II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2938 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include child development 

and early learning as community services under the Federal work-study 

program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2023 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. KELLY, Mr. 

VAN HOLLEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. PADILLA, and 

Mrs. SHAHEEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include 

child development and early learning as community services under the Federal work-study program, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Head Start for Our 

5 Future Act’’. 


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•S 2938 IS

1 SEC. 2. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING COM2 MUNITY SERVICES THROUGH FEDERAL 

3 WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 441(c)(1) of the Higher 

5 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087–51(c)(1)) is 

6 amended by striking ‘‘literacy training’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘child development and early learning (including Head 

8 Start programs and Early Head Start programs carried 

9 out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.)), 

10 literacy training’’. 

11 (b) AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS.—Section 443(b) of 

12 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087– 

13 53(b)) is amended— 

14 (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

15 the semicolon; 

16 (2) by redesignating paragraph (11) as para17 graph (12); and 

18 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(11) provide assurances that any Head Start 

20 program, including an Early Head Start program, 

21 employing students through a work-study program 

22 under this part will comply with the requirements of 

23 sections 645A(j) and 648A(h), respectively, of the 

24 Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a(j), 9843a(h)); 

25 and’’. 


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•S 2938 IS

1 SEC. 3. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START REQUIRE2 MENTS. 

3 (a) EARLY HEAD START.—Section 645A of the Head 

4 Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a) is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(j) STUDENTS IN WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS.—In the 

7 case of a student serving an Early Head Start program 

8 through a work-study program under section 441(c)(1) of 

9 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087– 

10 51(c)(1))— 

11 ‘‘(1) before the Early Head Start agency in12 volved employs the student, the agency shall comply 

13 with the requirements of section 648A(g)(3); 

14 ‘‘(2) the student shall comply with all personnel 

15 policies applicable to the Early Head Start program 

16 under the Head Start program performance stand17 ards issued under this subchapter; and 

18 ‘‘(3) the student shall serve the Early Head 

19 Start program as an additional paid staff member 

20 but— 

21 ‘‘(A) shall not be left alone with any child 

22 through the program, meaning that a paid staff 

23 member (not in such a work-study program) 

24 shall attend when the student so serves; and 

25 ‘‘(B) shall not count toward the staff in26 cluded in any staff-to-child ratio applicable to 


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•S 2938 IS

1 the Early Head Start program under this sub2 chapter.’’. 

3 (b) HEAD START.—Section 648A of the Head Start 

4 Act (42 U.S.C. 9843a) is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following: 

6 ‘‘(h) STUDENTS IN WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS.—In 

7 the case of a student serving a Head Start program (not 

8 an Early Head Start program) through a work-study pro9 gram under section 441(c)(1) of the Higher Education Act 

10 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087–51(c)(1))— 

11 ‘‘(1) before the Head Start agency involved em12 ploys the student, the agency shall comply with the 

13 requirements of subsection (g)(3); 

14 ‘‘(2) the student shall comply with all personnel 

15 policies applicable to the Head Start program under 

16 the Head Start program performance standards 

17 issued under this subchapter; and 

18 ‘‘(3) the student shall serve the Head Start pro19 gram as an additional paid staff member but— 

20 ‘‘(A) shall not be left alone with any child 

21 through the program, meaning that a paid staff 

22 member (not in such a work-study program) 

23 shall attend when the student so serves; and 

24 ‘‘(B) shall not count toward the staff in25 cluded in any staff-to-child ratio applicable to 


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•S 2938 IS

1 the Head Start program under this sub2 chapter.’’. 

Æ 


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