Community-Based Workforce Development Act
This bill provides grants to expand workforce training programs for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5308 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5308
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to award grants
to States to develop, convene, expand, or implement industry or sector
partnerships, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 20, 2022
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to award grants
to States to develop, convene, expand, or implement industry or sector
partnerships, 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 ``Community-Based Workforce
Development Act''.
SEC. 2. SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CAREER TRAINING FOR OCCUPATIONAL
READINESS PROGRAM, OR SECTOR PROGRAM.
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 173. SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CAREER TRAINING FOR
OCCUPATIONAL READINESS PROGRAM, OR SECTOR PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under subsection
(e)(1), and not reserved under subsection (e)(2), the Secretary shall--
``(1) use 80 percent of such amounts to award grants under
subsection (b) to each State to develop, convene, expand, or
implement industry or sector partnerships; and
``(2) use 20 percent of such amounts to award grants under
subsection (c), on a competitive basis, to eligible industry or
sector partnerships for the purposes of expanding workforce
development and employment opportunities for high-skill, high-
wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations, as
determined by the Secretary.
``(b) Formula Grants.--
``(1) Distribution of funds.--
``(A) State allotment.--From the amount determined
by the Secretary under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary
shall allot funds to each State on the basis of the
relative allotment the State received under section
132(b) for such fiscal year, compared to the total
amount allotted to all States under section 132(b) for
such fiscal year.
``(B) Local area allocations.--The Governor of the
State shall use an amount allotted under subparagraph
(A) to provide for the activities described in
paragraph (2) by--
``(i) reserving funds for the State board;
and
``(ii) distributing the remainder by--
``(I) allocating funds to each
local area of the State on the basis of
the relative allocation the local area
received under section 133(b) for such
fiscal year, compared to the total
amount allocated to all local areas in
the State under section 133(b) for such
fiscal year; or
``(II) allocating funds to local
areas of the State that have the
highest rates of unemployment or low-
income individuals, the highest numbers
of dislocated workers, or the highest
numbers of individuals with barriers to
employment, in the State.
``(2) Use of funds.--The funds awarded under paragraph (1)
may be used by the State board or a local area to--
``(A) develop, convene, or implement eligible
industry or sector partnerships, as authorized under
section 134(c)(1)(A)(v) or to expand the partnerships;
``(B) regularly convene such industry or sector
partnerships in a collaborative structure to identify,
develop, improve, expand, or implement training,
employment, and growth opportunities for high-skill,
high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or
occupations, including directly providing, or arranging
for the provision of, the training or services
described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection
(c)(3), in connection with those opportunities; and
``(C) strengthen the coordination between eligible
industry or sector partnerships and the one-stop
partners described in section 121, regarding activities
carried out under this subsection and programs
administered under subtitle B.
``(c) Competitive Grants.--
``(1) Grants authorized.--From the amount determined by the
Secretary under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall award
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible industry or sector
partnerships to carry out programs for the purposes described
in subsection (a)(2).
``(2) Application.--
``(A) Form and procedure.--To receive a grant under
this subsection, the lead applicant on behalf of an
eligible industry or sector partnership shall submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as specified by
the Secretary, including a description of the training
leading to the credentials described in paragraph
(3)(B).
``(B) Contents.--An application submitted under
paragraph (1) shall contain at a minimum each of the
following:
``(i) An identification of the high-skill,
high-wage, or in-demand industry sector or
occupation on which such partnership is
focused.
``(ii) A description of the activities to
be carried out under the grant.
``(iii) A description of the workers that
will be targeted for recruitment as program
participants, how priority of service will be
provided under the grant to unemployed
individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated
workers, or individuals with barriers to
employment (with the 4 types of individuals
referred to in this clause as `covered
individuals'), and how the activities will be
designed to maximize access and eliminate
barriers to entry to training and other related
activities for such covered individuals.
``(iv) A description of other Federal or
non-Federal resources that will be leveraged in
support of the eligible industry or sector
partnership (including through cash or in-kind
contributions from private sector partners).
``(3) Uses of funds.--An eligible industry or sector
partnership awarded a grant under this subsection shall use
such grant funds--
``(A) to engage and regularly convene stakeholders
in a collaborative structure to identify, develop,
improve, expand, or implement training, employment, and
growth opportunities for the high-skill, high-wage, or
in-demand industry sector or occupation on which such
partnership is focused;
``(B) to directly provide, or arrange for the
provision of, high-quality, evidence-based training for
the high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sector
or occupation on which such partnership is focused,
which shall include training that leads to the
attainment of nationally or regionally portable and
stackable recognized postsecondary credentials for the
industry sector or occupation described in subparagraph
(A) and which shall include--
``(i) training services authorized under
section 134(c)(3)(D);
``(ii) apprenticeship programs or pre-
apprenticeship programs; or
``(iii) training provided through labor
organizations or joint labor-management
partnerships; and
``(C) to directly provide, or arrange for the
provision of, services to help individuals with
barriers to employment and other participants complete
and successfully transition out of training described
in subparagraph (B), which services shall include
career services, supportive services, and the provision
of needs-related payments authorized under subsections
(c)(2), (d)(2), and (d)(3) of section 134.
