A bill to require that certain Federal job training and career education programs give priority to programs that provide an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential.

Summary: American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Achievement Works Act or AMERICA Works Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with respect to statewide and local adult and youth workforce investment employment and training programs, to require a one-stop delivery system, in selecting and approving training services, or programs of training services, to give priority consideration to state- and local board-approved services and programs that lead to an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential that is in high demand in the local area served and listed in the skill credential registry created under this Act.

Amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to require the same priority consideration in the state and local plans for career and technical education programs as well as in tech prep programs.

Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to give priority consideration to Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) training programs that lead to a industry-recognized and nationally portable credential listed in the skill credential registry that is in high demand in the local area served by the corresponding one-stop delivery system.

Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) create a registry of skill credentials; and (2) list them in the registry if they are required by federal or state law for an occupation, or are from the Manufacturing Institute-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System. Authorizes the Secretary to list a credential in the registry if it is an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential consistent with established industry competency models, including the one for the American College Test National Career Readiness Certification.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Manufacturing Efficiency 
and Retraining Investment Collaboration Achievement Works Act'' or the 
``AMERICA Works Act''.

SEC. 2. INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED AND NATIONALLY PORTABLE CREDENTIALS FOR JOB 
              TRAINING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Workforce Investment Act of 1998.--
            (1) General employment and training activities.--Section 
        134(d)(4)(F) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
        2864(d)(4)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) Priority for programs that provide 
                        an industry-recognized and nationally portable 
                        credential.--In selecting and approving 
                        training services, or programs of training 
                        services, under this section, a one-stop 
                        operator and employees of a one-stop center 
                        referred to in subsection (c) shall give 
                        priority consideration to services and programs 
                        (approved by the appropriate State agency and 
                        local board in conjunction with section 122) 
                        that lead to a credential that is in high 
                        demand in the local area served and listed in 
                        the registry described in section 3(b) of the 
                        AMERICA Works Act.''.
            (2) Youth activities.--Section 129(c)(1)(C) of the 
        Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854(c)(1)(C)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv) as 
                clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; and
                    (B) inserting after clause (i) the following:
                            ``(ii) training (with priority 
                        consideration given to programs that lead to a 
                        credential that is in high demand in the local 
                        area served and listed in the registry 
                        described in section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works 
                        Act, if the local board determines that such 
                        programs are available and appropriate);''.
    (b) Career and Technical Education.--
            (1) Core postsecondary indicators.--Section 113(b)(2)(B) of 
        the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 
        (20 U.S.C. 2323(b)(2)(B)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (iii) through (vi) as 
                clauses (iv) through (vii), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
                            ``(iii) Student attainment of a high-demand 
                        registry skills credential described in section 
                        122(c)(1)(B)(i).''.
            (2) State plan.--Section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
        2342(c)(1)(B)) is amended by striking the semicolon at the end 
        and inserting the following: ``and, with respect to programs of 
        study leading to an industry-recognized credential or 
        certificate, will give priority consideration to programs of 
        study that--
                            ``(i) lead to an appropriate (as determined 
                        by the eligible agency) skills credential 
                        (which may be a certificate) that is in high 
                        demand in the area served and listed in the 
                        registry described in section 3(b) of the 
                        AMERICA Works Act; and
                            ``(ii) may provide a basis for additional 
                        credentials, certificates, or degrees;''.
            (3) Use of local funds.--Section 134(b) of the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
        2354(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (11), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (12)(B), by striking the period 
                and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) describe the career and technical education 
        activities supporting the attainment of industry-recognized 
        credentials or certificates, and how the eligible recipient, in 
        selecting such activities, gave priority consideration to 
        activities supporting high-demand registry skill credentials 
        described in section 122(c)(1)(B)(i).''.
            (4) Tech-prep programs.--Section 203 of the Carl D. Perkins 
        Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2373) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (c)(2)(E), by striking 
                ``industry-recognized credential, a certificate,'' and 
                inserting ``industry-recognized credential or 
                certificate (such as a high-demand registry skill 
                credential described in section 122(c)(1)(B)(i)),''; 
                and
                    (B) in subsection (e)(1)(B)--
                            (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) 
                        as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and
                            (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the 
                        following:
                            ``(iv) complete a high-demand registry 
                        skill credential described in section 
                        122(c)(1)(B)(i);''.
    (c) Training Programs Under TAA.--Section 236(a)(5) of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(5)) is amended by inserting after the 
sentence that follows subparagraph (H)(ii) the following: ``In 
approving training programs under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
give priority consideration to programs that lead to a credential that 
is in high demand in the local area (defined for purposes of title I of 
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)) served 
by the corresponding one-stop delivery system under that title for the 
training programs, and that is listed in the registry described in 
section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works Act.''.

SEC. 3. SKILL CREDENTIAL REGISTRY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered provision.--The term ``covered provision'' 
        means any of sections 129 and 134 of the Workforce Investment 
        Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854, 2864), section 122(c)(1)(B) of the 
        Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
        U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)), and section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974 
        (19 U.S.C. 2296).
            (2) Industry-recognized.--The term ``industry-recognized'', 
        used with respect to a credential, means a credential that--
                    (A) is sought or accepted by companies within the 
                industry sector involved as recognized, preferred, or 
                required for recruitment, screening, or hiring; and
                    (B) is endorsed by a nationally recognized trade 
                association or organization representing a significant 
                part of the industry sector.
            (3) Nationally portable.--The term ``nationally portable'', 
        used with respect to a credential, means a credential that is 
        sought or accepted by companies within the industry sector 
        involved, across multiple States, as recognized, preferred, or 
        required for recruitment, screening, or hiring.
            (4) Workforce investment activities.--The term ``workforce 
        investment activities'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
        2801).
    (b) Registry.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor (referred to in 
        this section as the ``Secretary'') shall create a registry of 
        skill credentials (which may be certificates), for purposes of 
        enabling programs that lead to such a credential to receive 
        priority under a covered provision.
            (2) Registry.--The Secretary--
                    (A) shall list the credential in the registry if 
                the credential is--
                            (i) required by Federal or State law for an 
                        occupation (such as a credential required by a 
                        State law regarding qualifications for a health 
                        care occupation); or
                            (ii) a credential from the Manufacturing 
                        Institute-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills 
                        Certification System; and
                    (B) may list the credential in the registry if the 
                credential is an industry-recognized, nationally 
                portable credential that is consistent with the 
                Secretary's established industry competency models and 
                the model for the American College Test National Career 
                Readiness Certification.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to require an entity with responsibility for selecting or approving an 
education, training, or workforce investment activities program with 
regard to a covered provision, to select a program with a credential 
listed in the registry described in subsection (b).

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, take effect 120 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act.