which a Compact of Free Association is in effect, 
contains provisions for early childhood education or 
development, and prohibits the assistance provided 
under this subchapter. 
‘‘SEC. 638. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subchapter $10,613,095,000 for each of fiscal years 
2025 through 2034. 
‘‘SEC. 639. BLOCK GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE STATES AND IN-
DIAN TRIBES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of this subchapter, beginning on October 1 of the 
first fiscal year following the date of enactment of the 
Head Start Improvement Act, from the amounts appro-
priated to carry out this subchapter under section 638 for 
a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
States and Indian tribes from allotments made under sub-
section (b) in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(b) ALLOTMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) FORMULA.—The Secretary shall allot the 
amount appropriated under section 638 for a fiscal 
year among the eligible States and Indian tribes in 
proportion to the number of children, who are 3, 4, 
or 5 years of age, who are from families with in-
comes below 100 percent of the poverty line for the 
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most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory data 
are available and who are in an eligible State or In-
dian tribe, compared to the number of such children 
for that fiscal year who are in all eligible States or 
Indian tribes. 
‘‘(2) CALCULATION.—For purposes of counting 
the number of children who are in an eligible State 
under paragraph (1), the children who are counted 
in an eligible Indian tribe in that State shall be ex-
cluded. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a State or Indian tribe shall submit 
an application to the Secretary that includes the number 
of low-income children in the State or Indian tribe. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A grant recipient under 
this section shall use 100 percent of the grant 
funds— 
‘‘(A) for prekindergarten education pro-
grams in the State or Indian tribe involved; 
‘‘(B) for the administration of the pro-
grams described in subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(C) to provide direct technical assistance, 
oversight, monitoring, research, and training 
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with respect to the programs described in sub-
paragraph (A). 
‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION.—The Governor, or other 
chief executive, of each grant recipient shall certify 
that all grant funds received under this section will 
be used to directly or indirectly provide comprehen-
sive education to low-income children. 
‘‘(3) GRANT RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES.—A 
grant recipient shall— 
‘‘(A) award subgrants to eligible entities 
(as defined by the grant recipient) to enable 
such entities to provide, directly or through a 
delegate agency, prekindergarten education pro-
grams in the State or Indian tribe involved; 
‘‘(B) establish rules and standards for the 
entities awarded subgrants under subparagraph 
(A); and 
‘‘(C) monitor compliance by entities award-
ed subgrants under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(4) FLEXIBILITY.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of Federal law (other than this section)— 
‘‘(A) to the extent permitted under State 
law, a grant recipient may use the grant funds 
to establish a portable voucher system that al-
lows a parent of a low-income child to use a 
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portion of the grant funds, other available pub-
lic funds, or private funds to pay some or all of 
the costs of attendance at a private prekinder-
garten education program; and 
‘‘(B) to the extent permitted under State 
law, a grant recipient may use the grant funds 
to establish an education savings account that 
allows a parent of a low-income child to use a 
portion of the grant funds, or other available 
public or private funds added to the account, 
for expenses related to prekindergarten edu-
cation. 
‘‘(5) MEMBERS OF INDIAN TRIBES.—A member 
of an Indian tribe who is eligible to receive services 
pursuant to a program funded under this section 
may elect to receive such services from any eligible 
entity for the State or Indian tribe in which the 
member resides. 
‘‘(e) MATCHING FUNDS.—A grant recipient shall pro-
vide matching funds from non-Federal sources equal to 
20 percent of the amount of the grant to carry out the 
activities described in this section. 
‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—No eligible entity 
that receives a subgrant to provide a program under this 
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subchapter shall use more than 15 percent of the subgrant 
funds for the administrative costs of the program. 
‘‘SEC. 640. LIMITATIONS ON ASSISTANCE. 
‘‘Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to re-
quire a grant recipient to establish a publicly funded pro-
gram of early childhood education and development, or to 
require any child to participate in such a publicly funded 
program, including a preschool program funded by a grant 
recipient, or to participate in any initial screening (other 
than a health screening) before participating in a publicly 
funded program of early childhood education and develop-
ment, except as provided under sections 612(a)(3) and 
635(a)(5) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(3), 1435(a)(5)). 
‘‘SEC. 641. GOALS; MONITORING. 
‘‘(a) SELF-ASSESSMENTS.—Not less frequently than 
once each program year, each grant recipient shall conduct 
a comprehensive self-assessment of the effectiveness and 
progress of the grant recipient’s program under this sub-
chapter in meeting program goals established by the grant 
recipient. The self-assessment shall include a determina-
tion of the number of low-income children served by the 
program carried out by the grant recipient under this sub-
chapter. 
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