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‘‘(i) areas of success that Head Start 
agencies and programs had in working 
with FEMA; 
‘‘(ii) challenges that Head Start agen-
cies and programs had in working with 
FEMA; and 
‘‘(iii) the number of Head Start fami-
lies that received individualized assistance 
(as defined under the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Act) and 
the types of assistance received by such 
families. 
‘‘(E) challenges that were faced by Head 
Start and Early Head Start programs and fam-
ilies in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina 
and Rita including—
‘‘(i) the availability of Head Start 
services for families displaced during the 
period of transition; 
‘‘(ii) identification of and outreach to 
families 
displaced 
by 
the 
Hurricanes 
Katrina and Rita; and 
‘‘(iii) the extent to which non-Federal 
disaster assistance was available to Head 
Start agencies and programs, and coordi-
186
nation of such services with non-Federal 
disaster assistance resources. 
‘‘(5) DISASTER
PLAN
PREPAREDNESS.—Not 
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
Improving Head Start Act of 2007, the Secretary 
shall prepare and submit to Congress, Head Start 
disaster plan recommendations based upon the re-
port initiated in paragraph (4), including rec-
ommendations for prevention, preparedness, re-
sponse, and recovery, that can be used to advise 
Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the 
development and implementation of disaster plans.’’. 
SEC. 20. REPORTS. 
Section 650 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9846) 
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking ‘‘Committee on Education 
and the Workforce of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Labor and Human 
Resources of the Senate’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘Committee on Education and 
Labor of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate’’,
187
(B) by striking ‘‘and non-English language 
background children’’ and inserting ‘‘children, 
homeless children, children in foster care, and 
limited English proficient children’’, and 
(C) in paragraph (8) by inserting ‘‘home-
lessness, whether the child is in foster care or 
was referred by a child welfare agency,’’ after 
‘‘ background,’’, and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) SET-ASIDE ACTIVITIES.—Not later than 60 days 
after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report 
detailing the different amounts of expenditures under sec-
tion 640(a)(2) and the activities carried out thereunder. 
‘‘(d) FISCAL PROTOCOL.—The Secretary shall con-
duct an annual review to assess whether the design and 
implementation of the triennial reviews described in sec-
tion 641A(c) include compliance procedures that provide 
reasonable assurance that Head Start agencies are com-
plying with applicable fiscal laws and regulations. The 
Secretary shall report the findings and conclusions of the 
annual review to the House Committee on Education and 
Labor, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education,
188
Labor and Pensions within 30 days of completing the re-
view. 
‘‘(e) USE OF INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLANS.—
The Secretary shall track the use of Head Start Individ-
ualized Education Plans by Head Start agencies in order 
to evaluate the reasons why Head Start agencies are opt-
ing not to use Individualized Education Plans for children 
with disabilities (as specified in the Individuals With Dis-
abilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)), whether 
Head Start Individualized Education Plans are used to 
provide services prior to the development of an Individual-
ized Education Plan, as required under the Individuals 
With Disabilities Education Act, and the length of time 
programs use Head Start Individualized Education Plans 
before an Individualized Education Plan as required under 
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act is developed. 
The Secretary shall provide a report to the Committee on 
Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate, not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of the Improving Head Start Act of 
2007. 
‘‘(f) EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARD-
ING OBESITY PREVENTION.—The Secretary shall evaluate 
and publish regulations on the issue of and concerns re-
189
lated to preventing and reducing obesity in children who 
participate in Head Start programs and shall consult, at 
a minimum, with experts in child and maternal health, 
child development, child and family nutrition and physical 
education, to determine the effective methods by which 
Head Start agencies can help address childhood obesity. 
The regulations should include guidance on how Head 
Start agencies can incorporate, at a minimum, more phys-
ical activity and nutrition education into such programs 
related to preventing and reducing obesity. Not later than 
1 year after the effective date of this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the House Committee on Education 
and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor and Pensions, a report containing such rec-
ommendations and the results of such evaluation.’’. 
SEC. 21. WAGES AND COMPENSATION. 
Section 653 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9848) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 653. WAGES AND COMPENSATION. 
‘‘(a) COMPARABILITY
OF WAGES.—The Secretary 
shall take such action as may be necessary to assure that 
persons employed in carrying out programs financed 
under this subchapter shall not receive compensation at 
a rate which is (1) in excess of the average rate of com-
pensation paid in the area where the program is carried
190
out to a substantial number of the persons providing sub-
stantially comparable services, or in excess of the average 
rate of compensation paid to a substantial number of the 
persons providing substantially comparable services in the 
area of the person’s immediately preceding employment, 
whichever is higher; or (2) less than the minimum wage 
rate prescribed in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Stand-
ards Act of 1938. The Secretary shall encourage Head 
Start agencies to provide compensation according to salary 
scales that are based on training and experience. 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL RATE LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, no Federal funds shall be used 
to pay all or any part of the compensation of an individual 
employed by a Head Start agency in carrying out pro-
grams under this subchapter, either as direct or indirect 
costs of any proration thereof, at a rate in excess of the 
rate then payable for level II of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code.’’. 
SEC. 22. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN USES OF FUNDS. 
The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 656A. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN USES OF FUNDS. 
‘‘No funds made available to carry out this sub-
chapter may be used—
191
‘‘(1) for publicity or propaganda purposes not 
heretofore authorized by the Congress; or 
‘‘(2) unless authorized by law in effect on the 
effective date of this section, to produce any pre-
packaged news story intended for broadcast or dis-
tribution unless such story includes a clear notifica-
tion contained within the text or audio of such story 
stating that the prepackaged news story was pre-
pared or funded by the Department of Health and 
Human Services.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 2, 2007. 
Attest:
Clerk.