Urban Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants to national or regional private nonprofit community-based organizations to carry out Urban Jobs Programs to provide job training, education, and support services and activities for eligible urban youth to provide them with a pathway to employment, or education leading to employment.
Defines "eligible youth" as individuals ages 18 to 24 who: (1) are not enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school, or (2) are or have been subject to the criminal justice process.
Directs the Secretary to establish a National Jobs Council Advisory Committee.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) community-based affiliates should establish local jobs council advisory committees to aid in establishing local community support for local implementation of the program; and (2) at least one-third of the members of the committee should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in the locality.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1340 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1340
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the
Secretary of Labor to provide grants for Urban Jobs Programs, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 21, 2013
Mr. Fattah (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Clarke, Ms. Hahn, Mr.
Hastings of Florida, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Scott of
Virginia, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Payne, Ms. Wilson of Florida,
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Al Green
of Texas, Ms. Waters, and Mr. Ellison) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the
Secretary of Labor to provide grants for Urban Jobs Programs, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Urban Jobs Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Every school day, nearly 7,000 students become
dropouts. Annually, that dropout rate results in about
1,200,000 students not graduating from high school with their
peers as scheduled. Lacking a high school diploma, those
individuals will be far more likely than graduates to spend
their lives periodically unemployed, on government assistance,
or cycling in and out of the prison system.
(2) The average annual income in 2009 was $19,540 for a
high school dropout, compared to $27,380 for a high school
graduate, a difference of $7,840.
(3) According to a 2011 report by Diploma Counts--
(A) about 42 percent of Hispanic students, 43
percent of African-American students, and 46 percent of
American Indian students will not graduate on time with
a regular high school diploma; and
(B) by comparison, 17 percent of Asian students and
22 percent of White students will not graduate as
described in subparagraph (A).
(4) Among all races and ethnicities, males graduate from
high school at a lower rate than their female peers do. Among
all students, 68 percent of males and 75 percent of females
graduate.
(5) According to a report by the College Board Advocacy &
Policy Center, one of the most unfortunate destinations for
high school dropouts, students, and graduates age 18 to 24 is
incarceration in Federal or State prisons or local jails. Since
2000, the number of individuals in the 18 to 24 age group who
are incarcerated at the Federal, State, and local levels has
risen from about 1,400,000 in 2000 to about 1,600,000 in 2008.
Over 475,000 individuals in that age group were incarcerated in
2008, with males accounting for 92.4 percent of all those
individuals. In contrast, only 36,000 women in the same age
group (7.6 percent) were incarcerated in 2008.
(6) High school graduation rates are significantly lower in
school districts with higher percentages of students in
poverty, measured as students who are eligible for free or
reduced price lunches.
(7) According to a 2010 National Center for Education
Statistics report, high school students from low-income
families drop out of high school at 6 times the rate of their
peers from high-income families.
(8) Over half of State parole entrants are not high school
graduates, and as many as eleven percent of the entrants have
only an eighth grade education or less.
(9) The lowest achieving 25 percent of students are 20
times more likely to drop out of high school, compared to the
highest achieving 25 percent of students.
(10) According to the Department of Labor, each year
approximately 650,000 persons are released from Federal and
State prisons. Those ex-prisoners do not return to communities
evenly distributed across the United States, but rather return
disproportionately to high-poverty communities characterized by
high rates of joblessness, crime, and drug abuse.
(11) The unemployment rate among ex-prisoners has been
estimated to be between 25 and 40 percent. An estimated 19
percent of adults in State prisons are functionally illiterate.
Over half of State parole entrants are not high school
graduates, and about 11 percent of the entrants have only an
eighth grade education or less.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to provide adequate
resources for national or regional nonprofit organizations to prevent
and reduce the disproportionate incarceration of eligible youth,
especially minority youth, and to prepare eligible youth for entry into
employment, or education leading to employment, that places
participants on a path to economic self-sufficiency and provides
opportunities for advancement, by providing a comprehensive set of
services that includes job training, education, and support services.
SEC. 3. URBAN JOBS PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment
Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 173A (29 U.S.C.
