To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to authorize a study to review specific outcomes of entrepreneurial skills development programs, and for other purposes.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 699 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to authorize a study to review specific outcomes of entrepreneurial skills development programs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 1, 2023 Mr. ALLEN (for himself and Mr. DESAULNIER) 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 authorize a study to review specific outcomes of entre- preneurial skills development programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD. 3 Section 101(d)(3)(D) of the Workforce Innovation 4 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111(d)(3)(D)) is 5 amended— 6 (1) by striking ‘‘and jobseekers’’ and inserting 7 ‘‘jobseekers, and entrepreneurs’’; and 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 699 IH (2) by inserting ‘‘and entrepreneurial skills de- 1 velopment and microenterprise services’’ after ‘‘occu- 2 pations’’. 3 SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE PROVIDERS OF 4 TRAINING SERVICES. 5 Section 122(a)(2)(C) of the Workforce Innovation 6 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(a)(2)(C)) is amend- 7 ed by inserting ‘‘and providers of entrepreneurial skills de- 8 velopment programs’’ after ‘‘organizations’’. 9 SEC. 3. REQUIRED LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AC- 10 TIVITIES. 11 Section 134(c)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation 12 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(2)(A)) is amend- 13 ed— 14 (1) in clause (iv)— 15 (A) in subclause (I)— 16 (i) in item (aa), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 17 and inserting a semicolon; and 18 (ii) by adding at the end the fol- 19 lowing: 20 ‘‘(cc) provision of informa- 21 tion on entrepreneurship, as ap- 22 propriate; and’’; 23 (B) in subclause (II), by adding ‘‘and’’ 24 after the semicolon; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 699 IH (C) by adding at the end the following: 1 ‘‘(III) referral to microenterprise 2 services, as appropriate;’’; 3 (2) in clause (vi)— 4 (A) in subclause (I), by inserting ‘‘, which 5 may include resources to support entrepreneur- 6 ship,’’ after ‘‘listings’’; and 7 (B) in subclause (III), by inserting ‘‘, 8 which may include entrepreneurship opportuni- 9 ties,’’ after ‘‘demand’’; and 10 (3) in clause (xiii), by inserting ‘‘or entrepre- 11 neurial opportunities’’ after ‘‘workplace’’. 12 SEC. 4. EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH. 13 Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 14 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224) is amended— 15 (1) in subsection (b)— 16 (A) in paragraph (4)— 17 (i) by redesignating subparagraph (K) 18 as subparagraph (L); and 19 (ii) by inserting after subparagraph 20 (J) the following: 21 ‘‘(K) STUDY ON ENTREPRENEURIAL 22 SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.—The Sec- 23 retary shall, through a grant or contract, con- 24 duct a three-year multistate study on entrepre- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 699 IH neurial skills development programs, which 1 shall include the following: 2 ‘‘(i) A review of— 3 ‘‘(I) successful practices for de- 4 veloping entrepreneurial skills of indi- 5 viduals; 6 ‘‘(II) evidence-based and other 7 best practices for mentoring potential 8 entrepreneurs; 9 ‘‘(III) the qualifications needed 10 for skills development providers to 11 successfully develop the entrepre- 12 neurial skills of individuals; 13 ‘‘(IV) strategies for engaging em- 14 ployers and other private sector part- 15 ners; 16 ‘‘(V) such program outcomes that 17 correlate with entrepreneurial success; 18 ‘‘(VI) how such programs suc- 19 cessfully measure the progress of par- 20 ticipants in such programs; 21 ‘‘(VII) the extent to which such 22 programs lead to industry recognized 23 credentials; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 699 IH ‘‘(VIII) the impact, including the 1 economic impact, of such programs on 2 States and local communities; 3 ‘‘(IX) the extent to which such 4 programs affect business development 5 and job creation in States and local 6 communities; 7 ‘‘(X) how such programs identify 8 potential program participants’ readi- 9 ness for the program; and 10 ‘‘(XI) the average earnings of 11 participants who complete such a pro- 12 gram three years after the date of 13 completion of such program. 14 ‘‘(ii) Recommendations for States and 15 local communities to expand access to such 16 programs.’’; and 17 (B) in paragraph (5)(A), by inserting 18 ‘‘which shall include individuals pursuing entre- 19 preneurship,’’ after ‘‘particular service popu- 20 lations,’’; and 21 (2) in subsection (c), by striking the third sen- 22 tence and inserting the following: ‘‘Such projects 23 may include demonstration and pilot projects relat- 24 ing to promoting self-employment, promoting entre- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 699 IH preneurship, promoting job creation (especially for 1 in-demand industry sectors or occupations), averting 2 dislocations, assisting dislocated farmers, assisting 3 dislocated fishermen, developing career pathways 4 and encouraging advancements, and promoting pub- 5 lic works.’’. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:28 Feb 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H699.IH H699 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB