Mobility for Work Act of 1993

Summary: Mobility for Work Act of 1993 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Mobility for Work Demonstration Program to evaluate the effects of assisting residents of central cities to commute to job locations, especially in the suburbs, within the metropolitan area. 
Authorizes grants to up to six entities through such Program to carry out demonstration projects in eligible metropolitan areas, using specified program models.  Requires a peer review panel to review applications. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mobility for Work Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to--
            (1) improve the employment rates and earnings of residents 
        of central cities by improving the access of the residents to 
        areas of high job growth;
            (2) meet the labor needs of employers in suburban locations 
        during periods of economic growth and build permanent 
        attachments between workers and jobs; and
            (3) test differing approaches to achieving the purposes 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) and determine the effects 
        of the approaches.

SEC. 3. MOBILITY FOR WORK DEMONSTRATION GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            (1) Area of high job growth.--The term ``area of high job 
        growth'' means an area, within a Primary Metropolitan 
        Statistical Area, that has averaged, during the 3 years 
        preceding the date on which the determination regarding the 
        area is made, a higher percentage increase in the number of 
        jobs, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics or a 
        comparable State agency, than the Primary Metropolitan 
        Statistical Area as a whole.
            (2) Central city.--The term ``central city'' means a 
        central city, as defined by the Bureau of the Census as of the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
            (3) Community-based organization.--The term ``community-
        based organization'' means an entity described in section 4(5) 
        of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1503(5)).
            (4) Eligible metropolitan area.--The term ``eligible 
        metropolitan area'' means an area--
                    (A) that is a Primary Metropolitan Statistical 
                Area; and
                    (B) in which the job growth outside of central 
                cities accounted for 75 percent or more of total job 
                growth in the Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area 
                over the most recent 10-year period for which data are 
                available.
            (5) Primary metropolitan statistical area.--The term 
        ``Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area'' means a Primary 
        Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the Bureau of the 
        Census as of the date of enactment of this Act.
            (6) Suburban job location.--The term ``suburban job 
        location'' means a job location that--
                    (A) is in an area of high job growth; and
                    (B) is not in a central city.
    (b) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation 
        with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development, shall establish a Mobility for 
        Work Demonstration Program to evaluate the effects of assisting 
        residents of a central city within an eligible metropolitan 
        area to commute to job locations, especially suburban job 
        locations, within the metropolitan area.
            (2) Grants authorized.--The Secretary of Labor, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall make grants 
        through the Mobility for Work Demonstration Program to not more 
        than six entities to carry out demonstration projects in 
        eligible metropolitan areas, utilizing the program models 
        described in subsection (d).
            (3) Peer review panel.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of Labor, in 
                consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and 
                the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall 
                establish a peer review panel.
                    (B)  Experience.--The panel shall be comprised of 
                individuals with experience in designing or 
                implementing successful programs to improve mobility 
                for work.
                    (C) Composition.--The panel shall include at least 
                one representative from each of the following:
                            (i) A local or regional transportation 
                        authority.
                            (ii) A community-based organization that 
                        has organized such a program.
                            (iii) A local or regional government.
                            (iv) A nonprofit organization that has 
                        helped design or evaluate such a program.
                    (D) Duties.--The panel shall conduct an initial 
                review of, and make recommendations to the Secretary of 
                Labor regarding, applications submitted under 
                subsection (c). The panel shall recommend to the 
                Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Transportation 
                a design for the evaluation described in subsection 
                (e).
    (c) Application and Approval Criteria.--To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section to carry out a demonstration project, an 
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary of Labor at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, may require, including 
information demonstrating that--
            (1) the applicant will use one of the three program models 
        described in subsection (d) to carry out the project;
            (2) the applicant will establish data collection procedures 
        that will be sufficient to enable the Secretary of Labor, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, to conduct 
        an evaluation in accordance with subsection (e); and
            (3) the applicant has the capability to carry out the 
        project adequately and to meet such other criteria as the 
        Secretary of Labor may prescribe.
