II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4942 

To amend subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security Act to fund additional 

projects that focus on competency-based training for personal or home 

care aides, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 1, 2020 

Mr. KING introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security 

Act to fund additional projects that focus on competencybased training for personal or home care aides, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mollie Baldwin 

5 Upskilling of Personal and Home Care Aides Act’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4942 IS

1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

2 PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE PROJECTS. 

3 Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

4 1397g) is amended by adding at the end the following new 

5 subsection: 

6 ‘‘(e) EXPANSION OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

7 PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE PROJECTS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS.—The 

9 Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 

10 Labor, shall award grants to eligible entities to con11 duct projects— 

12 ‘‘(A) that employ upskilling training mod13 els that focus on competency-based training 

14 for— 

15 ‘‘(i) personal or home care aides (as 

16 defined in subsection (b)); 

17 ‘‘(ii) direct support professionals; 

18 ‘‘(iii) home health aides; and 

19 ‘‘(iv) nursing assistants; and 

20 ‘‘(B) that are designed to provide eligible 

21 individuals with the opportunity to obtain edu22 cation and training for positions as personal or 

23 home care aides (as so defined), direct support 

24 professionals, home health aides, or nursing as25 sistants that pay a living wage and are expected 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4942 IS

1 to either experience labor shortages or be in 

2 high demand; and 

3 ‘‘(C) for which grants were awarded under 

4 subsection (a). 

5 ‘‘(2) SELECTION OF PROJECTS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE ENTI7 TIES.—An eligible entity seeking to receive a 

8 grant under this subsection to conduct a project 

9 shall demonstrate— 

10 ‘‘(i) that the eligible entity has suc11 cessfully conducted the project in the past; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(ii) that the project implements the 

14 core training competencies for personal or 

15 home care aides described in subsection 

16 (b)(3)(A). 

17 ‘‘(B) PRIORITY FOR RURAL AREAS AND

18 UNDERSERVED URBAN AREAS.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In awarding 

20 grants under this subsection, the Secretary 

21 shall give priority to projects that sup22 port— 

23 ‘‘(I) rural areas (as defined in 

24 section 2007(f)); or 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4942 IS

1 ‘‘(II) underserved urban areas 

2 (including urban health professional 

3 shortage areas (as defined in section 

4 332 of the Public Health Service 

5 Act)). 

6 ‘‘(ii) THRESHOLD FOR PRIORITIZED

7 PROJECTS.—In awarding grants under this 

8 subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that 

9 not less than 50 percent of the grants 

10 awarded under this subsection shall be for 

11 projects described in clause (i). 

12 ‘‘(3) REPORTS AND EVALUATION.— 

13 ‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An eligible en14 tity awarded a grant to expand a project under 

15 this subsection shall submit interim reports to 

16 the Secretary on the activities carried out under 

17 the project and a final report on such activities 

18 upon the conclusion of the entities’ participa19 tion in the project. 

20 ‘‘(B) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall, 

21 by grant, contract, or interagency agreement, 

22 evaluate the projects conducted under this sub23 section. Such evaluation shall include identifica24 tion of successful activities for creating oppor25 tunities for developing and sustaining, particuVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Dec 08, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4942.IS S4942

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4942 IS

1 larly with respect to low-income individuals and 

2 other entry-level workers, a health and human 

3 services professions workforce that has acces4 sible entry points, that meets high standards 

5 for education, training, certification, and pro6 fessional development, that provides increased 

7 wages and affordable benefits, including health 

8 care coverage, that are responsive to the 

9 workforce’s needs, and that is responsive to the 

10 needs of diverse racial and ethnic communities. 

11 ‘‘(C) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Sec12 retary shall submit interim reports and, based 

13 on the evaluation conducted under subpara14 graph (B), a final report to Congress on the 

15 projects conducted under this subsection. 

16 ‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—Any term used in this sub17 section that is also used in subsection (a) shall have 

18 the same meaning for purposes of this subsection as 

19 such term has in such subsection (a). 

20 ‘‘(5) FUNDING.—Out of any funds in the 

21 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are ap22 propriated to the Secretary to carry out this sub23 section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 

24 through 2031.’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS