Community College Workforce Training Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7932 To award funds for community college and industry partnerships. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AUGUST 4, 2020 Mrs. LEE of Nevada introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To award funds for community college and industry partnerships. 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 ‘‘Community College 4 Workforce Training Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNER- 6 SHIP GRANTS. 7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 8 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 9 ty’’ means an eligible institution or a consortia of 10 such eligible institutions. 11 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:09 Aug 25, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7932 IH (2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi- 1 ble institution’’ means a public institution of higher 2 education (as defined in section 101(a) of the High- 3 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)) at 4 which the highest degree that is predominantly 5 awarded to students is an associate degree, including 6 a 2-year Tribal College or University (as defined in 7 section 316 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 8 1059c)). 9 (3) PERKINS CTE DEFINITIONS.—The terms 10 ‘‘career and technical education’’, ‘‘dual or concur- 11 rent enrollment’’, and ‘‘work-based learning’’ have 12 the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the 13 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 14 Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 15 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 16 the Secretary of Labor. 17 (b) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND 18 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 19 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the funds appro- 20 priated under subsection (h) and not reserved under 21 subsection (f), the Secretary, in collaboration with 22 the Secretary of Education (acting through the Of- 23 fice of Career, Technical, and Adult Education), 24 shall award, on a competitive basis, grants, con- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7932 IH tracts, or cooperative agreements in accordance with 1 section 169(b)(5) of the Workforce Innovation and 2 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224(b)(5)) to eligible 3 entities to assist such eligible entities in— 4 (A) establishing and scaling career training 5 programs, including career and technical edu- 6 cation programs; 7 (B) establishing industry and sector part- 8 nerships to inform such programs; and 9 (C) providing necessary student supports. 10 (2) AWARD AMOUNTS.—The total amount of 11 funds awarded under this section to an eligible enti- 12 ty shall not exceed— 13 (A) in the case of an eligible entity that is 14 a single eligible institution, $2,500,000; and 15 (B) in the case of an eligible entity that is 16 a consortia of eligible institutions, $15,000,000. 17 (3) AWARD PERIOD.—A grant, contract, or co- 18 operative agreement awarded under this section shall 19 be for a period of not more than 4 years, except that 20 the Secretary may extend such a grant, contract, or 21 cooperative agreement for an additional 2-year pe- 22 riod, based on the outcomes reported under sub- 23 section (g)(1) of the programs supported under such 24 grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7932 IH (4) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 1 funds under this section, the Secretary shall ensure, 2 to the extent practicable, the equitable distribution 3 of funds, based on— 4 (A) geography (such as urban and rural 5 distribution); and 6 (B) States and local areas significantly im- 7 pacted by the COVID–19 national emergency. 8 (c) PRIORITY.—In awarding funds under this section, 9 the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that 10 will use such funds to serve individuals impacted by the 11 COVID–19 national emergency, as demonstrated by pro- 12 viding an assurance in the application submitted under 13 subsection (d) that the eligible entity will use such funds 14 to— 15 (1) serve such individuals with barriers to em- 16 ployment, veterans, spouses of members of the 17 Armed Forces, Native American Indians, Alaska Na- 18 tives, Native Hawaiians, individuals with disabilities, 19 or incumbent workers who are low-skilled and who 20 need to increase their employability skills; 21 (2) serve such individuals from each major ra- 22 cial and ethnic group and gender with lower than av- 23 erage educational attainment in the State or employ- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7932 IH ment in the in-demand industry sector or occupation 1 that such award will support; or 2 (3) serve areas with high unemployment rates 3 or high levels of poverty, including rural areas. 4 (d) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking an 5 award of funds under this section shall submit to the Sec- 6 retary an application containing a grant proposal at such 7 time and in such manner, and containing such informa- 8 tion, as required by the Secretary, including a detailed de- 9 scription of the following: 10 (1) Each entity (and the roles and responsibil- 11 ities of each entity) with which the eligible entity will 12 partner to carry out activities under this section, in- 13 cluding each of the following: 14 (A) An industry or sector partnership rep- 15 resenting a high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand 16 industry sector or occupation. 17 (B) A State higher education agency or a 18 State workforce agency. 19 (C) To the extent practicable— 20 (i) State or local workforce develop- 21 ment systems; 22 (ii) economic development and other 23 relevant State or local agencies; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 7932 IH (iii) one or more community-based or- 1 ganizations; 2 (iv) one or more institutions of higher 3 education that primarily award 4-year de- 4 grees with which the eligible institution has 5 developed or will develop articulation 6 agreements for programs created or ex- 7 panded using funds under this section; 8 (v) one or more providers of adult 9 education; and 10 (vi) one or more labor organizations 11 or joint labor-management partnerships. 