H. R. 1429—82 
‘‘SEC. 657A. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIREMENT FOR NONEMERGENCY 
INTRUSIVE PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—The term ‘nonemergency intrusive physical 
examination’ means, with respect to a child, a physical examination 
that— 
‘‘(1) is not immediately necessary to protect the health 
or safety of the child involved or the health or safety of another 
individual; and 
‘‘(2) requires incision or is otherwise invasive, or involves 
exposure of private body parts. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENT.—A Head Start agency shall obtain written 
parental consent before administration of any nonemergency intru-
sive physical examination of a child in connection with participation 
in a program under this subchapter. 
‘‘(c) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to prohibit agencies from using established methods, 
for handling cases of suspected or known child abuse and neglect, 
that are in compliance with applicable Federal, State, or tribal 
law.’’. 
SEC. 26. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 
The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), as amended 
by section 25, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 657B. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘center of excellence’ 
means a Center of Excellence in Early Childhood designated under 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) DESIGNATION AND BONUS GRANTS.—The Secretary shall, 
subject to the availability of funds under this section, establish 
a program under which the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) designate not more than 200 exemplary Head Start 
agencies (including Early Head Start agencies, Indian Head 
Start agencies, and migrant and seasonal Head Start agencies) 
as Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood; and 
‘‘(2) make bonus grants to the centers of excellence to 
carry out the activities described in subsection (d). 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION AND DESIGNATION.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) NOMINATION AND SUBMISSION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a des-
ignation as a center of excellence under subsection 
(b), except as provided in clause (ii), a Head Start 
agency in a State shall be nominated by the Governor 
of the State, after selection for nomination by such 
Governor through a competitive process, and shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(ii) INDIAN
AND
MIGRANT
AND
SEASONAL
HEAD 
START PROGRAMS.—In the case of an Indian Head Start 
agency or a migrant or seasonal Head Start agency, 
to be eligible to receive a designation as a center of 
excellence under subsection (b), such an agency shall 
be nominated by the head of the appropriate regional 
office of the Department of Health and Human Services
H. R. 1429—83 
and shall submit an application to the Secretary in 
accordance with clause (i). 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—At a minimum, the application shall 
include— 
‘‘(i) evidence that the Head Start program carried 
out by the agency involved has significantly improved 
the school readiness of children who have participated 
in the program; 
‘‘(ii) evidence that the program meets or exceeds 
standards described in section 641A(a)(1), as evidenced 
by the results of monitoring reviews described in sec-
tion 641A(c), and has no findings of deficiencies in 
the preceding 3 years; 
‘‘(iii) evidence that the program is making progress 
toward meeting the requirements described in section 
648A; 
‘‘(iv) an assurance that the Head Start agency 
will develop a collaborative partnership with the State 
(or a State agency) and other providers of early child-
hood education and development programs and services 
in the local community involved to conduct activities 
under subsection (d); 
‘‘(v) a nomination letter from the Governor, or 
appropriate regional office, demonstrating the agency’s 
ability to provide the coordination, transition, and 
training services of the program to be carried out under 
the bonus grant involved, including coordination of 
activities with State and local agencies that provide 
early childhood education and development to children 
and families in the community served by the agency, 
and carry out the activities described under subsection 
(d)(1); and 
‘‘(vi) a description of how the center involved, in 
order to expand accessibility and continuity of quality 
early childhood education and development services 
and programs, will coordinate activities, as appro-
priate, assisted under this section with— 
‘‘(I) programs carried out under the Child Care 
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 9858 et seq.); 
‘‘(II) the Early Head Start programs carried 
out under section 645A; 
‘‘(III) Early Reading First and Even Start pro-
grams carried out under subparts 2 and 3 of part 
B of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6371 et seq., 6381 
et seq.); 
‘‘(IV) other preschool programs carried out 
under title I of that Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 
‘‘(V) programs carried out under section 619 
and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); 
‘‘(VI) State prekindergarten programs; and 
‘‘(VII) other programs of early childhood edu-
cation and development. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION.—In selecting agencies to designate as cen-
ters of excellence under subsection (b), the Secretary shall
H. R. 1429—84 
designate not less than 1 from each of the 50 States, the 
District of Columbia, an Indian Head Start program, a migrant 
or seasonal Head Start program, and the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making bonus grant determinations 
under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to agencies 
that, through their applications, demonstrate that their pro-
grams are of exceptional quality and would serve as exemplary 
models for programs in the same geographic region. The Sec-
retary may also consider the populations served by the 
applicants, such as agencies that serve large proportions of 
families of limited English proficient children or other under-
served populations, and may make bonus grants to agencies 
that do an exceptional job meeting the needs of children in 
such populations. 