2918a) the following:
``SEC. 173B. URBAN JOBS PROGRAMS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide, through
competitive grants, needed resources for the following objectives:
``(1) To establish a feeder system for youth ages 18
through 24, who are out-of-school youth or are or have been
subject to the criminal justice process, in urban communities,
into employment, or education leading to employment, through
national or regional intermediaries that have demonstrated
effectiveness in conducting outreach to, and serving, eligible
youth through a national or regional network of community-based
affiliates.
``(2) To provide a holistic approach for preparing eligible
youth in urban communities for entry into employment, or
education leading to employment, through a comprehensive set of
services.
``(3) To prevent and reduce the disproportionate
incarceration of eligible youth in urban communities, including
minority youth.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Community-based affiliate.--The term `community-based
affiliate' means a community-based organization that is an
affiliate of a national or regional intermediary.
``(2) Eligible youth.--The term `eligible youth' means
individuals ages 18 through 24 who--
``(A) are not enrolled in secondary or post-
secondary school; or
``(B) are or have been subject to any stage of the
criminal justice process.
``(3) National intermediary.--The term `national,' with
respect to an intermediary, means a national private nonprofit
community-based organization that--
``(A) has an affiliate network comprised of
community-based organizations in urban communities in
more than one State; and
``(B) has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness
in conducting outreach to eligible youth and providing
workforce investment activities to such youth.
``(4) Recidivism.--The term `recidivism' means a tendency
to return to criminal behavior.
``(5) Regional intermediary.--The term `regional', used
with respect to an intermediary, means a private nonprofit
community-based organization that--
``(A) has an affiliate network comprised of
community-based organizations that--
``(i) have experience conducting multi-site
projects; and
``(ii) are in a geographic area defined by
the Bureau of the Census; and
``(B) has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness
in conducting outreach to eligible youth and providing
workforce investment activities to such youth.
``(6) Unsubsidized job.--The term `unsubsidized job' means
an employment position with an employer--
``(A) that pays the wages for the position; and
``(B) that does not receive public funds for the
creation and maintenance of the employment position.
``(7) Urban jobs program.--The term `Urban Jobs Program'
means an Urban Jobs Program funded under subsection (c).
``(c) Urban Jobs Program Grants.--
``(1) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to make grants,
on a competitive basis, to national or regional intermediaries
for the purpose of carrying out Urban Jobs Programs that
provide a comprehensive set of services to eligible youth in
urban communities to provide such youth with a pathway to
employment, or education leading to employment.
``(2) Application.--
``(A) Form and procedure.--To be eligible to
receive a grant under this subsection, a national or
regional intermediary shall submit an application at
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Secretary may require.
``(B) Minimum requirements.--The Secretary shall
require that the application contain, at a minimum--
``(i) a request for the grant, specifying
the amount of the grant requested and proposed
uses of the grant funds;
``(ii) a description of how the national or
regional intermediary will meet, for
participants in the Urban Jobs Program, goals
consisting of--
``(I) increased long-term
employment in unsubsidized jobs;
``(II) reduced recidivism;
``(III) increased attainment of the
recognized equivalent of a high school
diploma;
``(IV) improved literacy and
numeracy; and
``(V) increased attainment of
industry-recognized certificates or
credentials, or preparation for entry
into an institution of higher education
without need for further remediation;
``(iii) a description of underlying
supports for the program, including--
``(I) engaged community partners;
``(II) staff expertise in youth
development; and
``(III) demonstrated understanding
of youth characteristics;
``(iv) a description of how the program
will enable program participants to achieve
outcomes consisting of--
``(I) creation of caring
relationships with peers and staff;
``(II) creation of goals (such as
the attainment described in clause
(ii)(III), attainment of employment,
admission to or completion of a degree
at an institution of higher education,
attainment of industry-recognized
certificates or credentials, or
preparation for entry into an
institution of higher education without
need for further remediation);
``(III) participation in
opportunities to contribute to the
community through service or
volunteerism;
``(IV) development of 21st century
workplace skills, including critical
thinking and collaboration;
``(V) development of a sense of
responsibility for one's future;
``(VI) development of plans or
strategies to meet one's goals;
``(VII) reduction of risk-taking
behaviors;
``(VIII) achievement of improved
educational outcomes (such as numeracy,
literacy, or the attainment described
in clause (ii)(II));
``(IX) achievement of improved
employment outcomes; and
``(X) reduction of recidivism; and
``(v) a description of activities to be
provided through the Urban Jobs Program that
lead to the attainment of industry-recognized
certificates or credentials described in
paragraph (3).
