Federal Legislation	October 10, 2003

H.R. 3007 - Universal Pre-Kindergarten Act

Action Requested:
None. HSLDA's National Center is tracking this legislation.

Background:
Official purpose: To assist States in establishing a universal pre-kindergarten program to ensure that all children 3, 4, and 5 years old have access to a high-quality full-day, full-calendar-year pre-kindergarten education.

Introduced September 4, 2003 by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH-10th)
Cosponsors (31)

Status:

9/4/2003:	Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
10/6/2003:	Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
12/31/2004:	This bill is "dead". It was not passed into law before the end of the 108th Congress.

Bill Summary and Status

HSLDA's Position:
Pre-kindergarten education is becoming an increasingly popular issue in both state and now federal legislatures.

In 2001 the District of Columbia legislature proposed compulsory attendance for 2 and 3-year-olds. H.R. 3007, if passed would authorize the assistance of States to "establish a universal pre-kindergarten program." Although present language in H.R. 3007 does not make this program mandatory, this is yet another vehicle to promote the expansion of government rule over parent's rights. HSLDA opposes any universal education programs, particularly those that risk changing state compulsory attendance laws to include 3, 4 and 5-year-olds. Present language does not define school as to include homeschools.

*This same issue was addressed in the 107th Congress, but was never passed into law.

Other Resources

H.R. 3007 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Editorial: Some D.C. Council Members Want Compulsory Pre-School

Mandatory Kindergarten Is Unnecessary

Supported by the

Home School Foundation www.homeschoolfoundation.org