US HB7637

Authorizes $144.872 billion in mandatory appropriations for FY 2026, with annual cost-of-living adjustments in subsequent years, plus additional project funding including $5 billion for facilities, $4.404 billion for extended operations, $3.58 billion for staff compensation improvements, and $1.625 billion for child care provider partnerships

Establishes minimum compensation requirements for educational staff at the higher of pay parity with local elementary school educators or $60,000 annual base salary for FY 2026, with CPI-U adjustments thereafter, and requires agencies to establish salary scales that increase with qualifications and experience

Expands income eligibility threshold from the federal poverty line to 60% of state median income for a family of the same size, broadening access to Head Start services

Creates a Community Eligibility Pilot Program allowing up to 10 Head Start agencies in high-poverty communities to enroll all children within the eligible age range without standard income eligibility requirements for a 5-year period

Establishes partnerships between Head Start agencies and institutions of higher education through competitive grants to support student parents with campus-based Head Start programs, prioritizing partnerships with HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions

Requires benefits for staff working 30+ hours per week including health coverage, paid personal leave, and access to behavioral health services, plus access to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and high-quality, affordable child care for all staff

Creates Rebuilding the Head Start Workforce Grant program with $37.5 million for recruitment and retention, including bonuses, professional development, and mental health support for staff, with 4.5% reserved for Native American and migrant/seasonal programs

Expands program scope to explicitly include infants and toddlers, adds mental health to program purposes, and defines full calendar year as minimum 1,380 hours for center-based services

Updates terminology throughout, replacing "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency," "Indian" with "Native American," and "handicapping condition" with "disability," while adding new definitions for Native Hawaiian Head Start agencies and various restraint types

Requires the Secretary to maintain at least 10 regional offices and 2 program offices, with designated program offices for Native American Head Start programs and for migrant and seasonal Head Start programs