``(4) Priority in selection of grants.--The Secretary shall
give priority consideration to applications that demonstrate
the ability of the partnership involved to serve eligible
individuals in targeted economic regions that--
``(A) are experiencing high poverty;
``(B) have traditionally been underserved by
regional economic development and sector partnership
activities (including rural areas);
``(C) are facing or at risk of facing significant
worker dislocation due to a disruption or change in the
regional or State economy or labor market; or
``(D) have high numbers of--
``(i) disadvantaged youth (as defined in
section 127(b)(2)(C)) and disadvantaged adults
(as defined in section 132(b)(1)(B)(v)(IV));
and
``(ii) unemployed individuals, within the
meaning of section 6(b)(1)(B) of the Wagner-
Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49e(b)(1)(B)) and
unemployed individuals in areas of substantial
unemployment, within the meaning of section
127(b)(1)(C)(ii)(I).
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Area of substantial unemployment.--The term
`area of substantial unemployment' has the meaning
given the term in section 127(b)(2)(B).
``(B) Evidence-based.--The term `evidence-based',
used with respect to an activity, means an activity
that meets the requirements of clause (i) or (ii) of
section 8101(21)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)).
``(C) Preapprenticeship program.--The term
`preapprenticeship program' means a program that
prepares participants for, and articulates to, an
apprenticeship program.
``(D) Supportive services.--The term `supportive
services' includes--
``(i) the provision of direct support
services (such as child care, transportation,
and mental health and substance use disorder
treatment);
``(ii) assistance in obtaining health
insurance coverage; and
``(iii) assistance in accessing benefits
through the supplemental nutrition assistance
program established under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.),
benefits through the special supplemental
nutrition program for women, infants, and
children established by section 17 of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786),
housing, and other benefits, as appropriate.
``(d) Program Accountability and Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall annually measure the
performance of grant recipients carrying out activities under
grants awarded under this section on--
``(A) the primary indicators of performance covered
by clauses (i) through (iv) of section 116(b)(2)(A) and
expected levels of performance relating to such
indicators; and
``(B) such additional measures as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate, which may include
measures of skills attainment, wage or career
progression, and training-related employment, and
additional job quality measures.
``(2) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the first
award of funds under this section is made the Secretary (acting
through the Chief Evaluation Officer) shall design and conduct
an evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of the program
carried out under this section.
``(3) Publication.--The Secretary shall--
``(A) publish on a publicly accessible website the
outcomes for grant recipients on the measurements
conducted under paragraph (1) and the evaluation
conducted under paragraph (2); and
``(B) submit a report containing the outcomes on
the measurements and evaluation to the Committee on
Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
of the Senate.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations; Reservations.--
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
``(A) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2023;
``(B) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2024;
``(C) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2025;
``(D) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2026;
``(E) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2027; and
``(F) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year
2028.
``(2) Reservation of funds.--Of the funds appropriated
under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may
reserve not more than 5 percent, which--
``(A) may be used for administration of the program
described in this section, in addition to any other
funds available for such administration, including
providing comprehensive technical assistance, targeted
outreach to eligible industry or sector partnerships
serving local areas with high unemployment rates or
high percentages of low-income individuals, dislocated
workers, or individuals with barriers to employment,
and oversight to support eligible industry or sector
partnerships; and
``(B) shall be used for the measurement,
evaluation, publication, and reporting described in
subsection (d).
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Apprenticeship.--The term `apprenticeship' means a
position in an apprenticeship program.
``(2) Apprenticeship program.--The term `apprenticeship
program' means an apprenticeship program registered with the
Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment and Training
Administration of the Department of Labor or a State
apprenticeship agency recognized by the Office of
Apprenticeship pursuant to the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly
known as the `National Apprenticeship Act'; 50 Stat. 664,
chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
``(3) Eligible industry or sector partnership.--The term
`eligible industry or sector partnership' means--
``(A) an industry or sector partnership, which
shall, at a minimum, include multiple representatives
described in each of clauses (i) through (iii) of
paragraph (26)(A) of section 3; or
``(B) a partnership, of multiple entities described
in section 3(26) and a State board or local board, that
is in the process of establishing an industry or sector
partnership described in subparagraph (A) for the
purposes of carrying out activities under a grant
awarded under this section.
``(4) Lead applicant.--The term `lead applicant' means a
nonprofit applicant for a grant under this section that is--
``(A) a State board, local board, institution of
higher education (as defined in section 101 or 102(c)
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001,
1002(c))), joint labor-management partnership, labor
organization, industry association, intermediary, or
community-based organization; or
``(B) another State or regional nonprofit
organization with experience in developing, convening,
expanding, and implementing an industry or sector
partnership.
``(g) Special Rule.--Any funds made available under this section
that are used to fund an apprenticeship or apprenticeship program shall
only be used for, or provided to, an apprenticeship or apprenticeship
program that meets the definition of such term in this section,
including any funds awarded through grants, or the development,
implementation, or administration, of an apprenticeship or an
apprenticeship program.''.
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 172, the following:
``Sec. 173. Sectoral employment through career training for
occupational readiness program, or sector
program.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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