‘‘(4) TERM OF DESIGNATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
Secretary shall designate a Head Start agency as a center 
of excellence for a 5-year term. During the period of that 
designation, subject to the availability of appropriations, 
the agency shall be eligible to receive a bonus grant under 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(B) REVOCATION.—The Secretary may revoke an 
agency’s designation under subsection (b) if the Secretary 
determines that the agency is not demonstrating adequate 
performance or has had findings of deficiencies described 
in paragraph (1)(B)(ii). 
‘‘(5) AMOUNT OF BONUS GRANT.—The Secretary shall base 
the amount of funding provided through a bonus grant made 
under subsection (b) to a center of excellence on the number 
of children eligible for Head Start services in the community 
involved. The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of 
funding, make such a bonus grant in an amount of not less 
than $200,000 per year. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A center of excellence that receives a 
bonus grant under subsection (b)— 
‘‘(1) shall use not less than 15 percent of the funds made 
available through the bonus grant to disseminate to other Head 
Start agencies in the State involved, best practices for achieving 
early academic success, including— 
‘‘(A) best practices for achieving school readiness, 
including developing early literacy and mathematics skills, 
for children at risk for school difficulties; 
‘‘(B) best practices for achieving the acquisition of the 
English language for limited English proficient children, 
if appropriate to the population served; and 
‘‘(C) best practices for providing high-quality com-
prehensive services for eligible children and their families; 
‘‘(2) may use the funds made available through the bonus 
grant— 
‘‘(A) to provide Head Start services to additional eligible 
children; 
‘‘(B) to better meet the needs of working families in 
the community served by the center by serving more chil-
dren in existing Early Head Start programs (existing as 
of the date the center is designated under this section)
H. R. 1429—85 
or in full-working-day, full calendar year Head Start pro-
grams; 
‘‘(C) to further coordinate early childhood education 
and development programs and services and social services 
available in the community served by the center for at- 
risk children (birth through age 8), their families, and 
pregnant women; 
‘‘(D) to provide professional development for Head Start 
teachers and staff, including joint training for Head Start 
teachers and staff, child care providers, public and private 
preschool and elementary school teachers, and other pro-
viders of early childhood education and development pro-
grams; 
‘‘(E) to provide effective transitions between Head Start 
programs and elementary schools and to facilitate ongoing 
communication between Head Start and elementary school 
teachers concerning children receiving Head Start services 
to improve the teachers’ ability to work effectively with 
low-income, at-risk children and their families; 
‘‘(F) to develop or maintain partnerships with institu-
tions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, 
including community-based organizations, that recruit, 
train, place, and support college students to serve as men-
tors and reading partners to preschool children in Head 
Start programs; and 
‘‘(G) to carry out other activities determined by the 
center to improve the overall quality of the Head Start 
program carried out by the agency and the program carried 
out under the bonus grant involved. 
‘‘(e) RESEARCH AND REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) RESEARCH.—The Secretary shall, subject to the avail-
ability of funds to carry out this subsection, award a grant 
or contract to an independent organization to conduct research 
on the ability of the centers of excellence to use the funds 
received under this section to improve the school readiness 
of children receiving Head Start services, and to positively 
impact school results in the earliest grades. The organization 
shall also conduct research to measure the success of the centers 
of excellence at encouraging the center’s delegate agencies, 
additional Head Start agencies, and other providers of early 
childhood education and development programs in the commu-
nities involved to meet measurable improvement goals, particu-
larly in the area of school readiness. 
‘‘(2) RESEARCH REPORT.—Not later than 48 months after 
the date of enactment of the Improving Head Start for School 
Readiness Act of 2007, the organization shall prepare and 
submit to the Secretary and Congress a report containing the 
results of the research described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.—Each center of excellence 
shall submit an annual report to the Secretary, at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may require, that contains 
a description of the activities the center carried out with funds 
received under this section, including a description of how 
such funds improved services for children and families. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2008 through 2012 to make bonus grants to centers
H. R. 1429—86 
of excellence under subsection (b) to carry out activities described 
in subsection (d) and research and report activities described in 
subsection (e).’’. 
SEC. 27. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 
The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), as amended 
by section 26, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 657C. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 
‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed 
to authorize or permit the Secretary or any employee or contractor 
of the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate, 
direct, or control, the selection of a curriculum, a program of instruc-
tion, or instructional materials, for a Head Start program. 
‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be con-
strued to authorize a Head Start program or a local educational 
agency to require the other to select or implement a specific cur-
riculum or program of instruction. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this subchapter, the term ‘health’, when 
used to refer to services or care provided to enrolled children, 
their parents, or their siblings, shall be interpreted to refer to 
both physical and mental health.’’. 
SEC. 28. COMPLIANCE WITH IMPROPER PAYMENTS INFORMATION ACT 
OF 2002. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term— 
(1) ‘‘appropriate committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(2) ‘‘improper payment’’ has the meaning given that term 
under section 2(d)(2) of the Improper Payments Information 
Act of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note). 
(b) 
REQUIREMENT
FOR
COMPLIANCE
CERTIFICATION
AND 
REPORT.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
submit a report to the appropriate committees that— 
(1) contains a certification that the Department of Health 
and Human Services has, for each program and activity of 
the Administration for Children and Families, performed and 
completed a risk assessment to determine programs and activi-
ties that are at significant risk of making improper payments; 
and 
(2) describes the actions to be taken to reduce improper 
payments for the programs and activities determined to be 
at significant risk of making improper payments. 
SEC. 29. REFERENCES IN OTHER ACTS. 
(a) ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.— 
Section 1112(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6312(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(G), by striking ‘‘performance standards 
established under section 641A(a) of the Head Start Act’’ and 
inserting ‘‘education performance standards in effect under sec-
tion 641A(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘Head Start perform-
ance standards as in effect under section 641A(a) of the Head
H. R. 1429—87 
Start Act’’ and inserting ‘‘education performance standards in 
effect under section 641A(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act’’. 
(b) EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ACT.—Section 810(b)(1) 
of the Early Learning Opportunities Act (20 U.S.C. 9409(b)(1)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘entities funded under section 640(a)(5) 
of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)(5))’’ and inserting ‘‘entities 
funded under section 640(a)(2)(B)(vi) of the Head Start Act (42 
U.S.C. 9835(a)(2)(B)(vi))’’. 
(c) RICHARD B. RUSSELL NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT.— 
(1) Section 9(b)(12)(A)(iii) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(12)(A)(iii)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘the child is a member of a family that meets 
the low-income criteria prescribed under section 645(a)(1)(A) 
of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(A))’’ and inserting 
‘‘the child meets the eligibility criteria prescribed under section 
645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(B))’’. 
(2) Section 17(c)(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766(c)(5)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the child is a member of a family that 
meets the low-income criteria prescribed under section 
645(a)(1)(A) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(A))’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the child meets the eligibility criteria prescribed 
under section 645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
9840(a)(1)(B))’’. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.