12 (2) The programs that will be supported with 13 such award, including a description of— 14 (A) each program that will be developed or 15 expanded, and how the program will be respon- 16 sive to the high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand 17 industry sectors or occupations in the geo- 18 graphic region served by the eligible entity 19 under this section, including— 20 (i) how the eligible entity will collabo- 21 rate with employers to ensure each such 22 program will provide the skills and com- 23 petencies necessary to meet future employ- 24 ment demand; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 7932 IH (ii) the quantitative data and evidence 1 that demonstrates the extent to which each 2 such program will meet the needs of em- 3 ployers and workers in the geographic area 4 served by the eligible entity under this sec- 5 tion; 6 (B) the recognized postsecondary creden- 7 tials to be awarded under each program de- 8 scribed in subparagraph (A); 9 (C) how each such program will facilitate 10 cooperation between representatives of workers 11 and employers in the local areas to ensure a 12 fair and engaging workplace that balances the 13 priorities and well-being of workers with the 14 needs of businesses; 15 (D) the extent to which each such program 16 aligns with a statewide or regional workforce 17 development strategy, including such strategies 18 established under section 102(b)(1) of the 19 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 20 U.S.C. 3112(b)(1)); and 21 (E) how the eligible entity will ensure the 22 quality of each such program, the career path- 23 ways within each such program, the stackability 24 and portability of credentials earned as part of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 7932 IH each such program, and the jobs in the industry 1 sectors or occupations to which each such pro- 2 gram is aligned. 3 (3) The extent to which the eligible entity can 4 leverage additional resources, and a demonstration 5 of the future sustainability of each such program. 6 (4) How each such program and activities car- 7 ried out under the grant will include evidence-based 8 practices, including a description of such practices. 9 (5) The student populations that will be served 10 by the eligible entity, including— 11 (A) an analysis of any barriers to employ- 12 ment or barriers to postsecondary education 13 that such populations face, and an analysis of 14 how the services to be provided by the eligible 15 entity under this section will address such bar- 16 riers; and 17 (B) how the eligible entity will support 18 such populations to establish a work history, 19 demonstrate success in the workplace, and de- 20 velop the skills and competencies that lead to 21 entry into and retention in unsubsidized em- 22 ployment. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 7932 IH (6) Assurances the eligible entity will partici- 1 pate in and comply with third-party evaluations de- 2 scribed in subsection (f)(2). 3 (e) USE OF FUNDS.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall use a 5 grant awarded under this section to establish and 6 scale career training programs, including career and 7 technical education programs, and career pathways 8 and supports for students participating in such pro- 9 grams. 10 (2) STUDENT SUPPORT AND EMERGENCY SERV- 11 ICES.—Not less than 15 percent of the grant award- 12 ed to an eligible entity under this section shall be 13 used to carry out student support services, which 14 may include the following: 15 (A) Supportive services, including 16 childcare, transportation, mental health serv- 17 ices, or substance use disorder prevention and 18 treatment, assistance in obtaining health insur- 19 ance coverage, housing, and other benefits, as 20 appropriate. 21 (B) Connecting students to State or Fed- 22 eral means-tested benefits programs, including 23 the means-tested Federal benefits programs de- 24 scribed in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 7932 IH section 479(d)(2) of the Higher Education Act 1 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(d)(2)). 2 (C) The provision of direct financial assist- 3 ance to help students facing financial hardships 4 that may impact enrollment in or completion of 5 a program assisted with such funds. 6 (D) Navigation, coaching, mentorship, and 7 case management services, including providing 8 information and outreach to populations de- 9 scribed in subsection (c) to take part in a pro- 10 gram supported with such funds. 11 (E) Providing access to necessary supplies, 12 materials, technological devices, or required 13 equipment, and other supports necessary to 14 participate in such programs. 15 (3) ADDITIONAL REQUIRED PROGRAM ACTIVI- 16 TIES.—The funds awarded to an eligible entity 17 under this section that remain after carrying out 18 paragraph (1) shall be used to— 19 (A) create, develop, or expand articulation 20 agreements (as defined in section 486A(a) of 21 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 22 1093a(a))), credit transfer agreements, policies 23 to award credit for prior learning, corequisite 24 remediation, dual or concurrent enrollment pro- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Aug 24, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 7932 IH grams, career pathways, and competency-based 1 education; 2 (B) establish or expand industry or sector 3 partnerships to develop or expand quality aca- 4 demic programs and curricula; 5 (C) establish or expand work-based learn- 6 ing opportunities, including apprenticeship pro- 7 grams registered under the Act of August 16, 8 1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National Ap- 9 prenticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 10 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), or paid internships; 11 (D) establish or implement plans for the 12 eligible entity to be included on the list of eligi- 13 ble providers of training services described in 14 section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation and 15 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(d)); 16 (E) award academic credit or provide for 17 academic alignment towards credit pathways for 18 programs assisted with such funds, including 19 industry recognized credentials, competency- 20 based education, or work-based learning; 21 (F) make available open, searchable, and 22 comparable information on the recognized post- 23 secondary credentials awarded under such pro- 24 grams, including the related skills or com- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Aug 24, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932 khammond on DSK30NT082PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 7932 IH petencies and related employment and earnings 1 outcomes; or 2 (G) acquire equipment necessary to sup- 3 port activities permitted under this section. 4 (f) SECRETARIAL RESERVATIONS.—Not more than 5 5 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year may 6 be used by the Secretary for— 7 (1) the administration of the program under 8 this section, including providing technical assistance 9 to eligible entities; 10 (2) targeted outreach to eligible institutions 11 serving a high number or high percentage of low-in- 12 come populations and rural serving eligible institu- 13 tions, to provide guidance and assistance in the 14 grant application process under this section; and 15 (3) a rigorous, third-party evaluation that uses 16 experimental or quasi-experimental design or other 17 research methodologies that allow for the strongest 18 possible causal inferences to determine whether each 19 eligible entity carrying out a program supported 20 under this section has met the goals of such pro- 21 gra [Text truncated for display. 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