I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 778
To amend the Head Start Act to provide greater accountability for Head 
Start agencies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2005
Mr. PUTNAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Head Start Act to provide greater 
accountability for Head Start agencies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Head Start Account-
ability Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEAD START PRO-
GRAMS. 
Section 638 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9833) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘for a period of 5 years’’ after 
‘‘provide financial assistance to such agency’’.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF HEAD START AGENCIES. 
Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 641 of the 
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836) are amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(a) DESIGNATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to designate as a Head Start agency any local public 
or private nonprofit or for-profit agency, within a 
community, including a community-based organiza-
tion, that—
‘‘(A) has power and authority to carry out 
the purpose of this subchapter and perform the 
functions set forth in section 642 within such 
community; and 
‘‘(B) is determined by the Secretary (in 
consultation with the chief executive officer of 
the State involved, if the State expends non-
Federal funds to carry out Head Start pro-
grams) to be capable of planning, conducting, 
administering, and evaluating, either directly or 
by other arrangements, a Head Start program. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRED GOALS FOR DESIGNATION.—In 
order to be eligible for designation as a Head Start 
agency, an entity described in paragraph (1) shall 
establish program goals for continuous improvement 
in all areas of program operations (including early
childhood development and health services), program 
design and management, and family and community 
partnerships. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR SUBSEQUENT DESIGNA-
TION.—In order to be eligible for designation as a 
Head Start agency subsequent to the initial designa-
tion made by the Secretary after the effective date 
of the Head Start Accountability Act of 2005, a 
Head Start agency shall demonstrate that such 
agency has met or is making progress toward meet-
ing such goals. 
‘‘(4) LOCAL OVERSIGHT BOARD.—In order to 
be eligible for designation as a Head Start agency, 
an entity described in paragraph (1) shall establish 
a local oversight board that—
‘‘(A) is composed of volunteer individuals 
who include (but are not limited to) a Head 
Start parent, a representative of a school board, 
a child development expert, a member of the 
business community, and other volunteer indi-
viduals who are residents of the community, in-
cluding individuals who have an understanding 
of the general principles of accounting, law, 
business administration, and management;
‘‘(B) operates as a unit independent of 
staff employed by such agency; 
‘‘(C) actively participates in the develop-
ment, strategic planning, implementation, and 
evaluation of the Head Start program for which 
it is established; 
‘‘(D) provides oversight of such program to 
ensure that such Head Start agency is deliv-
ering high quality services to children and fami-
lies in compliance with all applicable standards 
in effect under this subchapter and with the ap-
plicable performance measures established by 
the Secretary under section 644; 
‘‘(E) takes no action that may provide 
(and takes appropriate action to prevent pro-
viding) any direct or indirect financial benefit 
to any member of such board or to any member 
of the staff of such agency; 
‘‘(F) reviews and approves annually the 
operating budget of such program; 
‘‘(G) reviews and approves the bylaws ap-
plicable to such program; 
‘‘(H) reviews annually the human re-
sources (including administrative and manage-
ment staff) available to carry out such program
and makes recommendations regarding such re-
sources to ensure the effective operation of such 
program; and 
‘‘(I) monitors staff implementation of any 
corrective action necessary to comply with ap-
plicable laws (including regulations) governing 
financial statements and with all requirements 
applicable under this subchapter. 
‘‘(b) COMMUNITIES.—For purposes of this sub-
chapter, a community may be a city, county, or multicity 
or multicounty unit within a State, an Indian reservation 
(including Indians in any off-reservation area designated 
by an appropriate tribal government in consultation with 
the Secretary), or a neighborhood or other area (irrespec-
tive of boundaries or political subdivisions) that provides 
a suitable organizational base and that possesses the com-
monality of interest needed to operate a Head Start pro-
gram. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY IN DESIGNATION.—In administering 
the provisions of this section, the Secretary shall, in con-
sultation with the chief executive officer of the State in-
volved, give priority in the designation (including a subse-
quent designation) of Head Start agencies to any high-
performing Head Start agency or delegate agency that—