Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696578130852.pdf (United States)
April 25, 2023 S. 1268.

A bill to amend the Edu- cation Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to strengthen research in adult education; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen- sions.

Mr. REED.

Madam President, I am pleased to introduce the bipartisan Strengthening Research in Adult Edu- cation Act with my colleague, Senator Young.
We are in urgent need of identi- fying and disseminating innovative and effective methods for supporting adult learners.

Our legislation will ensure that there is a strong research base to for improve educational programs adults seeking to advance their lit- eracy, numeracy, and digital and infor- mation literacy skills.
The most recent data from the Pro- gram for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies show an urgent need for action in adult education, with an estimated 18 percent of adults ages 16 to 65 in the United States per- forming at the lowest levels of lit- eracy; 28 percent at the lowest levels of numeracy; and 23 percent at the lowest levels of digital problem solving.

This is a dire situation.

These are essential skills for postsecondary education and the workplace.
Beyond their value in the labor market, these skills are also correlated with health and civic par- ticipation, making adult education critically important to the health and well-being of our people, our economy, and our democracy.

In Rhode Island, it is estimated that more than 84,000 working-age adults have less than a high school education.

Nearly 65,000 have limited English pro- ficiency.

Yet we are reaching just over 5,000 through the current adult edu- cation program.
Clearly, we need more resources and innovative, research- based ways to reach more people.

The Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act will provide a critical foundation for improving the effective- ness and reach of adult education pro- grams by ensuring that adult edu- cation is included in our national edu- cation research priorities.
Specifically, the Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act will amend the Edu- cation Sciences Reform Act to require the Institute for Education Sciences and the National Center for Education Statistics to collect data and carry out research on successful State and local adult education and literacy activities, the characteristics and academic achievement of adult learners, and ac- cess to and opportunity for adult edu- cation, including digital and informa- tion literacy skills development, in communities across the country.
It will also ensure that the Institute of Education Sciences draws on the exper- tise of adult educators when developing policies and priorities.

Finally, the leg- islation will require that at least one research center focus on adult edu- cation.

These straightforward amendments to the Education Sciences Reform Act CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE will go a long way to strengthening the research base that will support the im- provement of adult education across the country.
I was pleased to work with the adult education community and particularly the Coalition on Adult Basic Education and the National Coa- lition for Literacy in developing this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support the Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act and to work with me to ensure that its provisions are in- cluded in the reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act.

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. DUCKWORTH): S. 1270.
A bill to amend the Work- force Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide funding, on a competitive basis, for summer and year-round em- ployment opportunities for youth ages 14 through 24; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen- sions.

Mr. DURBIN.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: S. 1270 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.

SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assisting in Developing Youth Employment Act’’ or the ‘‘AID Youth Employment Act’’.

SEC.

2.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.


Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended— (1) by redesignating subtitle E (29 U.S.C.

3241 et seq.)

as subtitle F; and (2) by inserting after subtitle D (29 U.S.C.

3221 et seq.)

the following: ‘‘Subtitle E—Youth Employment Opportunities ‘‘SEC.

176.

DEFINITIONS.
176.

DEFINITIONS.

‘‘In this subtitle: ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE YOUTH.—The term ‘eligible youth’ means an individual who— ‘‘(A) is not younger than age 14 or older than age 24; and ‘‘(B) is— ‘‘(i) an in-school youth; ‘‘(ii) an out-of-school youth; or ‘‘(iii) an unemployed individual.

‘‘(2) INDIAN TRIBE; TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.— The terms ‘Indian tribe’ and ‘tribal organiza- tion’ have the meanings given the terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.

5304).
5304).

‘‘(3) YOUTH; OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH.—The terms ‘in-school youth’ and ‘out-of-school youth’ have the meanings given the terms in section 129(a)(1).

IN-SCHOOL ‘‘(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

1001).
(A) ‘‘(5) term MARGINALIZED.—The ‘marginalized’, used with respect to an indi- vidual, includes individuals who are home- less, in foster care, involved in the juvenile or criminal justice system, or are not en- rolled in or at risk of dropping out of an edu- cational institution and who live in an un- derserved community that has faced trauma through acute or long-term exposure to sub- S1343 stantial discrimination, historical or cul- tural oppression, intergenerational poverty, civil unrest, a high rate of violence, or a high rate of drug overdose mortality.
‘‘(6) SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT.—The term ‘subsidized employment’ means employment for which the employer receives a total or partial subsidy to offset costs of employing an eligible youth under this subtitle.
‘‘(7) TRIBAL AREA.—The term ‘tribal area’ means— reservation; ‘‘(A) an area on or adjacent to an Indian ‘‘(B) land held in trust by the United States for Indians; ‘‘(C) a public domain Indian allotment; ‘‘(D) a former Indian reservation in Okla- homa; and ‘‘(E) land held by an incorporated Native group, Regional Corporation, or Village Cor- poration under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.

1601 et seq.).
1601 et seq.).

‘‘(8) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘tribal college or university’ has the meaning given the term ‘Tribal College or University’ in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

1059c(b)).

‘‘(9) TRIBALLY DESIGNATED HOUSING ENTI- TY.—The term ‘tribally designated housing entity’, used with respect to an Indian tribe (as defined in this section), has the meaning given in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
4103).

‘‘SEC.

176A.

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

‘‘(a) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds appro- priated under section 176E that remain avail- able after any reservation under subsection (b), the Secretary may make available— ‘‘(1) not more than $1,800,000,000 in accord- ance with section 176B to provide eligible youth with subsidized summer employment opportunities; and ‘‘(2) not more than $2,400,000,000 in accord- ance with section 176C to provide eligible youth with subsidized year-round employ- ment opportunities.
‘‘(b) RESERVATION.—The Secretary may re- serve not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated under section 176E to provide technical assistance and oversight, in order to assist eligible entities in applying for and administering grants awarded under this subtitle.

‘‘SEC.

176B.

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT COMPETI- TIVE GRANT PROGRAM.

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(1) GRANTS.—Using the amounts made available under 176A(a)(1), the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, planning and implementation grants.
‘‘(2) GENERAL USE OF FUNDS.—The Sec- retary shall award the grants to assist eligi- ble entities by paying for the program share of the cost of— ‘‘(A) in the case of a planning grant, plan- ning a summer youth employment program to provide subsidized summer employment opportunities; and ‘‘(B) in the case of an implementation grant, implementation of such a program, to provide such opportunities.
‘‘(b) PERIODS AND AMOUNTS OF GRANTS.— ‘‘(1) PLANNING GRANTS.—The Secretary may award a planning grant under this sec- tion for a 1-year period, in an amount of not more than $250,000.

‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—The Sec- retary may award an implementation grant under this section for a 3-year period, in an amount of not more than $6,000,000.
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a planning or implementation grant under this section, an entity shall— ‘‘(A) be a S