PRINTER'S NO. 328
No. 290 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, ROEBUCK, BROWNE, HERMAN, T. STEVENSON,
BISHOP, CURRY, GRUCELA, KIRKLAND, MUNDY, SHANER, STURLA,
SURRA, YUDICHAK, BARD, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BUNT,
BUXTON, CAWLEY, COSTA, COY, CRAHALLA, CRUZ, DALEY, DALLY,
DeWEESE, EACHUS, FICHTER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GRUITZA,
HARHAI, HESS, HORSEY, JAMES, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LEACH,
LESCOVITZ, MANDERINO, MANN, MARKOSEK, McCALL, MELIO,
S. MILLER, PETRARCA, PISTELLA, PRESTON, READSHAW, ROBERTS,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, SOLOBAY,
E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO, WASHINGTON AND
YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
AN ACT
1 Providing for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program;
2 imposing powers and duties on the Department of Education;
3 and making an appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Head Start
8 Supplemental Assistance Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Department." The Department of Education of the
14 Commonwealth.
1 "Extended day services." Full-day Head Start and child-care
2 services provided for a full year to children eligible for Head
3 Start by a Head Start provider or through a collaborative
4 agreement between a Head Start provider and a licensed child-
5 care center or a registered family or group day-care home.
6 "Head Start." A program funded under the Head Start Act
7 (Public Law 97-35, 42 U.S.C. § 9831 et seq.), established by the
8 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35, 95
9 Stat. 357) and carried out by a Head Start agency or delegate
10 agency that provides ongoing comprehensive child development
11 services.
12 "Program." The Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
13 established in section 3.
14 Section 3. Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
15 (a) Establishment.--The Head Start Supplemental Assistance
16 Program is hereby established.
17 (b) Administration.--The department shall administer the
18 program. The administration shall be consistent with Federal
19 Head Start guidelines and shall provide supplemental financial
20 assistance to existing providers of Federal Head Start services.
21 (c) Coordination.--The department shall coordinate the
22 administration of the program with the Department of Public
23 Welfare and the Department of Health. The purpose of this
24 coordination shall be to:
25 (1) Identify educational, child-care or other services
26 under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Welfare
27 and the Department of Health that can augment or improve the
28 services available through Head Start or Head Start Extended
29 Day Services.
30 (2) Provide technical assistance to Head Start providers
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1 establishing child-care services in order to offer extended
2 day services.
3 (3) Provide technical assistance to Head Start
4 providers, licensed child-care centers or registered family
5 or group day-care homes entering into collaborative
6 agreements in order to offer extended day services.
7 (4) Provide nutrition and health information to Head
8 Start providers to convey to parents and children.
9 (d) Criteria for funding.--To implement the program, the
10 department shall request proposals from Head Start providers and
11 may award grants or enter into service contracts with Head Start
12 providers that meet all of the following criteria:
13 (1) Demonstrate the need for additional Head Start
14 services in the provider's service area, whether the need is
15 determined by the percentage of eligible children who are not
16 served in the provider's service area or by the demand for
17 extended day services.
18 (2) Demonstrate the ability to expand staff, space and
19 services within the Head Start program or in cooperation with
20 licensed child-care centers or registered family or group
21 day-care homes to serve additional children or to provide
22 extended day services.
23 (3) Demonstrate the ability to comply with Federal and
24 State requirements for child-care service providers if the
25 Head Start provider intends to provide extended day services.
26 (4) Demonstrate the ability to enter into a
27 collaborative agreement with a child-care service provider if
28 the Head Start provider intends to enter into a collaborative
29 agreement with a licensed child-care center or a registered
30 family or group day-care home to offer extended day services.
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1 Section 4. Priority in funding.
2 The department shall give priority in funding to Head Start
3 providers applying for grants to provide extended day services.
4 Section 5. Annual report.
5 The department shall compile an annual report on the program
6 for submission to the Governor, the chairmen of the
7 Appropriations Committee and the Education Committee of the
8 Senate and the chairmen of the Appropriations Committee and
9 Education Committee of the House of Representatives. The report
10 shall include:
11 (1) The number of eligible children served by Head Start
12 as of the effective date of this act.
13 (2) The number of eligible children served by the
14 program during the school year that begins one year after the
15 effective date of this act and each year thereafter.
16 (3) The number of extended day programs and the number
17 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs as of
18 the effective date of this act.
19 (4) The number of extended day programs and the number
20 of eligible children enrolled in extended day programs during
21 the school year that begins one year after the effective date
22 of this act and each year thereafter.
23 (5) A summary of the types of activities funded under
24 the program.
25 Section 6. Appropriation.
26 The sum of $15,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
27 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education
28 for the fiscal year July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, to carry out
29 the provisions of this act.
30 Section 7. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect immediately.
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