PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 25, 2014
Pre-K for USA Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting jointly in accordance with an interagency agreement, to award competitive grants to local educational agencies or local governmental entities to develop, enhance, or expand high-quality preschool programs.
Requires each of those programs to include structural elements that are evidence-based and nationally recognized as important for ensuring program quality, including, at a minimum:
high staff qualifications, including having a teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or in any field with a state-approved alternate pathway to teaching preschool children and having teaching assistants with appropriate credentials;
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
high-quality professional development for all staff;
at least 1 staff member for every 10 children;
a class size that does not exceed 20 children;
a full-day program;
the full inclusion of disabled children;
developmentally appropriate curricula and learning environments, that are aligned with state early learning and development standards, for at least the year preceding kindergarten;
individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can participate fully in learning activities;
instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of kindergarten through grade 12 teaching staff;
program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement;
onsite or accessible comprehensive services for children; and
health and safety standards.
People & committees
Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] · D–TX
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5736)
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.4965 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.4965 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.4965 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.4965 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.