCSL's D.C. office at (202) 624-5400.