No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5852 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5852
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide
training services linked to employment demand through skills training
grants, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2023
Mr. Norcross (for himself and Mr. Horsford) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide
training services linked to employment demand through skills training
grants, 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 ``21st Century Skills are Key to
Individuals' Life-Long Success Act'' or the ``21st Century SKILLS
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 1962, Congress authorized the first substantial
Federal job training programs in the postwar period, to retrain
workers displaced because of technological change.
(2) For nearly 60 years, Federal workforce development
programs have emphasized targeted education and job training
and reemployment activities, service coordination and delivery,
and a demand-driven approach that is responsive to consumer
choice for participants and to the labor needs of local
employers.
(3) Now the 21st century economy demands systems that equip
workers to be able to think critically and creatively, solve
complex problems, make evidence-based decisions, adapt to
evolving technologies, and work collaboratively.
(4) Increasing 21st century skills development is linked to
improving employment prospects and work success. Removal of
structural barriers to employment prospects and work success,
such as implicit bias, hiring discrimination, transportation
gaps, and housing insecurity, requires raising employer
responsibility and job standards and improving connections for
individuals with barriers to employment.
(5) Building on the functions of entities in the workforce
development system, including aggregating data and acting as
catalysts to promote careers with good pay, will contribute to
fostering inclusive economic growth.
(6) This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, will
remove barriers to inclusive economic growth by allowing
workers to access training opportunities through eligible
providers of training services, including community colleges
and registered apprenticeship programs, and by providing
supportive services, including child care and transportation.
SEC. 3. SKILLS TRAINING GRANTS.
(a) Discretionary Funding for Activities Other Than Training
Services.--
(1) Allotments.--Section 132 of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(d) Discretionary and Mandatory Funding.--
``(1) Mandatory funding.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this chapter, none of the funds appropriated under
subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 136, and allotted or
otherwise provided under this section, may be used to provide
training services, except under the provisions described in
paragraph (2). Funds appropriated under section 136(d) shall be
used to provide training services and supportive services under
section 134(c)(3), and additional sums described in section
134(c)(3)(C)(ii) for career services under section 134(c)(2).
``(2) Exceptions.--The provisions described in this
paragraph are section 129(b), paragraph (2) or (3) of section
134(a), or section 134(d), 169(c) or 170.''.
(2) Allocations.--Section 133(b)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C.
3173(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``The'' and inserting
``Subject to section 132(d), the''.
(b) Mandatory Funding for Training Services.--Section 134 of such
Act (29 U.S.C. 3174) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Local Employment and Training Activities.--
``(1) Training services.--Funds appropriated under section
136(d) shall be used to pay or reimburse local boards for the
cost of providing training services, supportive services, and
career services as described in section 136(d).
``(2) Other employment and training activities.--Funds
allocated to a local area for adults under paragraph (2)(A) or
(3), as appropriate, of section 133(b), and funds allocated to
a local area for dislocated workers under section
133(b)(2)(B)--
``(A) shall be used to carry out employment and
training activities described in subsection (c), other
than subsection (c)(3), for adults or dislocated
workers, respectively; and
``(B) may be used to carry out employment and
training activities described in subsection (d) for
adults or dislocated workers, respectively.''.
(c) Skills Training Grants.--Section 134(c) of such Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking clause (iii); and
(ii) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v)
as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C); and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(B) Training services, supportive services, and
career services funds.--Funds appropriated under
section 136(d) shall be used to provide training
services, supportive services, and career services as
described in section 136(d) to adults and dislocated
workers who are eligible for the services involved.'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``Funds
described in paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``Funds
described in paragraph (1) or made available under
paragraph (3)(C)(ii)''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Priority.--With respect to funds allocated to
a local area for adult employment and training
activities under paragraph (2)(A) or (3) of section
133(b), priority shall be given to recipients of public
assistance, other low-income individuals, and
individuals who are basic skills deficient for receipt
of career services described in subparagraph (A)(xii).
