Expanding Head Start Eligibility Act of 2025
Introduced Jan 24, 2025 by Rep. John Garamendi
It's waiting on a committee vote to reach the full chamber. Most bills never leave this stage.
This bill expands eligibility for Head Start programs to include the children of families eligible for specified public assistance programs.
Specifically, the bill expands Head Start eligibility to include the children of families that qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and federal housing assistance (commonly known as Section 8). The bill also provides statutory authority for the eligibility of families that qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Families that qualify for state-funded food assistance programs with eligibility standards identical or substantially similar to the standards for SNAP must also be eligible for Head Start.
Summary by the Congressional Research Service.
No floor votes yet — it hasn't reached the floor of either chamber.