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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5372 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5372
To provide grants for the conduct of demonstration projects designed to
provide education and training for eligible individuals with an arrest
or conviction record to enter and follow a career pathway in the health
professions through occupations that are expected to experience a labor
shortage or be in high demand, under the health profession opportunity
grant program under section 2008 of the Social Security Act.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2025
Mr. Davis of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants for the conduct of demonstration projects designed to
provide education and training for eligible individuals with an arrest
or conviction record to enter and follow a career pathway in the health
professions through occupations that are expected to experience a labor
shortage or be in high demand, under the health profession opportunity
grant program under section 2008 of the Social Security Act.
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 ``Demonstrating that Empowerment Makes
Opportunities Act'' or the ``DEMO Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO PROVIDE CAREER PATHWAYS IN
THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH AN
ARREST OR CONVICTION RECORD.
Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397g) is
amended by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e) and inserting
after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Demonstration Projects To Provide Career Pathways in the
Health Professions for Certain Individuals With an Arrest or Conviction
Record.--
``(1) Grant authority.--The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the
Attorney General, shall award grants in accordance with this
subsection to eligible entities to conduct demonstration
projects for the purpose of providing education and training
for eligible individuals with arrest or conviction records to
enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions
through occupations that pay well and are expected to
experience a labor shortage or be in high demand.
``(2) Duration.--A demonstration project shall be conducted
under this subsection for not less than 3 years.
``(3) Application requirements.--An applicant seeking a
grant under this subsection for a demonstration project shall
submit to the Secretary an application for the grant, that
includes the following:
``(A) A demonstration that the State in which the
project is to be conducted has in effect policies or
laws that permit certain allied health and behavioral
health care credentials to be awarded to people with
certain arrest or conviction records (which policies or
laws shall include appeals processes and other
opportunities to demonstrate rehabilitation to obtain
credentials, licensure, and approval to work in the
proposed health careers), and a plan described in the
application which will use a career pathway to assist
participants with such a record in acquiring
credentials, licensing, and employment in the specified
careers.
``(B) A discussion of how the project or future
strategic hiring decisions will demonstrate the
experience and expertise of the project in working with
job seekers who have arrest or conviction records or
employers with experience working with people with
arrest or conviction records.
``(C) A demonstration that the applicant has
experience working with low-income populations, or a
description of the plan of the applicant to work with a
partner organization that has the experience.
``(D) An identification of promising innovations or
best practices that can be used to provide the
training.
``(E) A proof of concept or demonstration that the
applicant has done sufficient research on workforce
shortage or in-demand jobs for which people with
certain types of arrest or conviction records can be
hired.
``(F) A plan for recruiting students who are
eligible individuals into the project.
``(G) A plan for providing post-employment support
and ongoing training as part of a career pathway under
the project.
``(4) Preferences in considering applications.--In
considering applications for a grant under this subsection, the
Secretary shall give preference to--
``(A) applications submitted by applicants who have
completed a demonstration project funded under this
section, if an evaluation of the project, which was
funded by the Secretary, found the project to have
positive outcomes in the categories of--
``(i) graduation and credential attainment;
``(ii) job placement and retention; and
``(iii) evidence of addressing the worker
shortage or in-demand jobs described in the
original application for funding for the
completed demonstration project; and
``(B) applications which have an emergency cash
fund to assist project participants financially in
emergency situations.
``(5) Support to be provided.--
``(A) Required support.--A project for which a
grant is made under this subsection shall include
access to legal assistance for project participants for
the purpose of addressing arrest or conviction records
and associated workforce barriers.
``(B) Allowed support.--The goods and services
provided under a project for which a grant is made
under this subsection may include the following:
``(i) A reserve fund for financial
assistance to project participants in emergency
situations.
``(ii) Assistance with programs and
activities, including legal assistance, deemed
necessary to address arrest or conviction
records as an employment barrier.
``(6) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall provide
technical assistance--
``(A) to assist eligible entities in applying for
grants under this subsection;
``(B) that is tailored to meet the needs of
grantees at each stage of the administration of
projects for which grants are made under this
subsection; and
``(C) that is tailored to meet the specific needs
of eligible entities in carrying out the projects.
``(7) Evaluations.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall, by grant,
contract, or interagency agreement, conduct rigorous
and well-designed evaluations of the demonstration
projects for which a grant is made under this
subsection, which shall include identification of
successful activities for creating opportunities for
developing and sustaining, particularly with respect to
low-income individuals with arrest or conviction
records, a health professions workforce that has
accessible entry points, that meets high standards for
education, training, certification, and professional
development, and that provides increased wages and
affordable benefits, including health care coverage,
that are responsive to the needs of the workforce.
``(B) Rule of interpretation.--Evaluations
conducted pursuant to this paragraph may include a
randomized controlled trial, but this paragraph shall
not be interpreted to require an evaluation to include
such a trial.
``(8) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
means any of the following entities that demonstrates
in an application submitted under this subsection that
the entity has the capacity to fully develop and
administer the demonstration project described in the
application:
``(i) A local workforce development board
established under section 107 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
``(ii) A State or territory, a political
subdivision of a State or territory, or an
agency of a State, territory, or such a
political subdivision.
``(iii) An Indian tribe, a tribal
organization, or a tribal college or
university.
``(iv) An institution of higher education
(as defined in the Higher Education Act of
1965).
``(v) A hospital (as defined in section
1861(e)).
``(vi) A skilled nursing facility (as
defined in section 1819(h)(1)(A)).
``(vii) A Federally qualified health center
(as defined in section 1861(aa)(4)).
``(viii) A nonprofit organization described
in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, a labor organization, or an
entity with shared labor-management oversight,
that has a demonstrated history of providing
health profession training to eligible
individuals.
``(ix) An opioid treatment program (as
defined in section 1861(iii)(2)).
``(B) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible
individual' means an individual whose income does not
exceed 138 percent of the Federal poverty level.
``(9) Appropriation.--Out of any funds in the Treasury of
the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1,
2025.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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