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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8236 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8236
To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to State
educational agencies to facilitate the provision of pre-kindergarten
programs that reduce the cost of education services and result in
positive educational outcomes, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 2, 2024
Mr. Nunn of Iowa (for himself, Ms. Perez, and Mrs. Hinson) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to State
educational agencies to facilitate the provision of pre-kindergarten
programs that reduce the cost of education services and result in
positive educational outcomes, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Pre-K for Kids Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis,
grants to State educational agencies to facilitate, through subgrants
to local educational agencies, the provision of pre-kindergarten
programs that--
(1) reduce the cost of education services, including with
respect to at-risk children;
(2) result in positive educational and developmental
outcomes;
(3) are likely to have a positive fiscal impact on local
governmental entities; and
(4) are based on a model pre-kindergarten program.
(b) Application.--
(1) In general.--A State educational agency seeking a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application
in such form, at such time, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
(2) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority to State
educational agencies who serve a majority of families in the
State whose family income is at or below 250 percent of the
Federal poverty line, as defined by the most recently revised
poverty income guidelines published by the Department of Health
and Human Services.
(c) Grant Uses.--A State educational agency that receives a grant
under this section shall use such grant funds to award subgrants to
local educational agencies in accordance with subsection (d).
(d) Subgrants.--
(1) Application.--A local educational agency seeking a
subgrant under this subsection shall submit to the State
educational agency an application in such form, at such time,
and containing such information as the State educational agency
may require, including the program proposal described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Program proposal.--The program proposal shall include
the following:
(A) A description of how the local educational
agency will carry out the innovative financing
partnership described in subsection (e).
(B) A description of the pre-kindergarten services
that will be provided by a service provider described
in paragraph (2)(A) of such subsection pursuant to such
partnership.
(C) An assurance that the local educational agency
will agree to an evaluation by an independent evaluator
described in paragraph (2)(C) of such subsection
pursuant to such partnership of the pre-kindergarten
programs provided under this subsection.
(D) A description of the ways in which the program
will be carried out in order to have a positive fiscal
impact on the local government.
(3) Evaluation of applications.--
(A) Criteria for evaluation.--In evaluating an
application submitted by a local educational agency
under paragraph (1), the State educational agency shall
consider the following:
(i) Whether the program proposal submitted
by the local educational agency includes all
required information.
(ii) Whether the program described by such
proposal--
(I) will achieve the objectives
described in paragraphs (1) through (4)
of subsection (a) and result in
significant performance improvements;
and
(II) is likely to have a positive
fiscal impact on the local government.
(B) Priority.--In evaluating an application
submitted by a local educational agency under paragraph
(1), the State educational agency may give priority to
a local educational agency that--
(i) demonstrates intent to partner with a
service provider that demonstrates a strong
commitment to ongoing professional development
for employees;
(ii) demonstrates intent to partner with
public and private service providers;
(iii) demonstrates intent to use new and
enhanced services for children;
(iv) serves a majority of families whose
family income is at or below 250 percent of the
Federal poverty line, as defined by the most
recently revised poverty income guidelines
published by the Department of Health and Human
Services;
(v) serves a majority of immigrant and
refugee families;
(vi) serves areas with waiting lists for
high-quality pre-kindergarten programs;
(vii) serves a rural community;
(viii) includes a plan to utilize private
funds in addition to funds provided by the
local educational agency (other than subgrant
funds received under this subsection) to
provide pre-kindergarten services to--
(I) students in rural areas; and
(II) students who belong to a
family described in clause (iv);
(ix) demonstrates strategies to improve
early mathematic skills and early literacy
skills, including the literacy skills of
children who have been identified as English
learners;
(x) demonstrates strategies to increase
family engagement and connect families to
community resources;
(xi) provides a comprehensive child
development program;
(xii) establishes a student-to-teacher
ratio of not more than 10 students to every 1
teacher;
(xiii) demonstrates substantial parental
involvement;
(xiv) demonstrates community support;
(xv) utilizes services provided by service
providers described in subsection (e)(2)(A); or
(xvi) includes a plan for program
evaluation that includes the measurement of
student outcomes in addition to the outcomes
measured under subsection (e)(2)(C).
