Workforce Reentry Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4937 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to make permanent a grant program to promote and assist in the reentry of justice-involved individuals into the workforce. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 31, 2019 Mr. SMUCKER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to make permanent a grant program to promote and assist in the reentry of justice-involved individuals into the workforce. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Workforce Reentry 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 4937 IH SEC. 2. JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS REENTRY PRO- 1 GRAM START-UP GRANTS. 2 Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and 3 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended— 4 (1) by redesignating section 172 as section 173; 5 and 6 (2) by inserting after section 171 the following 7 new section: 8 ‘‘SEC. 172. JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS REENTRY PRO- 9 GRAM START-UP GRANTS. 10 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to— 11 ‘‘(1) prompt innovation and improvement in the 12 reentry of justice-involved individuals into the work- 13 force so that successful initiatives can be continued 14 and replicated; and 15 ‘‘(2) allow for the dissemination of information 16 regarding best practices in preparing justice-involved 17 individuals for sustained participation in the work- 18 force. 19 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 20 ‘‘(1) APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES.—The 21 term ‘apprenticeship opportunities’ includes reg- 22 istered apprenticeship, industry-recognized appren- 23 ticeship, and preapprenticeship programs. 24 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en- 25 tity’ means— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 4937 IH ‘‘(A) a private nonprofit organization 1 under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 2 Code of 1986, including a faith-based organiza- 3 tion; 4 ‘‘(B) a local workforce development board; 5 ‘‘(C) a State or local government; or 6 ‘‘(D) an Indian or Native American entity 7 eligible for grants under section 166. 8 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANT.— 9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible par- 10 ticipant’ means an individual— 11 ‘‘(i) who has been convicted as a juve- 12 nile or an adult and imprisoned under 13 Federal or State law; or 14 ‘‘(ii) who has not been released from 15 prison or jail for more than 2 years before 16 the date on which the individual begins 17 participation. 18 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Up to 10 percent of all 19 participants may be individuals who do not 20 meet the requirements of clause (iv) of subpara- 21 graph (A). 22 ‘‘(4) EVIDENCE-BASED.—The term ‘evidence- 23 based’ means a program or practice that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 4937 IH ‘‘(A) is demonstrated effective when imple- 1 mented with fidelity; 2 ‘‘(B) is based on a clearly articulated and 3 empirically supported theory; 4 ‘‘(C) has measurable outcomes relevant to 5 workforce outcomes for reentering justice-in- 6 volved individuals; and 7 ‘‘(D) has been scientifically tested and 8 proven effective through randomized control 9 studies or comparison group studies. 10 ‘‘(5) PROMISING.—The term ‘promising’ refers 11 to a program or practice that— 12 ‘‘(A) is demonstrated to be effective based 13 on positive outcomes relevant to workforce en- 14 gagement for reentering justice-involved individ- 15 uals from one or more objective, independent, 16 and scientifically valid evaluation; and 17 ‘‘(B) includes ongoing efforts to examine 18 the effects of such program or practice. 19 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the activi- 21 ties under this section, the Secretary shall, on a 22 competitive basis, award grants for a period of not 23 more than 5 years to eligible entities to enable such 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 4937 IH entities to provide job training, job placement serv- 1 ices, and mentoring. 2 ‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants, the Sec- 3 retary shall give priority to eligible entities that— 4 ‘‘(A) establish partnerships with business 5 or educational institutions to provide a program 6 of study leading to postsecondary credentials in 7 in-demand occupations; or 8 ‘‘(B) provide customized training that is 9 designed to meet the specific requirements of 10 an employer (including a group of employers) 11 and is conducted with a commitment by the em- 12 ployer to employ an individual upon successful 13 completion of the training. 14 ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL GRANTS.—The Secretary may 15 award, for not longer than a period of 5 years, one 16 or more additional grants to an eligible entity that 17 received a grant under this section if the eligible en- 18 tity— 19 ‘‘(A) demonstrates success in helping eligi- 20 ble participants reenter the workforce according 21 to the performance indicators under subsection 22 (g)(1); and 23 ‘‘(B) provides an assurance that the entity 24 will provide a non-Federal contribution, includ- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 4937 IH ing cash and in-kind donations, in an amount 1 not less than 100 percent of the total funds 2 awarded under the additional grant. 3 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 4 under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli- 5 cation to the Secretary, which shall include the following: 6 ‘‘(1) A detailed description of the program in- 7 cluding the core services they will provide, how the 8 eligible entity will recruit and select eligible partici- 9 pants for the program, how many participants they 10 plan on serving each year, and the length of partici- 11 pation in the program. 12 ‘‘(2) A description of evidence-based or prom- 13 ising practices the eligible entity will use in the ad- 14 ministration of the program. 15 ‘‘(3) A description of partnerships with local 16 businesses to provide apprenticeship opportunities, 17 work-based learning, and job placement and recruit- 18 ment (if applicable). 19 ‘‘(4) An assurance that the eligible entity will 20 coordinate activities with workforce development pro- 21 grams and other services provided under this title, 22 including utilizing the one-stop delivery system of 23 the local workforce development areas to provide ap- 24 propriate services and recruit eligible individuals to 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 4937 IH ensure the maximum number of eligible individuals 1 will have the opportunity to participate in the pro- 2 gram. 3 ‘‘(5) An assurance that the eligible entity will 4 provide a 50-percent match, as described in sub- 5 section (e). 6 ‘‘(6) A plan to coordinate with other programs 7 and entities, including those that may be provided 8 by such other programs and entities, to provide sub- 9 stance abuse treatment services, mental health treat- 10 ment services, housing services, and transportation 11 services. 