I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7932 

To award funds for community college and industry partnerships. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 4, 2020 

Mrs. LEE of Nevada introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To award funds for community college and industry 

partnerships. 

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 ‘‘Community College 

5 Workforce Training Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNER7 SHIP GRANTS. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti10 ty’’ means an eligible institution or a consortia of 

11 such eligible institutions. 


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1 (2) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi2 ble institution’’ means a public institution of higher 

3 education (as defined in section 101(a) of the High4 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)) at 

5 which the highest degree that is predominantly 

6 awarded to students is an associate degree, including 

7 a 2-year Tribal College or University (as defined in 

8 section 316 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

9 1059c)). 

10 (3) PERKINS CTE DEFINITIONS.—The terms 

11 ‘‘career and technical education’’, ‘‘dual or concur12 rent enrollment’’, and ‘‘work-based learning’’ have 

13 the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the 

14 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 

15 Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 

16 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of Labor. 

18 (b) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND

19 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the funds appro21 priated under subsection (h) and not reserved under 

22 subsection (f), the Secretary, in collaboration with 

23 the Secretary of Education (acting through the Of24 fice of Career, Technical, and Adult Education), 

25 shall award, on a competitive basis, grants, conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932

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1 tracts, or cooperative agreements in accordance with 

2 section 169(b)(5) of the Workforce Innovation and 

3 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224(b)(5)) to eligible 

4 entities to assist such eligible entities in— 

5 (A) establishing and scaling career training 

6 programs, including career and technical edu7 cation programs; 

8 (B) establishing industry and sector part9 nerships to inform such programs; and 

10 (C) providing necessary student supports. 

11 (2) AWARD AMOUNTS.—The total amount of 

12 funds awarded under this section to an eligible enti13 ty shall not exceed— 

14 (A) in the case of an eligible entity that is 

15 a single eligible institution, $2,500,000; and 

16 (B) in the case of an eligible entity that is 

17 a consortia of eligible institutions, $15,000,000. 

18 (3) AWARD PERIOD.—A grant, contract, or co19 operative agreement awarded under this section shall 

20 be for a period of not more than 4 years, except that 

21 the Secretary may extend such a grant, contract, or 

22 cooperative agreement for an additional 2-year pe23 riod, based on the outcomes reported under sub24 section (g)(1) of the programs supported under such 

25 grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. 


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1 (4) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 

2 funds under this section, the Secretary shall ensure, 

3 to the extent practicable, the equitable distribution 

4 of funds, based on— 

5 (A) geography (such as urban and rural 

6 distribution); and 

7 (B) States and local areas significantly im8 pacted by the COVID–19 national emergency. 

9 (c) PRIORITY.—In awarding funds under this section, 

10 the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that 

11 will use such funds to serve individuals impacted by the 

12 COVID–19 national emergency, as demonstrated by pro13 viding an assurance in the application submitted under 

14 subsection (d) that the eligible entity will use such funds 

15 to— 

16 (1) serve such individuals with barriers to em17 ployment, veterans, spouses of members of the 

18 Armed Forces, Native American Indians, Alaska Na19 tives, Native Hawaiians, individuals with disabilities, 

20 or incumbent workers who are low-skilled and who 

21 need to increase their employability skills; 

22 (2) serve such individuals from each major ra23 cial and ethnic group and gender with lower than av24 erage educational attainment in the State or employVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932

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1 ment in the in-demand industry sector or occupation 

2 that such award will support; or 

3 (3) serve areas with high unemployment rates 

4 or high levels of poverty, including rural areas. 

5 (d) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking an 

6 award of funds under this section shall submit to the Sec7 retary an application containing a grant proposal at such 

8 time and in such manner, and containing such informa9 tion, as required by the Secretary, including a detailed de10 scription of the following: 

11 (1) Each entity (and the roles and responsibil12 ities of each entity) with which the eligible entity will 

13 partner to carry out activities under this section, in14 cluding each of the following: 

15 (A) An industry or sector partnership rep16 resenting a high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand 

17 industry sector or occupation. 

