[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 78 (Friday, May 11, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6021-S6022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CASEY:
  S. 1374. A bill to assist States in making voluntary high quality 
full-day prekindergarten programs available and economically affordable 
for the families of all children for at least 1 year preceding 
kindergarten; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my Prepare All Kids 
Act of 2007, a bill that represents one of my highest priorities, high 
quality prekindergarten education for all children, and particularly 
those from low income families for whom the cost of prekindergarten may 
be prohibitive. Investing in high quality early childhood development 
programs should be a national priority for our country. I look forward 
to speaking at length on the floor early next week about what my bill 
will accomplish for children and working families. I ask unanimous 
consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1374

       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 ``Prepare All Kids Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. HIGH QUALITY FULL-DAY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS.

       Chapter 8 of subtitle A of title VI of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35; 95 Stat. 357) 
     is amended by inserting after subchapter C the following:

     ``Subchapter D--High Quality Full-Day Prekindergarten Programs

     ``SEC. 661. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       ``(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       ``(1) Investments in children and early education should be 
     a national priority.
       ``(2) The cost of high quality preschool is prohibitive for 
     poor families and is a significant financial strain for many 
     working- and middle-class families.
       ``(3) State-funded preschool is the most rapidly expanding 
     segment of the United States educational system, but in many 
     States a lack of stable funding poses an enormous threat to 
     the provision or continuation of high quality preschool.
       ``(4) The provision of high quality prekindergarten is a 
     cost-effective investment for children and for the Nation. 
     Research shows that for every $1 invested in high quality 
     early childhood programs, taxpayers save more than $17 in 
     crime, welfare, education, and other costs.
       ``(5) Fewer than half the Nation's poor preschool-age 
     children attend preschool. The result is a significant 
     preparation gap between poor and middle-class children and 
     between minority and white children.
       ``(6) High quality early education increases academic 
     success for schoolchildren who received that education by--
       ``(A) increasing high school graduation rates;
       ``(B) improving children's performance on standardized 
     tests;
       ``(C) reducing grade repetition; and
       ``(D) reducing the number of children placed in special 
     education.
       ``(7) High quality early education promotes responsible 
     behavior by teens and adults who received that education by--
       ``(A) reducing crime, delinquency, and unhealthy behaviors 
     such as smoking and drug use;
       ``(B) lowering rates of teen pregnancy;
       ``(C) leading to greater employment and higher wages for 
     adults; and
       ``(D) contributing to more stable families.
       ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to assist States 
     in--
       ``(1) making voluntary high quality full-day 
     prekindergarten programs available and economically 
     affordable for the families of all children for at least 1 
     year preceding kindergarten; and
       ``(2) making the prekindergarten programs available to a 
     target population of children from families with incomes at 
     or below 200 percent of the poverty line, for whom the 
     prekindergarten programs will be free of charge.

     ``SEC. 662. DEFINITIONS.

       ``(a) In this Act:
       ``(1) Full-day.--The term `full-day', used with respect to 
     a program, means a program with a minimum of a 6-hour 
     schedule per day.
       ``(2) Poverty line.--The term `poverty line' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 673(2) of the Community 
     Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) and includes any 
     revision required by that section.
       ``(3) Prekindergarten.--The term `prekindergarten' means a 
     program that--
       ``(A) serves children who are ages 3 through 5;
       ``(B) supports children's cognitive, social, emotional, and 
     physical development and approaches to learning; and
       ``(C) helps prepare children for a successful transition to 
     kindergarten.
       ``(4) Prekindergarten teacher.--The term `prekindergarten 
     teacher' means an individual who
       ``(A) has a bachelor of arts degree with a specialization 
     in early childhood education or early childhood development; 
     or
       ``(B) during the 6-year period following the first date on 
     which the individual is employed as such a teacher under this 
     Act, is working toward that degree.
       ``(5) Qualified prekindergarten provider.--The term 
     `qualified prekindergarten provider' includes a provider of a 
     prekindergarten program, a Head Start agency, a provider of a 
     child care program, a school, and a for-profit or nonprofit 
     organization that--
       ``(A) is in existence on the date of the qualification 
     determination; and
       ``(B) has met applicable requirements under State or local 
     law that are designed to protect the health and safety of 
     children and that are applicable to child care providers.
       ``(6) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.

