Careers Act

Summary: Careers Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education to award competitive grants to state educational agencies for: (1) activities&nbsp;to address the shortage of career counselors in public schools and, (2)&nbsp;subgrants to local educational agencies for the expansion of effective career-counseling programs. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Careers Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) A career guidance and counseling program develops an 
        individual's competencies in self-knowledge, educational and 
        occupational exploration, and career planning.
            (2) Career guidance and counseling programs help 
        individuals acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience 
        necessary to identify options, explore alternatives, and 
        succeed in a 21st century society.
            (3) The American School Counselor Association recommends a 
        student-to-counselor ratio of two-hundred fifty to one. Forty-
        seven States do not meet this recommendation.
            (4) School counselors design and implement comprehensive 
        school counseling programs that include educational and career 
        planning activities for all students that are designed to 
        assist students in reaching academic, career, and personal 
        goals.
            (5) Students at schools with highly integrated, rigorous, 
        academic and career and technical education programs have 
        significantly higher achievement in reading, mathematics, and 
        science than do students at schools with less integrated 
        programs.

SEC. 3. CAREER COUNSELING PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Authorized.--Part B of title II of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6621 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

                 ``Subpart 5--Career Counseling Program

``SEC. 2251. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Career counselor.--The term `career counselor' means 
        a school counselor licensed or certified by a State.
            ``(2) Comprehensive career counseling program.--The term 
        `comprehensive career counseling program' means a program 
        that--
                    ``(A) provides access for students (and parents, as 
                appropriate) to information regarding career awareness 
                and planning with respect to an individual's 
                occupational and academic future;
                    ``(B) provides information with respect to career 
                options, financial aid, and postsecondary options, 
                including baccalaureate degree programs, registered 
                apprenticeship programs, and professional trades; and
                    ``(C) is implemented in a school by a career 
                counselor.
            ``(3) Educational development plan.--The term `educational 
        development plan' means an individualized plan for a student 
        that--
                    ``(A) contains a series of steps to help the 
                student promote career awareness and exploration; and
                    ``(B) assists students in identifying--
                            ``(i) career and technical programs of 
                        study described in section 122(c)(1)(A) of the 
                        Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
                        Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(A));
                            ``(ii) career pathways (as defined in 
                        section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
                        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)); and
                            ``(iii) programs of training services 
                        leading to a recognized postsecondary 
                        credential included on a State's list under 
                        section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation and 
                        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(d)).
            ``(4) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term 
        `registered apprenticeship program' means an apprenticeship 
        program registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly 
        known as the `National Apprenticeship Act'; 50 Stat. 664, 
        chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).

``SEC. 2252. CAREER COUNSELING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry out 
this subpart, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 
to State educational agencies, to pay the Federal share of a program 
enabling the State educational agencies to address the shortage of 
career counselors and to expand effective career counseling programs by 
awarding subgrants under section 2253.
    ``(b) Application.--A State that desires a grant under this subpart 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
including a description of--
            ``(1) how the State will award subgrants with an emphasis 
        toward supporting local educational agencies with 
        disproportionally high student-to-counselor ratios;
            ``(2) a professional development program approved by the 
        State for all career counselors in the State, which may include 
        opportunities for externships, fellowships, and other 
        activities to ensure that career counselors are able to provide 
        current and relevant workforce information;
            ``(3) how the State will provide technical assistance to 
        local educational agencies to enable the local educational 
        agencies to qualify for subgrants;
            ``(4) the State-wide strategies to be implemented by the 
        State to increase the number of high-quality career counselors;
            ``(5) how the State will disseminate, in a timely manner, 
        information regarding--
                    ``(A) national, regional, and local labor market 
                trends; and
                    ``(B) other career-relevant data; and
            ``(6) how the State will assist local educational agencies 
        in the State in developing a comprehensive career counseling 
        program.
    ``(c) Special Consideration.--In awarding grants under this 
program, the Secretary shall give special consideration to State 
educational agencies that have high student-to-counselor ratios.
    ``(d) Federal Share; Non-Federal Share.--
            ``(1) Federal share.--The Federal share of a grant under 
        this subpart shall be 80 percent of the costs of the activities 
        under the grant.
            ``(2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of a grant 
        under this subpart shall be 20 percent, and may be provided in 
        cash or in-kind.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--Each State receiving a grant under this 
subpart--
            ``(1) may use not more than 10 percent of the total amounts 
        available for the grant to support the grant by carrying out 
        the activities described in paragraphs (2) through (6) of 
        subsection (b), as proposed by the State and approved by the 
        Secretary in the application submitted under subsection (b);
            ``(2) may use not more than 3 percent of such total amounts 
        for the administrative costs associated with the grant; and
            ``(3) shall use not less than 87 percent of such total 
        amounts to carry out the subgrant program described in section 
        2253.