(4) Subgrant uses.--A local educational agency receiving a
subgrant under this subsection shall use such subgrant funds to
provide pre-kindergarten programs described in subsection (a)
through the innovative financing partnership described in
subsection (e).
(e) Innovative Financing Partnership.--
(1) Partnership described.--A local educational agency
receiving a subgrant under subsection (d) shall enter into a
partnership that includes each of the parties described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Parties.--The parties to a partnership described in
paragraph (1) are as follows:
(A) One or more service providers who provide, as
part of a pre-kindergarten program provided by a local
educational agency pursuant to subsection (d), pre-
kindergarten services to 3-year-old and 4-year-old
children from families whose family income is at or
below 250 percent of the Federal poverty line, as
defined by the most recently revised poverty income
guidelines published by the Department of Health and
Human Services.
(B) One or more investors who provide, in
accordance with paragraph (4), the capital for pre-
kindergarten services under the partnership, including
philanthropic investors seeking a full or partial
return of principal.
(C) An independent evaluator to determine whether
the pre-kindergarten programs provided pursuant to
subsection (d) achieve the objectives described in
paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a).
(D) One or more outcomes payers described in
paragraph (3).
(3) Outcomes payer.--An outcomes payer includes any
governmental entity, including the child development
coordinating council of the State, or any private entity that
agrees to commit to pay to an investor described in paragraph
(2)(B) the principal invested by, and the interest owed to,
such investor if the independent evaluator described in
subparagraph (C) of such paragraph makes the determination
described in such subparagraph.
(4) Matching requirement.--The non-Federal share of the
costs of an activity carried out with a grant awarded under
this section shall be--
(A) not less than 40 percent of such costs; and
(B) provided by an investor described in paragraph
(2)(B).
(f) Reports.--
(1) Service provider report.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the formation of the innovative financing
partnership under subsection (e), and every 6 months
thereafter, a service provider that is a party to an innovative
financing partnership under subsection (e) shall submit to the
State educational agency a report on the progress of the pre-
kindergarten services provided by such service provider as part
of a pre-kindergarten program provided by a local educational
agency pursuant to subsection (d).
(2) Independent evaluator report.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the first day of operation of a pre-
kindergarten program provided by a local educational agency
pursuant to subsection (d), and every 12 months thereafter, an
independent evaluator who is a party to an innovative financing
partnership under subsection (e) shall submit to the State
educational agency a report on the progress of such pre-
kindergarten program.
(3) State educational agency report.--Not later than 180
days after receiving each independent evaluator report
described in paragraph (2), the State educational agency shall
submit to Congress a report on the outcomes of the programs
carried out by local educational agencies that received a
subgrant under subsection (d) and that are served by such State
educational agency.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``local educational agency'',
``Secretary'', and ``State educational agency'' have the
meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Model pre-kindergarten program.--The term ``model pre-
kindergarten program'' means a pre-kindergarten program with
existing data which demonstrates that the program, or
substantially similar programs, had a positive fiscal impact on
governmental entities.
(3) Positive fiscal impact.--
(A) In general.--The term ``positive fiscal
impact'' means, when used with respect to a local
government, an increase in tax revenue, decrease in
expenditures, or a combination of the two, that a local
educational agency receiving a subgrant under this
section estimates will, at the conclusion of the
covered period, result in an amount of revenue that is
greater than the amount of the subgrant received
pursuant to this section.
(B) Covered period.--For purposes of subparagraph
(A), the term ``covered period'' means the period--
(i) beginning on the date on which an
innovative financing partnership is formed; and
(ii) ending on the date that is 10 years
after such date.
(4) Rural community.--The term ``rural community'' means a
community with a population of not more than 50,000 people.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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