The appropriate local board and the Governor shall
direct the one-stop operators in the local area with
regard to making determinations related to such
priority.''; and
(3) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
(i) in the matter preceding subclause (I)--
(I) by striking ``funds allocated
to a local area for adults under
paragraph (2)(A) or (3), as
appropriate, of section 133(b), and
funds allocated to the local area for
dislocated workers under section
133(b)(2)(B),'' and inserting ``funds
appropriated under section 136(d) and
made available under subparagraph
(C)(i)''; and
(II) by striking ``,
respectively''; and
(ii) in subclause (IV), by striking ``who
are'' and all that follows and inserting ``who
meet the requirements of subparagraph (E).'';
(B) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as
follows:
``(C) Arrangements for obtaining federal funding.--
``(i) Training services and supportive
services.--The Secretary shall establish
arrangements by which a local board shall
obtain payment in advance for the cost of
providing training services and supportive
services through skills training grants or
contracts to individuals who have been
determined to meet the requirements of
subparagraph (A) and are therefore eligible for
the services involved.
``(ii) Career services and coordination
activities.--When the Secretary provides
payment under clause (i) to a local board for
an amount under such clause, the Secretary
shall also provide an additional sum equal to
10 percent of the amount to the local board.
The local board shall use the additional sum to
pay for--
``(I) career services described in
paragraph (2), including--
``(aa) making the services
described in clauses (v),
(vii), (ix), (x), (xi), and
(xii) of paragraph (2)(A)
available to any skills
training grant recipient
outside of traditional working
hours, as defined by the
Secretary; and
``(bb) the provision of
information, in formats that
are usable by and
understandable to individuals
eligible to receive services
through the one-stop delivery
system, about--
``(AA) the local
availability of pre-
apprenticeship and
apprenticeship
programs, and the costs
of these programs to
the skills training
grant recipient as
compared to the costs
of training programs
provided by other
eligible providers of
training services; and
``(BB)
apprenticeship programs
in industries in which
apprenticeship programs
have not been
traditionally used,
including information
for populations
traditionally
underrepresented in
apprenticeship
programs; and
``(II) activities to build
relationships between local boards and
local eligible providers of training
services, such as--
``(aa) working with such
local eligible providers to
improve data reporting to local
boards on the primary
indicators of performance
described in subclauses (I)
through (IV) of section
116(b)(2)(A)(i) and, if the
local boards and local eligible
providers agree, any primary
indicator of performance
described in subclause (V) or
(VI) of such section;
``(bb) negotiating with
such local eligible providers
of training services regarding
any adjusted levels of
performance required by the
local board under section
122(b)(3); and
``(cc) coordinating with
local providers of training
services and the State to
update the list of eligible
providers of training services
described in section 122(d).'';
(C) in subparagraph (D), by adding at the end the
following:
``Notwithstanding any other provision of this
subparagraph, solely for purposes of this paragraph,
training services shall not include instruction, at an
institution of higher education that provides a 4-year
program of instruction, towards a baccalaureate or
post-baccalaureate degree.'';
(D) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the
following:
``(E) Employment and income.--To be eligible to
receive training services and supportive services under
this paragraph, an individual shall--
``(i)(I) be a dislocated worker;
``(II) be eligible for and receiving
unemployment compensation under any Federal
unemployment compensation law;
``(III) be unemployed and have exhausted
all unemployment compensation benefits
available to the individual; or
``(IV) be employed for at least 6 of the
last 12 months and have an income that is not
more than 100 percent of the State median
income in the State in which the individual
resides; and
``(ii) be a member of a household with an
adjusted gross income of not more than
$150,000.'';
(E) in subparagraph (F)--
(i) in clause (ii), by inserting before
``Each'' the following: ``Training services
shall be provided through providers identified
in accordance with section 122.'';
(ii) by striking clause (iii) and inserting
the following:
``(iii) Skills training grants.--
``(I) In general.--An individual
who seeks training services and who is
eligible pursuant to this paragraph,
may, in consultation with a career
counselor, select an eligible provider
of training services from the list of
providers described in clause (ii). If
the individual is seeking a high school
equivalency program that is not aligned
with a career pathway, the provider
shall demonstrate that the program
meets relevant requirements of the
State educational agency involved for a
high school education. Upon such
selection, the local board involved
shall establish a skills training grant
for the individual, which shall allow
the individual to pay for such services
and any supportive services (including
provision of payments for child care,
transportation, required books,
equipment, or examination fees) that
are necessary to enable the individual
to participate in the training services
provided by the selected provider.
