H.R. 4965: Pre-K for USA Act
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H.R. 4965: Pre-K for USA Act
113th Congress · introduced 2014-06-25 · Education · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2014-06-25 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Pre-K for USA Act
Plain summary
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; 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.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] · 5 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL)
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] reported raising $592,416 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr4965.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>
Record fed-us-cong113-hr4965 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113