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Expanding Head Start Eligibility Act of 2025
To amend the Head Start Act to include TANF, SSI, SNAP, WIC, and federal housing assistance as eligible public assistance.
Summary
The bill amends the Head Start Act to expand the definition of "public assistance" for purposes of determining eligibility for Head Start programs. The bill adds to the definition of public assistance receipt of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), SSI (Supplemental Security Income), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children program), Section 8 housing assistance, and certain food assistance programs for Native Americans and low-income families. The bill also allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include additional federal benefits and assistance programs in the definition of public assistance. By expanding the definition of public assistance, the bill makes more families receiving these federal benefits automatically eligible for Head Start enrollment. The expanded definition aims to streamline Head Start eligibility determinations and increase program access for low-income families already receiving federal assistance.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
28 cosponsors
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ)
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO)
- Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] (D-TX)
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20] (D-FL)
- Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-31] (D-CA)
- Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] (D-CA)
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS)
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA)
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA)
- Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30] (D-CA)
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL)
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA)
- Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-34] (D-TX)
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT)
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL)
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA)
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH)
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA)
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI)
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA)
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL)
- Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] (D-CA)
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA)
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM)
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI)
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV)
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA)
- Rep. Turner, Sylvester [D-TX-18] (D-TX)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to John Garamendi’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $17,600
- EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE $13,200
- THE DUTRA GROUP $10,900
- SINGH SEMICONDUCTORS $10,000
- HALL FINANCIAL GROUP $9,367
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John Garamendi → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 24, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
- Jan 24, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 24, 2025
Mr. Garamendi (for himself, Mr. Turner of Texas, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Titus, Mr. Correa, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Head Start Act to include TANF, SSI, SNAP, WIC, and federal housing assistance as eligible public assistance.
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 “Expanding Head Start Eligibility Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION.
Section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (25) and (26) as paragraphs
(26) and (27), respectively, and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (24) the following:
“(25) The term ‘public assistance’, as defined by the Secretary, shall include—
“(A) assistance received under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
“(B) benefits received under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.);
“(C) supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits received under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
“(D) the nutrition assistance program (NAP) under section 19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2018) and the food distribution program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) under section 4(a) of the Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note);
“(E) State-funded food assistance programs, with income eligibility standards identical or substantially identical to those of the supplemental nutrition assistance program under of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
“(F) assistance received under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act (42 U.S.C. 1786 et seq.);
“(G) assistance received under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f et seq.); and
“(H) additional benefits and assistance provided under Federal law as determined by the Secretary.”. <all>
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