S. 2491 — Introduced in Senate

II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2491 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 3, 2016Mr. Peters (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Head Start Act by establishing grants for Head Start programs in communities affected by toxic pollutants, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Children's Head Start Intervention for Life and Development Act. 2. Grants for Head Start programs in communities affected by toxic pollutants The Head Start Act is amended— (1) by redesignating section 657C (42 U.S.C. 9852c) as section 657D; and (2) by inserting after section 657B (42 U.S.C. 9852b) the following: 657C. Grants to communities affected by toxic pollutants (a) Grants (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may award grants to eligible entities to carry out Head Start (including Early Head Start) programs in communities affected by water polluted by lead or a toxic pollutant as the result of an event for which the President has declared an emergency. The Secretary may award the grants for a single period of not more than 5 years, and may not renew the grants. (2) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Emergency The term emergency has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). (B) Toxic pollutant The term toxic pollutant has the meaning given the term in section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362). (b) Eligible entity; priority (1) Eligible entity To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall meet the requirements to be designated as a Head Start agency under section 641 or the requirements to be eligible to provide an Early Head Start program under 645A(d), as the case may be. (2) Priority In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities in partnerships with child care providers who are providing child care services on the date of enactment of the Children's Head Start Intervention for Life and Development Act. (c) Use of funds An entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out a Head Start (which may be an Early Head Start) program in accordance with this subchapter in a community described in subsection (a). (d) Training and technical assistance The Secretary may use funds provided under this section— (1) to provide intensive training and technical assistance to the operators and staff of Head Start programs funded under this section, to address the behavioral and other needs of the children served through those programs; and (2) to pay for the administrative costs of carrying out this section. (e) Construction Nothing in this section shall be construed to make any entity eligible for designation or a designation renewal under section 641. (f) References The Secretary shall issue guidance clarifying when a reference in this subchapter to this subchapter, used in conjunction with an amount, shall be considered to include an amount made available under this section. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2022. .