    (d) Program Models.--In making grants to entities to carry out 
demonstration projects under this section, the Secretary of Labor, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development shall make grants to entities that agree 
to use one of the program models described in paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(3), and shall make at least one grant to an entity that agrees to use 
each of the following program models:
            (1) Adding transportation services to existing job training 
        and placement programs.--Under this model an entity shall 
        supplement job training and placement programs that are in 
        existence on the date of the submission of the applicable 
        application by increasing the access of residents of a central 
        city in an eligible metropolitan area to job locations in areas 
        of high job growth in the metropolitan area. The entity shall 
        increase such access through the establishment of new 
        transportation services that are designed to--
                    (A) transport the residents to the locations, such 
                as van service provided between--
                            (i) the central city; and
                            (ii) business parks or major employers in 
                        such locations,
                by a public agency, a private entity, or a community-
                based organization;
                    (B) provide transportation counseling and 
                assistance (such as services to promote the creation of 
                carpools or provide education on public transit routes) 
                to the residents to supplement counseling on job search 
                and workplace conduct provided through the job training 
                and placement programs; or
                    (C) provide a direct subsidy of public transit 
                fares or private automobile expenses for low-income 
                residents of central cities.
            (2) Improving public transit systems to facilitate access 
        to areas of high job growth.--
                    (A) In general.--Under this model an entity shall--
                            (i) work with the relevant public transit 
                        operator or agency to modify public transit 
                        routes and schedules, in order to increase the 
                        access of residents described in paragraph (1) 
                        to job locations described in paragraph (1), 
                        through public transit services such as--
                                    (I) express bus service to business 
                                parks in such locations at times 
                                coinciding with shift changes; or
                                    (II) new connecting services to 
                                fill gaps in transportation service 
                                that impede commuting from central 
                                cities to such job locations; or
                            (ii) reimburse public transit operators for 
                        the costs of providing reduced fare programs to 
                        increase such access.
                    (B) Employer contributions.--An entity carrying out 
                a demonstration project in accordance with subparagraph 
                (A)(i) may request that employers of the residents 
                described in such subparagraph contribute to the costs 
                of implementing the transit services described in such 
                subparagraph.
            (3) Establishing regional coalitions to improve central 
        city access to jobs.--
                    (A) Coalition.--Under this model an entity shall 
                establish a regional coalition, which may include 
                neighborhood organizations, employers, employer 
                associations, transportation providers, and similar 
                entities, to implement comprehensive strategies to 
                improve the access of low-income residents of a central 
                city in an eligible metropolitan area to job locations 
                within the metropolitan area.
                    (B) Services.--The entity shall identify 
                transportation barriers between central cities and such 
                job locations and shall address the barriers through--
                            (i) modifications in job training and 
                        placement services;
                            (ii) the provision of support services such 
                        as child care; and
                            (iii) the provision of transportation 
                        services.
                    (C) Area.--The entity shall attempt to link job 
                training and placement program participants with job 
                opportunities throughout as much of the eligible 
                metropolitan area as is practicable.
    (e) Evaluation.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Transportation, shall conduct a thorough evaluation of the 
demonstration projects established under this section, which evaluation 
shall include an assessment--
            (1) with respect to entities establishing transportation 
        services to supplement job training and placement programs in 
        accordance with subsection (d)(1), the effect of the addition 
        of such transportation services on employment rates, job 
        retention, and earnings among residents of the area in which 
        the demonstration project is conducted;
            (2) with respect to entities improving public transit 
        systems in accordance with subsection (d)(2), the effect of the 
        improvements on such employment rates, job retention, and 
        earnings; and
            (3) with respect to entities establishing regional 
        coalitions and implementing comprehensive strategies in 
        accordance with subsection (d)(3), the effects of such 
        strategies on such employment rates, job retention, and 
        earnings.
    (f) Other Funding Sources.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prevent an entity that receives a grant under this section 
to carry out a demonstration project from receiving funds to carry out 
the project from other sources to supplement the funds made available 
through the grant.
    (g) Authorization of Funds.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 
1994, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 
1995 through 1998.