     ``SEC. 663. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

       ``(a) Prekindergarten Incentive Fund.--The Secretary, in 
     collaboration and consultation with the Secretary of 
     Education, shall create a Prekindergarten Incentive Fund, to 
     be administered by the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services.
       ``(b) Grants.--In administering the Fund, the Secretary 
     shall award grants to eligible States, to pay for the Federal 
     share of the cost of awarding subgrants to qualified 
     prekindergarten providers to establish, expand, or enhance 
     voluntary high quality full-day prekindergarten programs.

     ``SEC. 664. STATE APPLICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.

       ``(a) Designated State Agency.--To be eligible to receive a 
     grant under this Act, a State shall designate a State agency 
     to administer the State program of assistance for 
     prekindergarten programs funded through the grant, including 
     receiving and administering funds and monitoring the 
     programs.

[[Page S6022]]

       ``(b) State Application.--In order for a State to be 
     eligible to receive a grant under this Act, the designated 
     State agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
     such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
     the Secretary may reasonably require, including--
       ``(1) an assurance that, for prekindergarten programs 
     funded through the grant, the State will ensure that the 
     qualified prekindergarten providers target children from 
     families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty 
     line, and provide prekindergarten programs to children from 
     those families free of charge;
       ``(2) an assurance that the State will award subgrants for 
     prekindergarten programs that are sufficient to provide a 
     high quality prekindergarten experience;
       ``(3) an assurance that not less than 25 percent of the 
     qualified prekindergarten providers receiving such subgrants 
     will be providers of community-based programs;
       ``(4) a description of the number of children in the State 
     who are eligible for the prekindergarten programs and the 
     needs that will be served through the prekindergarten 
     programs;
       ``(5) a description of how the State will ensure that the 
     subgrants are awarded to a wide range of types of qualified 
     prekindergarten providers;
       ``(6) a description of how the designated State agency will 
     collaborate and coordinate activities with State-funded 
     providers of prekindergarten programs, providers of federally 
     funded programs such as Head Start agencies, local 
     educational agencies, and child care providers;
       ``(7) a description of how the State will ensure, through a 
     monitoring process, that qualified prekindergarten providers 
     receiving the subgrants continue to place priority on the 
     target population of children described in paragraph (1), 
     provide programs that meet the standards of high quality 
     early education, and use funds appropriately;
       ``(8) a description of how the State will meet the needs of 
     working parents; and
       ``(9) a description of how the State will assist in 
     providing professional development assistance to 
     prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides.
       ``(c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost 
     described in section 663(b) shall be 50 percent. The State 
     shall provide the non-Federal share of the cost in cash.
       ``(d) Supplementary Federal Funding.--Funds made available 
     under this Act may be used only to supplement and not 
     supplant other Federal, State, local, or private funds that 
     would, in the absence of the funds made available under this 
     Act, be made available for early childhood programs.
       ``(e) Maintenance of Effort.--A State that receives a grant 
     under this Act for a fiscal year shall maintain the 
     expenditures of the State for early childhood programs at a 
     level not less than the level of such expenditures of the 
     State for the preceding fiscal year.

     ``SEC. 665. STATE SET ASIDES AND EXPENDITURES.

       ``(a) Infant and Toddler Set Aside.--Notwithstanding 
     sections 662 and 663, a State shall set aside not less than 
     10 percent of the funds made available through a grant 
     awarded under this Act for the purpose of funding high 
     quality early childhood development programs for children who 
     are ages 0 through 3. Funds made available under this 
     subsection may also be used for professional development for 
     teachers and teacher aides in classrooms for children who are 
     ages 0 through 3.
       ``(b) Extended Day and Extended Year Set Aside.--
     Notwithstanding section 663, a State shall set aside not less 
     than 10 percent of the funds made available through a grant 
     awarded under this Act for the purpose of extending the hours 
     of early childhood programs to create extended day and 
     extended year programs.
       ``(c) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 5 percent of 
     the funds made available through such a grant may be used for 
     administrative expenses, including monitoring.

     ``SEC. 666. LOCAL APPLICATIONS.