``(II) Administration.--The local
board shall hold and administer the
skills training grant funds for the
participating individuals served by the
local board, and shall use such funds
to reimburse all providers of training
services and supportive service
providers for the individual. The
Secretary shall determine the
appropriate costs for which such skills
training grant may be used, and shall
develop methods of verifying whether
such grant was used for those costs.
``(III) Ability to contract.--A
local board may enter into a contract
or other agreement with a local entity,
including an institution of higher
education, labor organization, or
community-based organization, to enable
the entity to provide skills training
grant enrollment assistance or career
services (as described in subparagraph
(C)(ii)(I)) at a location, or in a
manner, that is convenient for eligible
individuals.''; and
(iii) in clause (iv), by striking
``individual training accounts'' and inserting
``skills training grants'';
(F) in subparagraph (G)--
(i) in the subparagraph heading, by
striking ``individual training accounts'' and
inserting ``skills training grants'';
(ii) by redesignating clauses (ii) through
(iv) as clauses (vii) through (ix),
respectively;
(iii) by striking clause (i) and inserting
the following:
``(i) Grants.--Except as provided in clause
(iv), training services and supportive services
provided under this paragraph shall be provided
through the use of skills training grants in
accordance with this paragraph, and shall be
provided to eligible individuals through the
one-stop delivery system.
``(ii) Amount.--Each individual who seeks
training services (except services provided
under clause (vii)) and who is eligible for
training services pursuant to this paragraph
shall receive a skills training grant that--
``(I) if the individual is a
dislocated worker or is a low-income
individual, is in an amount of $10,000,
increased in accordance with clause
(iii);
``(II) if the individual has a
household income that is more than 100
percent of the poverty line but not
more than 150 percent of the poverty
line, is in an amount of $8,000,
increased in accordance with clause
(iii); and
``(III) if the individual has a
household income that is more than 150
percent but not more than 200 percent
of the poverty line, is in an amount of
$6,000, increased in accordance with
clause (iii).
``(iii) Adjustment for inflation.--
Beginning in fiscal year 2025, the Secretary
shall annually adjust each amount described in
subclauses (I) through (III) of clause (ii) by
the estimated percentage increase, if any, in
the Consumer Price Index for the most recent
full calendar year.
``(iv) Limit on program costs.--
``(I) In general.--Subject to
subclause (II), the tuition and fees of
a program of training services provided
through the use of a skills training
grant shall not exceed 110 percent of
the amount equal to average tuition and
fees (calculated for the most recent 3-
year period preceding the participant's
enrollment in the program for which the
tuition and fees are being determined
under this clause) of a comparable
program at a community college in the
local area in which the participant
resides.
``(II) Exception.--Subclause (I)
shall not apply to a program of
training services if a local board
determines that an employer will pay
any costs of such program that exceed
110 percent of the average tuition and
fees described in subclause (I).
``(v) Timing.--An individual who receives a
skills training grant under this paragraph
shall enroll in a program of training services
not later than 3 months after receiving the
grants. Any remaining funds in the skills
training grant not used upon the exit of the
program by the participant will no longer be
available for such participant. No individual
may receive more than one skills training grant
in any 5-year period.
