District of Columbia Medicaid Fairness Act

House Bill

H.R. 5815

119th Congress

District of Columbia Medicaid Fairness Act

In Committee

Introduced:Oct 24, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Grace Meng

Representative

Democratic

NY-6

Cosponsors

7

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Education

Summary

This bill expands eligibility for the Head Start early childhood education program to include more low-income families. It also provides funding for Head Start facility improvements and employee compensation increases. Additionally, the bill offers student loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early Head Start childcare workers who have worked in the programs for at least 3 years.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

SponsorGrace Meng (D-NY)

Introduced10/24/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

District of Columbia Medicaid Fairness Act

This bill expands eligibility for the Head Start early childhood education program to include more low-income families. It also provides funding for Head Start facility improvements and employee compensation increases. Additionally, the bill offers student loa

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

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0 predictions

This bill expands eligibility for the Head Start early childhood education program to include more low-income families. It also provides funding for Head Start facility improvements and employee compensation increases. Additionally, the bill offers student loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early Head Start childcare workers who have worked in the programs for at least 3 years.

Bill Number: 5815
Sponsor: Grace Meng (D-NY)
Introduced: 10/24/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Policy Area: Education

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: District of Columbia Medicaid Fairness Act
Bill Number: 5815
Sponsor: Grace Meng (D-NY)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced: 10/24/2025
Summary: This bill expands eligibility for the Head Start early childhood education program to include more low-income families. It also provides funding for Head Start facility improvements and employee compensation increases. Additionally, the bill offers student loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early H

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill expands eligibility for the Head Start early childhood education program to include more low-income families. It also provides funding for Head Start facility improvements and employee compensation increases. Additionally, the bill offers student loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early Head Start childcare workers who have worked in the programs for at least 3 years.

Last updated: 12/29/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 2023This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 and otherwise revises Head Start programs.Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for Head Start programs to include families with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. The bill also adds a definition for public assistance under the Head Start Act to include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to make grants to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) to construct or improve facilities. HHS must also establish and carry out a program to make grants to Head Start agencies for increasing the compensation paid to employees.The bill also provides student loan forgiveness for certain Head Start and Early Head Start child care workers. In particular, the Department of Education must cancel the outstanding balance of principal, interest, and fees due on Federal Direct Loans for a borrower who (1) has been employed full-time by a Head Start or Early Head Start program for three years, and (2) has provided care or instruction to children enrolled in such a program.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Expands Head Start eligibility to families below 138% of the federal poverty level
Adds definitions for public assistance programs like SNAP, TANF, and CHIP
Provides grants for Head Start facility construction and improvements
Establishes a program to increase compensation for Head Start employees
Offers student loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early Head Start workers

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If passed, this bill would make Head Start available to more low-income families, improving access to early childhood education. It would also invest in Head Start infrastructure and staff, which could enhance program quality and stability. The student loan forgiveness provision could help attract and retain qualified childcare workers in these critical programs.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Education

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

5815, 119th Congress (2025). "District of Columbia Medicaid Fairness Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5815

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