       ``To be eligible to receive a subgrant under this Act, a 
     qualified prekindergarten provider shall submit an 
     application to the designated State agency at such time, in 
     such manner, and containing such information as the agency 
     may reasonably require, including--
       ``(1) a description of how the qualified prekindergarten 
     provider will meet the diverse needs of children in the 
     community to be served, including children with disabilities, 
     whose native language is not English, or with other special 
     needs, children in the State foster care system, and homeless 
     children;
       ``(2) a description of how the qualified prekindergarten 
     provider will serve eligible children who are not served 
     through similar services or programs;
       ``(3) a description of a plan for involving families in the 
     prekindergarten program;
       ``(4) a description of how children in the prekindergarten 
     program, and their parents and families, will receive 
     assistance through supportive services provided within the 
     community;
       ``(5) a description of how the qualified prekindergarten 
     provider collaborates with providers of other programs 
     serving children and families, including Head Start agencies, 
     providers of child care programs, and local educational 
     agencies, to meet the needs of children, families, and 
     working families, as appropriate; and
       ``(6) a description of how the qualified prekindergarten 
     provider will collaborate with local educational agencies to 
     ensure a smooth transition for participating students from 
     the prekindergarten program to kindergarten and early 
     elementary education.

     ``SEC. 667. LOCAL PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

       ``(a) Mandatory Uses of Funds.--A qualified prekindergarten 
     provider that receives a subgrant under this Act shall use 
     funds received through the grant to establish, expand, or 
     enhance prekindergarten programs for children who are ages 3 
     through 5, including--
       ``(1) providing a prekindergarten program that supports 
     children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical 
     development and approaches to learning, and helps prepare 
     children for a successful transition to kindergarten;
       ``(2) purchasing educational equipment, including 
     educational materials, necessary to provide a high quality 
     prekindergarten program; and
       ``(3) extending part-day prekindergarten programs to full-
     day prekindergarten programs.
       ``(b) Permissible Use of Funds.--A qualified 
     prekindergarten provider that receives a subgrant under this 
     Act may use funds received through the grant to--
       ``(1) pay for transporting students to and from a 
     prekindergarten program; and
       ``(2) provide professional development assistance to 
     prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides.
       ``(c) Program Requirements.--A qualified prekindergarten 
     provider that receives a subgrant under this Act shall carry 
     out a high quality prekindergarten program by--
       ``(1) maintaining a maximum class size of 20 children, with 
     at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom;
       ``(2) ensuring that the ratio of children to 
     prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides shall not exceed 
     10 to 1;
       ``(3) utilizing a prekindergarten curriculum that is 
     research- and evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, 
     and designed to support children's cognitive, social, 
     emotional, and physical development, and approaches to 
     learning;
       ``(4) providing a program with a minimum of a 6-hour 
     schedule per day; and
       ``(5) ensuring that prekindergarten teachers meet the 
     requirements of this Act.

     ``SEC. 668. REPORTING.

       ``(a) Qualified Prekindergarten Provider Reports.--Each 
     qualified prekindergarten provider that receives a subgrant 
     from a State under this Act shall submit an annual report, to 
     the designated State agency, that reviews the effectiveness 
     of the prekindergarten program provided. Such annual report 
     shall include--
       ``(1) data specifying the number and ages of enrolled 
     children, and the family income, race, gender, disability, 
     and native language of such children;
       ``(2) a description of--
       ``(A) the curriculum used by the program;
       ``(B) how the curriculum supports children's cognitive, 
     social, emotional, and physical development and approaches to 
     learning; and
       ``(C) how the curriculum is appropriate for children of the 
     culture, language, and ages of the children served; and
       ``(3) a statement of all sources of funding received by the 
     program, including Federal, State, local, and private funds.
       ``(b) State Reports.--Each State that receives a grant 
     under this Act shall submit an annual report to the Secretary 
     detailing the effectiveness of all prekindergarten programs 
     funded under this Act in the State.
       ``(c) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit an 
     annual report to Congress that describes the State programs 
     of assistance for prekindergarten programs funded under this 
     Act.

     ``SEC. 669. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act--
       ``(1) $5,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       ``(2) $6,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
       ``(3) $7,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
       ``(4) $8,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
       ``(5) $9,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.''.
                                 ______