``(vi) Awareness campaign.--During the
first year for which skills training grants are
available to eligible individuals, the
Secretary shall carry out a national
information campaign to raise awareness about
skills training grants and their availability
and use, which may include running public
awareness campaigns at the State or local level
informing eligible individuals and employers
about the skills training grants.'';
(iv) in clause (vii), as redesignated by
clause (ii) of this subparagraph--
(I) in the matter preceding
subclause (I), by striking ``individual
training account'' and inserting
``skills training grant''; and
(II) in subclause (III), by
striking ``individual training
accounts'' and inserting ``skills
training grants''; and
(v) in clause (ix), as redesignated by
clause (ii) of this subparagraph--
(I) by striking ``individual
training accounts'' each place it
appears and inserting ``skills training
grants''; and
(II) by striking ``clause (ii)''
and inserting ``clause (vii)''; and
(G) in subparagraph (H), by adding at the end the
following:
``(iii) Provider qualification.--The on-
the-job training shall be provided through
providers identified in accordance with section
122(h).''.
(d) Performance Requirements for Training Services Providers.--
Section 122(c)(2) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(c)(2)) is amended by
adding at the end the following: ``The Governor shall establish levels
of performance on the indicators of performance described in subclauses
(I) through (IV) of section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) that a provider of training
services shall be required to meet or exceed, based on the performance
of all individuals receiving the training services, in order to renew
eligibility under this paragraph and remain on the list of providers
under subsection (d).''.
(e) Mandatory Appropriations.--Section 136 of such Act (29 U.S.C.
3181) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Training Services.--There are authorized to be appropriated
and there are appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each
fiscal year to provide training services and supportive services under
section 134(c)(3), and the additional sums described in section
134(c)(3)(C)(ii) for career services under section 134(c)(2).''.
(f) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 108(b)(19) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3123(b)(19))
is amended by striking ``individual training accounts'' and
inserting ``skills training grants''.
(2) Section 122(g) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(g)) is
amended by striking ``individual training accounts'' and
inserting ``skills training grants''.
SEC. 4. TRAINING SERVICES CLEARINGHOUSE.
(a) Amendment.--Subtitle E of title I of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3241 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 196. CAREERONESTOP WEBSITE.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall maintain the CareerOneStop
website in a manner that ensures the website includes the information
and features described in this section.
``(b) Skills Training Grant Portal.--The website shall contain a
portal, for the use of individuals who are eligible for skills training
grants under section 134(c)(3), to request such grants. Skills training
grants shall be distributed by local boards, in accordance with that
section.
``(c) List of Approved Training Providers.--The website shall
contain the lists of eligible providers of training services prepared
by Governors under section 122(d)(1) and information identifying
eligible providers as determined by one-stop operators under section
122(h)(1).
``(d) Information on Programs of Training Services.--The website
shall contain, for each program of training services provided under
section 134(c)(3), information on--
``(1) the demographics, such as the sex, race, ethnicity,
median age, and educations level, of participants in the
program;
``(2) performance, as measured on the indicators described
in subclauses (I) through (IV) of section 116(b)(2)(A)(i); and
``(3) the cost of attendance, including costs of tuition
and fees, for participants in the program.
``(e) Tools for Eligible Individuals.--The website shall contain
tools to enable individuals who are eligible to receive such training
services to compare performance data across programs of training
services, providers of such services, and States.
``(f) Resources for Providers of Training Services.--The website
shall contain resources for providers of training services, including
guidance on each State that specifies--
``(1) the criteria, requirements, and procedures that a
provider shall meet to be listed as an eligible provider under
section 122(d)(1) or identified as an eligible provider under
section 122(h)(1) in the State; and
``(2) the minimum levels for the State described in section
122(b)(1)(A)(i).
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be
necessary.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of such Act is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 195 the
following:
``Sec. 196. CareerOneStop website.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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