18 (B) A State higher education agency or a 

19 State workforce agency. 

20 (C) To the extent practicable— 

21 (i) State or local workforce develop22 ment systems; 

23 (ii) economic development and other 

24 relevant State or local agencies; 


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1 (iii) one or more community-based or2 ganizations; 

3 (iv) one or more institutions of higher 

4 education that primarily award 4-year de5 grees with which the eligible institution has 

6 developed or will develop articulation 

7 agreements for programs created or ex8 panded using funds under this section; 

9 (v) one or more providers of adult 

10 education; and 

11 (vi) one or more labor organizations 

12 or joint labor-management partnerships. 

13 (2) The programs that will be supported with 

14 such award, including a description of— 

15 (A) each program that will be developed or 

16 expanded, and how the program will be respon17 sive to the high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand 

18 industry sectors or occupations in the geo19 graphic region served by the eligible entity 

20 under this section, including— 

21 (i) how the eligible entity will collabo22 rate with employers to ensure each such 

23 program will provide the skills and com24 petencies necessary to meet future employ25 ment demand; and 


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1 (ii) the quantitative data and evidence 

2 that demonstrates the extent to which each 

3 such program will meet the needs of em4 ployers and workers in the geographic area 

5 served by the eligible entity under this sec6 tion; 

7 (B) the recognized postsecondary creden8 tials to be awarded under each program de9 scribed in subparagraph (A); 

10 (C) how each such program will facilitate 

11 cooperation between representatives of workers 

12 and employers in the local areas to ensure a 

13 fair and engaging workplace that balances the 

14 priorities and well-being of workers with the 

15 needs of businesses; 

16 (D) the extent to which each such program 

17 aligns with a statewide or regional workforce 

18 development strategy, including such strategies 

19 established under section 102(b)(1) of the 

20 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

21 U.S.C. 3112(b)(1)); and 

22 (E) how the eligible entity will ensure the 

23 quality of each such program, the career path24 ways within each such program, the stackability 

25 and portability of credentials earned as part of 


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1 each such program, and the jobs in the industry 

2 sectors or occupations to which each such pro3 gram is aligned. 

4 (3) The extent to which the eligible entity can 

5 leverage additional resources, and a demonstration 

6 of the future sustainability of each such program. 

7 (4) How each such program and activities car8 ried out under the grant will include evidence-based 

9 practices, including a description of such practices. 

10 (5) The student populations that will be served 

11 by the eligible entity, including— 

12 (A) an analysis of any barriers to employ13 ment or barriers to postsecondary education 

14 that such populations face, and an analysis of 

15 how the services to be provided by the eligible 

16 entity under this section will address such bar17 riers; and 

18 (B) how the eligible entity will support 

19 such populations to establish a work history, 

20 demonstrate success in the workplace, and de21 velop the skills and competencies that lead to 

22 entry into and retention in unsubsidized em23 ployment. 


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1 (6) Assurances the eligible entity will partici2 pate in and comply with third-party evaluations de3 scribed in subsection (f)(2). 

4 (e) USE OF FUNDS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall use a 

6 grant awarded under this section to establish and 

7 scale career training programs, including career and 

8 technical education programs, and career pathways 

9 and supports for students participating in such pro10 grams. 

11 (2) STUDENT SUPPORT AND EMERGENCY SERV12 ICES.—Not less than 15 percent of the grant award13 ed to an eligible entity under this section shall be 

14 used to carry out student support services, which 

15 may include the following: 

16 (A) Supportive services, including 

17 childcare, transportation, mental health serv18 ices, or substance use disorder prevention and 

19 treatment, assistance in obtaining health insur20 ance coverage, housing, and other benefits, as 

21 appropriate. 

22 (B) Connecting students to State or Fed23 eral means-tested benefits programs, including 

24 the means-tested Federal benefits programs de25 scribed in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of 


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1 section 479(d)(2) of the Higher Education Act 

2 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ss(d)(2)). 

3 (C) The provision of direct financial assist4 ance to help students facing financial hardships 

5 that may impact enrollment in or completion of 

6 a program assisted with such funds. 

7 (D) Navigation, coaching, mentorship, and 

8 case management services, including providing 

9 information and outreach to populations de10 scribed in subsection (c) to take part in a pro11 gram supported with such funds. 

