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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10312 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10312
To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the
implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce
programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 5, 2024
Ms. Sherrill introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the
implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce
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 ``Better Jobs through Evidence and
Innovation Act''.
SEC. 2. EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Workforce Development Innovation Fund.--
``(1) Program authorized.--
``(A) In general.--From the amount made available
pursuant to section 132(a)(2)(A) for any program year
to carry out this subsection, the Secretary may, on a
competitive basis and in accordance with subparagraph
(B), award workforce development innovation grants
described in subparagraph (C) to eligible entities to
enable such entities to--
``(i) establish, implement, replicate, or
take to scale evidence-based, field-initiated
innovation programs or services for improving
the design and delivery of employment and
training services that generate demonstrated
long-term improvements in--
``(I) the performance or impact of
the workforce development system;
``(II) earnings and employment
outcomes for jobseekers (including
individuals with barriers to
employment) and earnings for employers;
and
``(III) the cost-effectiveness of
such innovation programs or services,
particularly for participants and
communities not sufficiently served by
existing models such as participants
and communities in rural areas; and
``(ii) rigorously evaluate, through a
partnership with a third-party research
organization or a third-party researcher, such
innovation programs or services for
effectiveness in achieving any demonstrated
long-term improvements in an outcome described
in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (i).
``(B) Grant awards.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary--
``(I) shall award grants under
subparagraph (A) on the basis of
potential achievements of the
innovation program or service proposed
by the eligible entity with respect to
demonstrated, long-term improvements in
an outcome described in subclause (I),
(II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(i);
and
``(II) may award under subparagraph
(A) different types of grants described
under subparagraph (C) to an eligible
entity for separate innovation programs
or services that meet the relevant
criteria for such different types of
grants.
``(ii) Duration of award.--A grant awarded
under subparagraph (A) shall be awarded for a
period determined appropriate by the Secretary.
``(C) Description of grants.--The grants described
in subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent feasible,
include--
``(i) early-phase grants for an innovation
program or service supported by any level of
evidence described in clause (i), (ii), or
(iii) of subparagraph (D), for the purposes of
funding the development, implementation, and
evaluation of such program or service;
``(ii) mid-phase grants for an innovation
program or service supported by a moderate
level of evidence or a high level of evidence
(as described in clause (ii) or (iii) of
subparagraph (D), respectively) for the
purposes of funding the operation, expansion,
and continued evaluation of such innovation
program or service at a single site; and
``(iii) expansion grants for an innovation
program or service supported by a high level of
evidence, as described in subparagraph
(D)(iii), for the purposes of--
``(I) funding the operation of such
innovation program or service at a
single site;
``(II) expansion or such innovation
program or service to another site; and
``(III) implementation of a multi-
site evaluation of such innovation
program or service.
``(D) Level of evidence standards.--The levels of
evidence described in this subparagraph are the
following:
``(i) Low level of evidence.--An innovation
program or service is supported by a low level
of evidence if such program or service has
demonstrated, through a reasonable hypothesis
and credible research findings (such as a
correlational study with statistical controls
for selection bias), descriptive research (such
as a case study), or evidence review and needs
assessment, the--
``(I) ability to achieve positive
effects on earnings and employment
outcomes for jobseekers (including
individuals with barriers to
employment) and earnings for employers;
or
``(II) potential to achieve such
effect on such outcomes.
``(ii) Moderate level of evidence.--An
innovation program or service is supported by a
moderate level of evidence if such program or
service has demonstrated the ability to achieve
sizable, but not yet conclusive, positive
effects on earnings and employment outcomes for
jobseekers (including individuals with barriers
to employment) and earnings for employers,
through--
``(I) a well-designed and well-
implemented experimental study of such
program or service, such as a
randomized controlled trial; or
``(II) a rigorous quasi-
experimental study of such program or
service capable of drawing causal
conclusions about the effectiveness of
such program or service.
``(iii) High level of evidence.--An
innovation program or service is supported by a
high level of evidence if such program or
service has demonstrated, through replication
of studies, the ability to achieve a
substantial and statistically significant,
positive impact on earnings and employment
outcomes for jobseekers (including individuals
with barriers to employment) and earnings for
employers, through 2 or more well-designed and
well-implemented experimental studies of such
program or service conducted--
``(I) at different implementation
sites; or
``(II) through large, multi-site,
randomized controlled trials.
``(2) Technical assistance and evaluation research.--Of the
funds made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal
year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 10 percent of
the funds to--
``(A) provide technical assistance to eligible
entities, which may include preapplication workshops,
web-based seminars, support for conducting feasibility
studies and other planning activities, assistance with
methods and requirements for purposes of evaluation
research under subparagraph (D), and support for
improving grant implementation and the quality and
effectiveness of activities and services funded by
grants awarded under subparagraph (A), including the
use of administrative data and information to improve
outcomes for participants;
``(B) disseminate information on low-, moderate-,
and high-evidence-based practices;
``(C) fund staffing and other costs related to such
activities; and
``(D) conduct evaluation research regarding
activities or services funded by grants awarded under
subparagraph (A).
``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
means an entity that is any of the following:
``(i) A State workforce development board
established under section 101 (29 U.S.C. 3111).
``(ii) A local workforce development board
established under section 107 (29 U.S.C. 3122).
``(iii) An Indian tribe, tribal
organization, Alaska Native entity, Indian-
controlled organization serving Indians, or
Native Hawaiian organization that is eligible
to receive an award under section 166 (29
U.S.C. 3221).
``(iv) An institution of higher education
(as defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
``(v) A State workforce agency.
``(vi) An organization--
``(I) that--
``(aa) is a community-based
organization, a nonprofit
organization, or a
nongovernment organization; and
``(bb) serves an
underserved population; or
``(II) that is a national or
regional organization that intends to
use funds awarded under this Act to
make direct grants to an organization
described in subclause (I).
``(vii) A consortium of any entities
described in clause (i) through (vi).
``(B) Field-initiated.--The term `field-initiated',
with respect to a program or service, means a program
or service in which the elements of the program or
service have been developed by practitioners or
researchers in the policy area.
``(C) Innovation program or service.--The term
`innovation program or service' means a program or
service designed to demonstrate innovative and cost-
effective ways to augment and improve employment and
training services.
``(D) Well-designed and well-implemented
experimental study.--The term `well-designed and well-
implemented experimental study' means a study that--
``(i) is replicable;
``(ii) uses programmatic and control groups
that are representative of the type of
population served by the program or service
that is subject to the study, including by
avoiding over-selection of participants who are
highly skilled prior to participation for such
programmatic group;
``(iii) uses controls for aggregate shifts
that might affect baseline numbers;
``(iv) does not have problems with
attrition of participants from the study; and
``(v) is conducted in a manner that is
consistent with applicable evaluation, data,
and privacy standards and practices described
in--
``(I) the guidelines of the Office
of Management and Budget entitled
`Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing
the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and
Integrity of Information Disseminated
by Federal Agencies' (67 Fed. Reg. 8452
(February 22, 2002)) (or successor
guidelines); and
``(II) the Foundations for
Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-435; 132 Stat. 5529)
and the amendments made by that Act.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 132(a)(2)(A) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172(a)(2)(A)) is amended by
striking ``169(c) (relating to dislocated worker projects),'' and
inserting ``169(c) (relating to the workforce development innovation
fund), 169(d) (relating to dislocated worker projects), and''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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