``(3) Eligible activities.--A national or regional
intermediary that receives a grant under this subsection shall
use the funds made available through the grant to carry out an
Urban Jobs Program, which shall include the following
comprehensive set of services:
``(A) Case management, through an individual
responsible for helping participants navigate the Urban
Jobs Program activities.
``(B) Educational services, including skill
assessment, reading and math remediation, educational
enrichment, services involving preparation for and
opportunities for attainment of the recognized
equivalent of a high school diploma, services that
connect to career pathways such as opportunities for
attainment of industry-recognized certificates or
credentials or for preparation for entry into an
institution of higher education without the need for
further remediation, and postsecondary education.
``(C) Employment and job readiness activities,
including mentoring, community service opportunities,
internships, on-the-job training, occupational skills
training, personal development, and unsubsidized jobs.
``(D) Support services, health and nutrition
service referral, substance abuse counseling and
treatment, and provision of housing assistance,
interpersonal and basic living skills, and
transportation, child care, clothing, and other
assistance as needed.
``(4) Limitation.--Not more than 2 percent of the funds
appropriated for any fiscal year under section 174(d) may be
used for expenses associated with carrying out this subsection.
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than August 1 following each
program year for which amounts are made available to carry out
this section, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate, a report that details the progress
made under this section in establishing Urban Jobs Programs
through national or regional intermediaries.
``(2) Inapplicability of section 172.--The program shall
not be subject to evaluations required under section 172.
``(e) National Jobs Council Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor shall
establish a committee to be known as the National Jobs Council
Advisory Committee (referred to in this subsection as the
`Committee').
``(2) Membership.--The Committee shall be comprised of 12
members, appointed by the Secretary, consisting of--
``(A) 3 individuals from the private sector, who
are senior human resources or diversity employees with
national or regional responsibilities, and who have
experience in oversight that includes hiring, employee
training, or overseeing employee relations;
``(B) 5 representatives of employers in high-
impact, high-growth industries, as defined by the
Secretary;
``(C) 1 national intermediary staff member;
``(D) 1 regional intermediary staff member; and
``(E) 2 representatives from the Department of
Labor.
``(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--Members shall be
appointed for the life of the Committee. Any vacancy in the
Committee shall not affect the powers of the Committee, but
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
was made.
``(4) Duties.--
``(A) Analysis.--The Committee shall analyze, and
prepare recommendations for the Secretary concerning--
``(i) the design and operation of the
program carried out under this section;
``(ii) long-term strategic priorities for
the program; and
``(iii) the formulation and application of
guidelines related to activities carried out
under the program.
``(B) Reports.--The Committee shall prepare and
submit to the Secretary periodic reports containing the
recommendations described in subparagraph (A).
``(5) Personnel.--
``(A) Travel expenses.--The members of the
Committee shall not receive compensation for the
performance of services for the Committee, but shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of
agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5,
United States Code, while away from their homes or
regular places of business in the performance of
services for the Committee. Notwithstanding section
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may
accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of
members of the Committee.
``(B) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal
Government employee may be detailed to the Committee
without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without
interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege.
``(6) Permanent committee.--Section 14 of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the
Committee.
``(f) Sense of Congress Regarding Local Advisory Committees.--It is
the sense of Congress that--
``(1) a community-based affiliate receiving funding under
this section should establish a local jobs council advisory
committee to aid in establishing support from the local
community for and guiding the local implementation of the
program; and
``(2) not less than \1/3\ of the members of the committee
should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in
the locality.''.
(b) Funding.--Section 174 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(29 U.S.C. 2919) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Urban Jobs Programs.--There is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out section 173B--
``(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
``(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
``(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
``(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(5) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended--
(1) by inserting a period at the end of the item relating
to section 173A; and
(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 173A
the following:
``Sec. 173B. Urban jobs programs.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
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