II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 882 

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to integrate public libraries 

into State and local workforce investment boards, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 7, 2013 

Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. COCHRAN) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to integrate 

public libraries into State and local workforce investment 

boards, 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 ‘‘Workforce Investments 

5 through Local Libraries Act’’ or the ‘‘WILL Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 Section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 

8 (29 U.S.C. 2801) is amended by adding at the end the 

9 following: 


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1 ‘‘(54) DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS.—The term 

2 ‘digital literacy skills’ has the meaning given the 

3 term in section 202 of the Museum and Library 

4 Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).’’. 

5 SEC. 3. STATE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARDS. 

6 Section 111(b)(1)(C)(v) of the Workforce Investment 

7 Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2821(b)(1)(C)(v)) is amended by 

8 inserting ‘‘, and heads of public libraries,’’ after ‘‘organi9 zations’’. 

10 SEC. 4. STATE PLAN. 

11 Section 112(b)(8)(A) of the Workforce Investment 

12 Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2822(b)(8)(A)) is amended— 

13 (1) in clause (ix), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

14 and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(xi) employment and training activities, 

17 and adult education and literacy activities (as 

18 defined in section 203), provided by public li19 braries; and’’. 

20 SEC. 5. LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD. 

21 Section 117(b)(2)(A)(iv) of the Workforce Invest22 ment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2832(b)(2)(A)(iv)) is amend23 ed by striking ‘‘individuals with disabilities and’’ and in24 serting ‘‘public libraries, individuals with disabilities, 

25 and’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. LOCAL PLAN. 

2 Section 118(b) of the Workforce Investment Act of 

3 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2833(b)) is amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through 

5 (10) as paragraphs (7) through (11), respectively; 

6 and 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(6) a description of how the local board will 

10 coordinate workforce investment activities carried 

11 out in the local area with employment and training 

12 activities, and adult education and literacy activities 

13 (as defined in section 203), provided by public li14 braries;’’. 

15 SEC. 7. WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES PROVIDERS. 

16 Section 121 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 

17 (29 U.S.C. 2841) is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (b)(2)(B)— 

19 (A) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

20 end; 

21 (B) by redesignating clause (v) as clause 

22 (vi); and 

23 (C) by inserting after clause (iv) the fol24 lowing: 

25 ‘‘(v) programs of employment and 

26 training activities, and adult education and 


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1 literacy activities (as defined in section 

2 203), provided by public libraries; and’’; 

3 and 

4 (2) in subsection (d)(2)(B)— 

5 (A) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

6 end; 

7 (B) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause 

8 (vii); and 

9 (C) by inserting after clause (v) the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(vi) a public library; and’’. 

12 SEC. 8. USE OF FUNDS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING 

13 ACTIVITIES. 

14 Section 134(d)(3) of the Workforce Investment Act 

15 of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)(3)) is amended— 

16 (1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ‘‘public, 

17 private for-profit,’’ and inserting ‘‘public service pro18 viders, which may include public libraries, private 

19 for-profit service providers,’’; and 

20 (2) in subparagraph (C)(vi), by inserting ‘‘dig21 ital literacy skills,’’ after ‘‘learning skills,’’. 

22 SEC. 9. DEMONSTRATION, PILOT, MULTISERVICE, RE23 SEARCH, AND MULTISTATE PROJECTS. 

24 Section 171(b)(1) of the Workforce Investment Act 

25 of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916(b)(1)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 

2 through (H) as subparagraphs (C) through (I), re3 spectively; and 

4 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(B) the establishment of employment re7 source centers in public libraries to provide un8 employed and underemployed individuals access 

9 to workforce investment activities and informa10 tion related to training services (as defined in 

11 section 134(d)(4)) and employment opportuni12 ties, which activities may include— 

13 ‘‘(i) resume development activities, job 

14 bank internet searches, and workshops on 

15 career information; 

16 ‘‘(ii) adult education and literacy ac17 tivities (as defined in section 203); and 

18 ‘‘(iii) acquisition of database licenses 

19 to improve access to career certification ac20 tivities and licensing practice tests, and to 

21 improve workforce skills;’’. 

22 SEC. 10. EVALUATIONS. 

23 Section 172(a) of the Workforce Investment Act of 

24 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2917(a)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as para4 graph (8); and 

5 (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(7) the effectiveness of interagency collabora8 tions and agreements as described in section 196 in 

9 expanding access to and improving the quality of 

10 such programs and activities; and’’. 

11 SEC. 11. INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION AND AGREE12 MENTS. 

13 Subtitle E of title I of the Workforce Investment Act 

14 of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2931 et seq.) is amended by adding 

15 at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 196. INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION AND AGREE17 MENTS. 

18 ‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION.—The Sec19 retary shall collaborate with the heads of relevant Federal 

20 departments and agencies, including the Secretary of Edu21 cation, the Administrator of the Small Business Adminis22 tration, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 

23 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Sec24 retary of Agriculture, the Director of the Institute of Mu25 seum and Library Services, the Director of the Office of 


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1 Management and Budget, or the designees of such heads, 

2 on initiatives, materials, or technology to support work3 force development activities. 

4 ‘‘(b) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 

5 may— 

6 ‘‘(1) enter into interagency agreements to pro7 mote or assist with carrying out the workforce in8 vestment activities of Federal agencies other than 

9 the Department of Labor, on either a reimbursable 

10 or nonreimbursable basis; and 

11 ‘‘(2) use funds appropriated under this title for 

12 the costs of such promotion and assistance.’’. 

13 SEC. 12. ADULT EDUCATION. 

14 Section 231(b) of the Adult Education and Family 

15 Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9241(b)) is amended by adding 

16 at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(4) Programs to promote digital literacy skills, 

18 as defined in section 101.’’. 

Æ 


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