# 119-hr-5790: Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025

119-hr-5790, Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5790
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5790
- Congress: 119
- Title: Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-17
- Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 55
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Reimburses states, local governments, and school districts for money they spend to keep Head Start and Early Head Start running during federal shutdowns.** The bill would entitle a State, local government, or school district that uses its own funds to sustain participation in the Head Start Program (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) or the Early Head Start Program to reimbursement by the federal government after a lapse in appropriations ends. - Families and children: Would face fewer service interruptions because local or state funds could be used to keep children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start during funding lapses. - State and local governments and school districts: Would be able to front costs to maintain program participation and claim repayment from the federal government once the shutdown ends.

## Cosponsors (55)

- Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2] (D-GA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6] (D-LA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2] (D-AL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] (D-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-34] (D-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4] (D-NV), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15] (D-NY), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] (D-CA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (D-NY), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4] (D-MD), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] (D-NM), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large] (D-PR), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5] (D-OR), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2026-02-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Repay states to keep Head Start open: benefit, low. If enacted, the federal government would repay states, local governments, and school districts that cover Head Start or Early Head Start during a shutdown. They would have to use their own money to keep children enrolled or services running while federal funds are paused. Repayment would come after…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2763: American Family Act
- 119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5790 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5790)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [119-hr-2763: American Family Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2763)
- [119-hr-17: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-17)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5790 (as of 2026-04-21).