12 (E) Providing access to necessary supplies, 

13 materials, technological devices, or required 

14 equipment, and other supports necessary to 

15 participate in such programs. 

16 (3) ADDITIONAL REQUIRED PROGRAM ACTIVI17 TIES.—The funds awarded to an eligible entity 

18 under this section that remain after carrying out 

19 paragraph (1) shall be used to— 

20 (A) create, develop, or expand articulation 

21 agreements (as defined in section 486A(a) of 

22 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

23 1093a(a))), credit transfer agreements, policies 

24 to award credit for prior learning, corequisite 

25 remediation, dual or concurrent enrollment proVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Aug 24, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932

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1 grams, career pathways, and competency-based 

2 education; 

3 (B) establish or expand industry or sector 

4 partnerships to develop or expand quality aca5 demic programs and curricula; 

6 (C) establish or expand work-based learn7 ing opportunities, including apprenticeship pro8 grams registered under the Act of August 16, 

9 1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National Ap10 prenticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 

11 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), or paid internships; 

12 (D) establish or implement plans for the 

13 eligible entity to be included on the list of eligi14 ble providers of training services described in 

15 section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation and 

16 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(d)); 

17 (E) award academic credit or provide for 

18 academic alignment towards credit pathways for 

19 programs assisted with such funds, including 

20 industry recognized credentials, competency21 based education, or work-based learning; 

22 (F) make available open, searchable, and 

23 comparable information on the recognized post24 secondary credentials awarded under such pro25 grams, including the related skills or comVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:56 Aug 24, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7932.IH H7932

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1 petencies and related employment and earnings 

2 outcomes; or 

3 (G) acquire equipment necessary to sup4 port activities permitted under this section. 

5 (f) SECRETARIAL RESERVATIONS.—Not more than 5 

6 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year may 

7 be used by the Secretary for— 

8 (1) the administration of the program under 

9 this section, including providing technical assistance 

10 to eligible entities; 

11 (2) targeted outreach to eligible institutions 

12 serving a high number or high percentage of low-in13 come populations and rural serving eligible institu14 tions, to provide guidance and assistance in the 

15 grant application process under this section; and 

16 (3) a rigorous, third-party evaluation that uses 

17 experimental or quasi-experimental design or other 

18 research methodologies that allow for the strongest 

19 possible causal inferences to determine whether each 

20 eligible entity carrying out a program supported 

21 under this section has met the goals of such pro22 gram as described in the application submitted by 

23 such eligible entity, including through a national as24 sessment of all such programs at the conclusion of 

25 each award period described in subsection (b)(3). 


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1 (g) REPORTS AND DISSEMINATION.— 

2 (1) REPORTS.— 

3 (A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—Each eligible enti4 ty receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative 

5 agreement under this section shall submit to 

6 the Secretary, for each year of the award period 

7 of such grant, contract, or cooperative agree8 ment, and for the entire award period, 1 year 

9 after the conclusion of such award period, a re10 port that includes— 

11 (i) a description of the programs sup12 ported with such funds, including activities 

13 carried out directly by the eligible entity 

14 and activities carried out by each partner 

15 of the eligible entity described in sub16 section (d)(1); 

17 (ii) data on each population served 

18 with the funds and labor market outcomes 

19 of each such population; 

20 (iii) resources leveraged by the eligible 

21 entity to support activities under this sec22 tion; and 

23 (iv) the performance of each such pro24 gram with respect to the indicators of per25 formance under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of 


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1 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

2 Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)). 

3 (B) SECRETARY.—Upon receipt of a report 

4 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

5 submit such report to the Committee on Edu6 cation and Labor of the House of Representa7 tives and the Committee on Health, Education, 

8 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 

9 (2) DISSEMINATION.—Each eligible entity re10 ceiving funds under this section shall— 

11 (A) participate in activities to disseminate 

12 related research and best practices; and 

13 (B) to the extent practicable, and as deter14 mined by the Secretary, make available to the 

15 public any materials created under the grant. 

16 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

17 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

18 $2,000,000,000 through fiscal year 2024. 

Æ 


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