Promoting Partnerships to Transform Opportunities Act

Summary: Promoting Partnerships to Transform Opportunities Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, eligible institutions, preferably in partnership with a nonprofit organization, to provide support services, job training, and education to individuals with multiple barriers to employment, including underrepresented minorities, to help prepare them to enter the workforce. Defines &quot;eligible institution&quot; to mean a historically Black college or university, a Hispanic-serving Institution, a Tribal College or University, or a Predominantly Black Institution. Requires an eligible institution to submit a program plan to the Secretary in order to receive a grant or enter into such a contract or cooperative agreement.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Partnerships to Transform 
Opportunities Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to provide resources to eligible 
institutions to prepare individuals with multiple barriers to 
employment, including underrepresented minorities, to enter the 
workforce by providing support services, job training, and education.

SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT.

    Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is 
amended by inserting after section 166 (29 U.S.C. 2911) the following 
new section:

``SEC. 166A. PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO 
              EMPLOYMENT.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to support 
employment and training activities for individuals with multiple 
barriers to employment in order--
            ``(1) to develop more fully the academic, occupational, and 
        literacy skills of such individuals;
            ``(2) to make such individuals more competitive in the 
        workforce; and
            ``(3) to promote the economic and social development of the 
        communities, including minority communities, of those 
        individuals in accordance with the goals and values of the 
        communities described in this paragraph.
    ``(b) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            ``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means--
                    ``(A) a historically Black college or university;
                    ``(B) a Hispanic-serving Institution;
                    ``(C) a Tribal College or University; or
                    ``(D) a Predominantly Black Institution.
            ``(2) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term `Hispanic-
        serving institution' has the meaning given the term in section 
        502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a).
            ``(3) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        `historically Black college or university' has the meaning 
        given the term `part B institution' in section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            ``(4) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit 
        organization' means a nonprofit organization that focuses on 
        preparing individuals with multiple barriers to employment to 
        enter the workforce by providing such individuals with support 
        services, job training, and education.
            ``(5) Predominantly black institution.--The term 
        `Predominantly Black Institution' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 318 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1059e).
            ``(6) Tribal college or university.--The term `Tribal 
        College or University' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1059c).
    ``(c) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall, on a competitive 
basis, make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 
agreements with, eligible institutions to carry out the authorized 
activities described in subsection (d). Such an eligible institution 
may carry out the activities directly, or through a partnership with a 
nonprofit organization.
    ``(d) Authorized Activities.--An eligible institution receiving a 
grant, contract, or agreement under subsection (c) shall use such funds 
to serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment by carrying 
out one or more of the following activities:
            ``(1) Education services, including postsecondary 
        education, English as a second language courses, General 
        Educational Development preparation, financial literacy 
        workshops, access to information technology workshops and 
        courses, Generational Diversity Awareness programs, and health 
        and wellness programs.
            ``(2) Activities that increase access to workforce 
        services, including on-the-job training, internships, skills 
        training, job placement, financial literacy training, and 
        personal development.
            ``(3) Additional support services, including health and 
        nutrition services, housing assistance, transportation, child 
        care, and clothing.
    ``(e) Program Plan.--In order to receive a grant or enter into a 
contract or cooperative agreement under subsection (c), an eligible 
institution shall submit to the Secretary a program plan that describes 
a strategy for meeting the needs of individuals with multiple barriers 
to employment in the area served by such organization. Such plan 
shall--
            ``(1) be consistent with the purpose of this section;
            ``(2) identify the population to be served;
            ``(3) identify the education and employment needs of the 
        population to be served and the manner in which the activities 
        to be provided will strengthen the ability of the individuals 
        served to obtain or retain unsubsidized employment;
            ``(4) describe the activities to be provided and the manner 
        in which such activities are to be integrated with other 
        appropriate activities; and
            ``(5) describe, after the eligible institution consults 
        with the Secretary, the performance measures to be used to 
        assess the performance of the eligible institution, and any 
        nonprofit organization that carries out authorized activities 
        assisted under this section, in carrying out the activities.
    ``(f) Priority.--In making grants or entering into contracts or 
cooperative agreements under subsection (c), the Secretary shall give 
priority to an eligible institution that--
            ``(1) proposes to carry out the authorized activities 
        through a partnership described in subsection (c); or
            ``(2) demonstrates that the institution is unable to carry 
        out the activities through such a partnership because the 
        institution is not within a reasonable distance (as determined 
        by the Secretary) of a nonprofit organization.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section 
for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019.''.