,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddha  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aj1 #bjad    
,mr4 ,salmon introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,head ,start ,act to authorize block    
grants to ,states for prekindergarten   
education4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,head ,start        
,improvement ,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,head  
,start ,block grants ,the ,head ,start  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq47 is   
amended--  7#a7 in section #fdj1 by     
adding at the end the following3  7p7   
,beginning on ,october #a of the first  
fiscal year following the date of       
enactment of the ,head ,start           
,improvement ,act of #bjad1 the         
,secretary shall not allocate1 reserve1 
or otherwise provide funds pursuant to  
this section4  2 and  7#b7 by inserting 
after section #fdj the following3       
#fdj;,a4 ,block grants to eligible      

grantees  7a7 ,in general               
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
this subchapter1 beginning on ,october  
#a of the first fiscal year following   
the date of enactment of the ,head      
,start ,improvement ,act of #bjad1 from 
the amounts appropriated to carry out   
this subchapter under section #fci for a
 fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall award
 grants to eligible grantees in         
accordance with this section4  7b7      
,allotments  7#a7 ,eligible grantee     
defined ,in this section1 the term      
eligible grantee means each of the #ej  
,states of the ,united ,states1 the     
,district of ,columbia1 the             
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the     
,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1
 ,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of 
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 the    
,republic of ,palau1 and each of the    
federally recognized ,indian tribes4    
7#b7 ,formula ,the ,secretary shall     
allot the amount appropriated under     
section #fci for a fiscal year among the

 eligible grantees in proportion to the 
number of children1 aged #e and younger1
 who reside within the eligible grantee 
and are from families with incomes below
 #acj percent of the poverty line for   
the most recent fiscal year for which   
satisfactory data are available1        
compared to the number of such children 
who reside in all such eligible grantees
 for that fiscal year4  7c7 ,use of     
funds  7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible    
grantee that receives a grant under this
 section shall use #ajj percent of the  
grant funds--  7,a7 for prekindergarten 
education programs in the eligible      
grantee2  7,b7 for the administration of
 the programs described in subparagraph 
7,a72 and  7,c7 to provide direct       
technical assistance1 oversight1        
monitoring1 research1 and training with 
respect to the programs described in    
subparagraph 7,a74  7#b7 ,certification 
,the ,governor1 or other chief          
executive1 of each eligible grantee that
 receives a grant under this section    

shall certify that all grant funds      
received under this section will be used
 to directly or indirectly provide      
comprehensive education and related     
services to low-income children and     
their families4  7#c7 ,eligible grantee 
responsibilities ,an eligible grantee   
that receives a grant under this section
 shall--  7,a7 award subgrants to       
eligible entities 7as defined by the    
eligible grantee7 to enable such        
entities to provide prekindergarten     
education programs in the eligible      
grantee2  7,b7 establish rules and      
standards for the entities awarded      
subgrants under subparagraph 7,a72 and  
7,c7 monitor compliance by entities     
awarded subgrants under subparagraph    
7,a74  7#d7 ,flexibility ,subject to the
 requirements of this section1 an       
eligible grantee that receives a grant  
under this section shall have full      
flexibility to use grant funds to       
finance a prekindergarten education     
provider1 service1 or program1 including

 to establish a portable voucher system4
  7#e7 ,members of federally recognized 
indian tribes ,a member of a federally  
recognized ,indian tribe who is eligible
 to receive services pursuant to a      
program funded under this section may   
elect to receive such services from any 
eligible entity in the eligible grantee 
in which the member resides4  7d7       
,matching funds ,an eligible grantee    
that receives a grant under this section
 shall provide matching funds from      
non-,federal sources equal to #bj       
percent of the amount of the grant to   
carry out the activities described in   
this section4  4