12 ‘‘(7) An assurance that the eligible entity will 13 provide the data necessary for the indicators of per- 14 formance in subsection (g). 15 ‘‘(8) A plan to continue the program with non- 16 Federal funds after the grant period. 17 ‘‘(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—In order to receive 18 a grant from the Secretary under this section, each eligible 19 entity shall provide a non-Federal contribution, including 20 cash and in-kind donations, in an amount not less than 21 25 percent of the total funds awarded. 22 ‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.— 23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded under 24 this section may be used to— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 4937 IH ‘‘(A) provide workforce development and 1 job placement services to eligible participants, 2 including occupational skills education, on-the- 3 job training, apprenticeship opportunities, work 4 experience, job referrals, basic skills remedi- 5 ation, educational services, work readiness ac- 6 tivities, and post-placement support, in coordi- 7 nation with the one-stop partners and one-stop 8 operators that provide services at any center 9 operated under a one-stop deliver system estab- 10 lished under section 121; 11 ‘‘(B) mentor eligible participants, including 12 the provision of support, guidance, and assist- 13 ance in the community and the workplace to 14 address the challenges faced by justice-involved 15 individuals; 16 ‘‘(C) provide outreach to State or Federal 17 correctional facilities to increase awareness, 18 identify and recruit eligible participants, provide 19 screening and assessment of eligible partici- 20 pants and align educational offerings with exist- 21 ing services available to individuals who are 22 presently incarcerated; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 4937 IH ‘‘(D) coordinate with employers to develop 1 customized training programs and agreements 2 around the hiring of eligible participants; or 3 ‘‘(E) carrying out the activities described 4 in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) with re- 5 spect to eligible participants who will be re- 6 leased from prison or jail within 90 days. 7 ‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.— 8 ‘‘(A) CERTAIN SERVICES EXCLUDED.— 9 Funds provided under this section may not be 10 used to provide substance abuse treatment serv- 11 ices, mental health treatment services, or hous- 12 ing services, except that such a grant may be 13 used to coordinate with other programs and en- 14 tities to provide substance abuse treatment 15 services, mental health treatment services, or 16 housing services to eligible participants. 17 ‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE COST LIMIT.—A 18 grantee may not use more than 10 percent of 19 the funds received under a grant for adminis- 20 trative costs, including for the purpose of col- 21 lecting information for purposes of subsection 22 (g)(1). 23 ‘‘(C) LIMIT ON AMOUNT PAID AS STIPENDS 24 TO PARTICIPANTS.—A grantee may not use 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 4937 IH more than 15 percent of the funds received 1 under such grant to provide stipends to pro- 2 gram participants while completing an edu- 3 cational or skill development program. 4 ‘‘(D) LIMIT ON FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY 5 SITUATIONS.—A grantee may not use more 6 than 5 percent of the funds to assist eligible 7 participants in an emergency situation. 8 ‘‘(g) PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNT- 9 ABILITY.— 10 ‘‘(1) INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE.—Each eli- 11 gible entity receiving a grant under this section shall 12 report each year to the Secretary on the following 13 indicators of performance described in section 14 116(b)(2)(A): 15 ‘‘(A) The percentage of program partici- 16 pants who are in unsubsidized employment dur- 17 ing the second quarter after exit from the pro- 18 gram, as described in clause (i)(I) of such sec- 19 tion or, in case of program participants who are 20 youth, the percentage of program participants 21 who are in education or training activities, or in 22 unsubsidized employment during the second 23 quarter after exit from the program, as de- 24 scribed in clause (ii)(I) of such section. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 4937 IH ‘‘(B) The percentage of program partici- 1 pants who are in unsubsidized employment dur- 2 ing the fourth quarter after exit from the pro- 3 gram, as described in clause (i)(II) of such sec- 4 tion or, in case of program participants who are 5 youth, the percentage of program participants 6 who are in education or training activities, or in 7 unsubsidized employment during the fourth 8 quarter after exit from the program, as de- 9 scribed in clause (ii)(II) of such section. 10 ‘‘(C) The median earnings of program par- 11 ticipants who are in unsubsidized employment 12 during the second quarter after exit from the 13 program, as described in clause (i)(III) of such 14 section. 15 ‘‘(D) The percentage of program partici- 16 pants who obtain a recognized postsecondary 17 credential, or a secondary school diploma or its 18 recognized equivalent, during participation in or 19 within one year after exit from the program, as 20 described in clause (i)(IV) of such section. 21 ‘‘(E) The percentage of program partici- 22 pants who, during a program year, are in an 23 education or training program that leads to a 24 recognized postsecondary credential or employ- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.IH H4937 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 4937 IH ment and who are achieving measurable skill 1 gains toward such a credential or employment, 2 as described in clause (i)(V) of such section. 3 ‘‘(F) The indicators of effectiveness in 4 serving employers established pursuant to 5 clause (iv) of such section, as described in 6 clause (i)(VI) of such section. 7 ‘‘(2) INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.—Not later 8 than five years after the date of enactment of this 9 section and from amounts made available under sec- 10 tion 173(d), the Secretary shall provide for and re- 11 port to Congress on an independent evaluation of 12 the grant program established under this section 13 that includes an assessment of the effectiveness of 14 the grant program and the effectiveness of individual 15 grantees included in the evaluation in reducing re- 16 cidivism and assisting individuals in— 17 ‘‘(A) earning credentials; 18 ‘‘(B) finding and maintaining employment; 19 and 20 ‘‘(C) increasing their earnings. 21 ‘‘(3) REPORT.—The Secretary shall release an 22 annual report on— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:31 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4937.I [Text truncated for display. 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