``SEC. 2253. CAREER COUNSELING SUBGRANTS.

    ``(a) Subgrants Authorized.--From amounts made available under 
section 2252(e)(3), each State receiving a grant under this subpart 
shall award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local educational 
agencies to enable the local educational agencies to improve career 
counseling programs.
    ``(b) Application.--A local educational agency desiring a subgrant 
under this subpart shall submit to the State an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State may 
require, including the following:
            ``(1) A description of a comprehensive career counseling 
        program to be offered in the local educational agency that--
                    ``(A) encompasses grades 6 through 12;
                    ``(B) includes strategies to ensure that--
                            ``(i) all students served by the local 
                        educational agency start developing an 
                        educational development plan beginning in grade 
                        7; and
                            ``(ii) the educational development plan of 
                        each student is regularly reviewed and updated 
                        until the date that the student graduates from 
                        secondary school or is no longer enrolled in a 
                        school served by the local educational agency; 
                        and
                    ``(C) is developed in consultation with not less 
                than two of the following types of stakeholders:
                            ``(i) Institutions of higher education or 
                        postsecondary vocational institutions (as 
                        defined in section 102(c) of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))).
                            ``(ii) Sponsors of registered 
                        apprenticeship programs.
                            ``(iii) Local boards (as defined in section 
                        3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
                        Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)).
                            ``(iv) Nonprofit organizations with 
                        expertise in career counseling.
                            ``(v) Tribal organizations.
                            ``(vi) Labor organizations.
                            ``(vii) Trade associations.
            ``(2) In the case of a local educational agency whose 
        student-to-counselor ratio is higher than the national average 
        ratio (as determined by the American School Counselor 
        Association, or a similar organization designated by the 
        Secretary), a description of the activities that will be 
        offered under the program described in paragraph (1) to reduce 
        the local educational agency's ratio.
            ``(3) A description of activities to be offered under the 
        comprehensive career counseling program to promote student 
        engagement with registered apprenticeship programs, 
        internships, and other work-based learning experiences.
            ``(4) A description of the strategies to be employed by the 
        local educational agency--
                    ``(A) to ensure the effective dissemination of 
                career and labor market information to parents and 
                students; and
                    ``(B) to ensure students are aware of in-school 
                career development activities, including career and 
                technical education programs and career and technical 
                student organizations.
            ``(5) A description of how the local educational agency 
        will ensure that parents of students are routinely engaged in 
        the development of the educational development plans for their 
        students.
            ``(6) A description of the strategies to be employed by the 
        local educational agency--
                    ``(A) for ensuring that the comprehensive career 
                counseling program described in paragraph (1) is 
                incorporated in the school curriculum; and
                    ``(B) for bolstering career readiness among out-of-
                school youth, economically disadvantaged students, 
                students who are children with disabilities, and other 
                at-risk populations.
    ``(c) Use of Subgrant Funds.--A local educational agency receiving 
a subgrant under this section--
            ``(1) shall use subgrant funds to--
                    ``(A) develop and implement the comprehensive 
                career counseling program proposed by the local 
                educational agency in the application submitted under 
                subsection (b)(1); and
                    ``(B) develop and carry out other activities and 
                strategies proposed in the application under subsection 
                (b); and
            ``(2) may use subgrant funds to--
                    ``(A) purchase software or online platforms to 
                directly support the comprehensive career counseling 
                program of the local educational agency; and
                    ``(B) train school personnel to effectively provide 
                students with current and relevant workforce 
                information.

``SEC. 2254. REPORTS.

    ``Each State educational agency receiving a grant under this 
subpart shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding the 
progress of the grant.

``SEC. 2255. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

    ``Amounts made available under this subpart shall supplement, and 
not supplant, other amounts available to carry out the activities 
supported under this subpart.

``SEC. 2256. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart 
$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2003(b) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6603(b)) is amended by 
inserting ``(except for subpart 5)'' after ``part B''.