II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 322 

To set the United States on track to ensure children are ready to learn 

when they begin kindergarten. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2013 

Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. BEGICH, and Ms. HIRONO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To set the United States on track to ensure children are 

ready to learn when they begin kindergarten. 

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 ‘‘Ready to Learn Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT. 

6 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

7 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

8 the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘TITLE X—SUPPORTING VOL2 UNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN 

3 ‘‘SEC. 10001. SUPPORTING VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN 

4 GRANTS. 

5 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts avail6 able under section 10003, the Secretary is authorized to 

7 award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible States to 

8 pay the Federal share of establishing and administering 

9 high-quality full day voluntary prekindergarten programs 

10 for children age 4 in the State, in order to promote school 

11 readiness for such children. 

12 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If a State desires a grant 

14 under this title, the Governor of such State shall 

15 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 

16 in such manner, and containing a plan that outlines 

17 how and when such State expects to provide vol18 untary prekindergarten for every 4-year-old in the 

19 State. 

20 ‘‘(2) SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

22 subsection (c)(2), a State that receives a grant 

23 under this title shall use the grant funds to 

24 award subgrants to eligible entities to carry out 

25 the requirements of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(B) SUBGRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED

2 PROVIDERS.—In awarding subgrants under 

3 subparagraph (A), a State shall use not less 

4 than 25 percent of the grant funds provided to 

5 the State to award subgrants to eligible entities 

6 that are community-based providers of pre7 kindergarten programs. 

8 ‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this para9 graph, the term ‘eligible entity’ includes schools, 

10 child care entities, Head Start programs, or 

11 other community-based providers of prekinder12 garten programs. 

13 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A State that receives a grant 

14 under this title shall use— 

15 ‘‘(1) not less than 85 percent of the funds pro16 vided under such grant to carry out the activities de17 scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d); 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(2) not more than 15 percent of such funds at 

20 the State level for quality investment described in 

21 subsection (d)(3). 

22 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a 

24 grant under this title shall use grant funds to pro25 vide a high-quality prekindergarten program that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) serves children age 4 in the State, 

2 serving first children from low-income families 

3 with incomes that are not more than 200 per4 cent of the poverty line and those who are lim5 ited English proficient; 

6 ‘‘(B) not later than 2 years after the re7 ceipt of the grant, ensures that each classroom 

8 is taught by a teacher who has— 

9 ‘‘(i) a baccalaureate degree or ad10 vanced degree in early childhood education; 

11 or 

12 ‘‘(ii) a baccalaureate degree and spe13 cialized training in early childhood develop14 ment; 

15 ‘‘(C) utilizes a developmentally, culturally, 

16 and linguistically appropriate curriculum that is 

17 aligned with the State early learning standards 

18 and valid and reliable multiple assessments for 

19 the purpose of improving instruction; and 

20 ‘‘(D) has a teacher-child ratio of not more 

21 than 1 to 10 and a group size of not more than 

22 20. 

23 ‘‘(2) ALLOWABLE USES OF FUNDS.—After a 

24 State has fulfilled the requirements described in 

25 paragraph (1), such State may use grant funds— 


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1 ‘‘(A) to serve younger children; 

2 ‘‘(B) to increase salaries; 

3 ‘‘(C) for additional comprehensive services 

4 as may be needed; and 

5 ‘‘(D) for the construction of new facilities, 

6 or the renovation, repair, or alteration of exist7 ing facilities, necessary to commence or con8 tinue such prekindergarten. 

9 ‘‘(3) QUALITY INVESTMENT.—A State that re10 ceives a grant under this title shall use grant 

11 funds— 

12 ‘‘(A) to develop or expand a quality rating 

13 and improvement system in the State; 

14 ‘‘(B) to carry out other activities needed to 

15 ensure the health and safety of children served 

16 under this title; 

17 ‘‘(C) for professional development for 

18 teachers and staff of the prekindergarten pro19 gram described in paragraph (1); or 

20 ‘‘(D) to provide comprehensive services. 

21 ‘‘SEC. 10002. ADMINISTRATION. 

22 ‘‘(a) FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 

23 ‘‘(1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a 

24 grant under this title shall be 50 percent of the costs 


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1 of carrying out the activities described in section 

2 10001(d). 

3 ‘‘(2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 

4 share of a grant under this title shall be provided in 

5 cash. 

6 ‘‘(b) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—The Secretary 

7 may not award a grant under this title to any State unless 

8 the Secretary first determines that the per-child expendi9 ture by the State and its political subdivisions for pre10 kindergarten programs (other than funds used to pay the 

11 non-Federal share under this section) for the fiscal year 

12 for which the determination is made is equal to or greater 

13 than such expenditure for the preceding fiscal year. 

14 ‘‘(c) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds re15 ceived under this title shall be used to supplement and 

16 not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds 

17 expended to promote voluntary prekindergarten programs 

18 in the State. 

19 ‘‘(d) WAIVER OR REDUCTION.—The Secretary may 

20 waive or reduce the non-Federal share requirement under 

21 subsection (a) or the maintenance of effort requirement 

22 under subsection (b) if the State demonstrates a need for 

23 such waiver or reduction due to financial hardship. 

24 ‘‘(e) PROVISION OF GRANT FUNDS.—In awarding a 

25 grant under this title to a State, the Secretary shall proVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:09 Feb 23, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S322.IS S322

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1 vide the grant funds to the Governor of the State, to en2 able the Governor to designate, in consultation with the 

3 State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and 

4 Care established under section 642B(b) of the Head Start 

5 Act (42 U.S.C. 9837b(b)), a lead agency to best direct 

6 the funds in a manner that improves the State’s programs 

7 by carrying out the requirements of this title. 

8 ‘‘(f) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this title, the 

9 Secretary shall coordinate, not less often than quarterly, 

10 with the Secretary of Health and Human Services regard11 ing the review of State plans as described in section 

12 10001(b) and the implementation of the prekindergarten 

13 programs under this title. 

14 ‘‘(g) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) STATE REPORTS.—Each State that re16 ceives a grant under this title shall submit to the 

17 Secretary an annual report detailing the effective18 ness of each prekindergarten program in that State 

19 funded under this title. 

20 ‘‘(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary 

21 shall submit to the Committee on Health, Edu22 cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 

23 Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 

24 House of Representatives an annual report that deVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:09 Feb 23, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S322.IS S322

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1 scribes each State program of assistance for pre2 kindergarten programs funded under this title. 

3 ‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF REPORTS.—A report sub4 mitted under paragraph (1) or (2) shall include— 

5 ‘‘(A) a description of each action taken to 

6 move toward providing a high-quality prekinder7 garten education to all 4-year-olds; 

8 ‘‘(B) a summary of each measure that will 

9 be taken to achieve the goal of providing full 

10 day high-quality prekindergarten to all 4-year11 olds, including a timetable according to which 

12 such measures will be implemented; 

13 ‘‘(C) a description of all efforts to improve 

14 the integration of full day high-quality pre15 kindergarten programs with the kindergarten 

16 through grade 12 education system; and 

17 ‘‘(D) a description of all efforts to educate 

18 parents about best practices for the role of par19 ents in the early education of a child. 

20 ‘‘SEC. 10003. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

22 this title such sums as may be necessary for each of the 

23 fiscal years 2014 through 2019.’’. 

Æ 


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