The purpose of this measure is to extend and amend expiring child nutrition programs and to make improvements in Federal child nutrition programs to enhance their effectiveness in providing nutrition services to program participants. H.R. 3874 would primarily accomplish this goal by increasing flexibility for state and local providers, expanding nutrition services in after school care programs in order to reduce juvenile crime, drug and alcohol abuse and teen pregnancy and reducing program fraud and abuse in the WIC program, and modifying the Summer Food Service Program to encourage greater participation by private, nonprofit organizations. The Republican Head Start bill will bring quality, accountability, and performance measures to the Head Start program. H.R. 2616 drives more money directly down to strongest charter schools. 90 percent of the dollars go directly to the local level.
Emphasis is placed on strengthening academics and state and local flexibility in the use of funds.
A separate Tech-Prep funding stream is provided in this legislation. The two education provisions included in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1998 taxpayer would improve both higher education and elementary and secondary education. Under the bill, private higher education institutions would be permitted to establish prepaid tuition programs. At the present, only state-supported schools may do so. In addition, at the elementary and secondary level, school districts would not be required to rebate proceeds from arbitrage to the Federal government in the situation where the proceeds of school construction bonds are spent within four years.