I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8747 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to award formula and competitive grants 

for layoff aversion activities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 

Mr. SMITH of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to award formula and 

competitive grants for layoff aversion activities, 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 ‘‘Emergency Economic 

5 and Workforce System Resiliency Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided, the 

8 terms used in this Act have the meanings given the terms 

9 in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

10 Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (b) EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRUST.—The term ‘‘em2 ployee ownership trust’’ is an indirect form of employee 

3 ownership in which a trust holds a controlling stake in 

4 a company on behalf of all its employees and provides an 

5 incentive for owners to sell a controlling stake in their 

6 business. 

7 (c) EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN.—The term 

8 ‘‘employee stock ownership plan’’ has the meaning given 

9 the term in section 4975(e)(7) of the Internal Revenue 

10 Code of 1986. 

11 (d) WORKER COOPERATIVE.—The term ‘‘worker co12 operative’’ means a values-driven business that puts work13 er and community benefit at the core of its purpose, and 

14 in which— 

15 (1) workers own the business and they partici16 pate in its financial success on the basis of their 

17 labor contribution to the cooperative; and 

18 (2) workers have representation on and vote for 

19 the board of directors, adhering to the principle of 

20 one worker, one vote. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8747 IH

1 TITLE I—SUPPLEMENTAL FOR2 MULA GRANTS FOR EMER3 GENCY LAYOFF AVERSION 

4 AND WORKFORCE TRAINING 

5 ACTIVITIES 

6 SEC. 101. FORMULA GRANTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor 

9 shall award 5-year grants in accordance with subsection 

10 (b), to States to support efforts to— 

11 (1) reduce and prevent unemployment; and 

12 (2) limit the impact of disruptions (economic, 

13 pandemic-related, transitions of retiring business 

14 owners, automation-related, trade-related, or other 

15 forces) on labor markets. 

16 (b) STATE ALLOTMENTS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount appro18 priated under section 105, the Secretary shall— 

(A) reserve not more than 1 19 ⁄4 of 1 percent 

20 of such amount to provide assistance to the out21 lying areas; and 

22 (B) make allotments to the States under 

23 paragraph (2) to— 

24 (i) make allocations under subsection 

25 (c); or 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (ii) carry out the State activities de2 scribed in subsection (d). 

3 (2) ALLOTMENTS.—The Secretary shall make 

4 an allotment in accordance with section 

5 132(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the Workforce Innovation and 

6 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172(b)(1)(B)(ii)) to 

7 each State that submits a State plan under section 

8 103. 

9 (c) WITHIN STATE ALLOCATIONS.—The Governor of 

10 a State shall use not less than 60 percent of the allotment 

11 received under subsection (b)(2)— 

12 (1) to allocate funds to each local area in the 

13 State in accordance with section 133(b)(2)(A)(i) of 

14 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

15 U.S.C. 3173(b)(2)(A)(i)) to carry out the activities 

16 under section 103, in accordance with the State plan 

17 under section 102, and in consultation with the 

18 State board and the Governor; and 

19 (2) of which not more than 10 percent may be 

20 used for administrative purposes. 

21 (d) STATE ACTIVITIES.—The Governor of a State 

22 shall use the remaining amount of the allotment received 

23 under subsection (b)(2)— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (1) to carry out the activities under section 103 

2 in accordance with the State plan under section 102, 

3 and in consultation with the State board; and 

4 (2) of which not more than 10 percent may be 

5 used for administrative purposes. 

6 SEC. 102. STATE APPLICATIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

8 (1) SUBMISSION BY STATES.—To receive an al9 location under section 101, a State shall submit a 

10 State Workforce Economic Recovery plan (in this 

11 Act referred to as a ‘‘State plan’’), developed by or 

12 in consultation with the State board and approved 

13 by the Governor, to the Secretary at such time and 

14 in such manner as the Secretary may reasonably re15 quire, and containing the information described in 

16 subsection (b). 

17 (2) SECRETARIAL RESPONSE.—Upon receipt of 

18 a State plan, the Secretary shall— 

19 (A) approve the State plan; or 

20 (B) provide the State— 

21 (i) with an explanation as to how the 

22 State plan does not meet the goals and re23 quirements of the grant program under 

24 this title; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (ii) with an opportunity to submit an 

2 updated State plan or to appeal the deci3 sion of the Secretary. 

4 (3) RESUBMISSION.— 

5 (A) REQUIRED STATE PLAN UPDATES.—At 

6 the end of the first 2-year period of the grant, 

7 a State shall— 

8 (i) update the State plan to reflect 

9 changes in the labor market and other eco10 nomic conditions affecting the implementa11 tion of the activities funded under the 

12 grant; and 

13 (ii) submit to the Secretary such up14 dated State plan modifications to the State 

15 plan. 

16 (B) AUTHORIZED STATE PLAN UP17 DATES.—A State may submit to the Secretary 

18 any necessary updates to the State plan at any 

19 point during the grant period. 

20 (b) CONTENTS.—A State plan shall include the fol21 lowing: 

22 (1) A description of how the State plan is 

23 aligned with, enhances, expands, or fills service gaps 

24 to the plan submitted by the State under section 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 8747 IH

1 102 or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor2 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 313). 

3 (2) A State strategic vision, including— 

4 (A) a summary of the State’s goals— 

5 (i) for preparing an educated and 

6 skilled workforce for meeting the skilled 

7 workforce needs of employers (particularly 

8 in existing and emerging in-demand indus9 try sectors and occupations), an identifica10 tion of the median income for in-demand 

11 sectors and occupations, and how the State 

12 will work to ensure worker access to jobs 

13 and industries with higher median wages, 

14 opportunities for workers to share in the 

15 ownership or profits of their companies, 

16 and high quality work environments; 

17 (ii) for ensuring equitable access to 

18 quality jobs for all segments of the State’s 

19 population, and the plan for promoting 

20 quality career pathways that lead to high21 quality jobs for displaced or incumbent 

22 workers; and 

23 (iii) for offering retiring business own24 ers or business owners planning to close 

25 their businesses opportunities to plan that 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 8747 IH

1 transition in order to ensure the continuity 

2 of high-quality jobs in the local economy; 

3 and 

4 (B) the primary strategies that will be 

5 used to achieve the State vision and goals, the 

6 proposed service delivery infrastructure, and the 

7 timeline for achieving such goals. 

8 (3) A description of the problems the State’s 

9 proposed activities aim to solve, and the reason for 

10 prioritizing selected problem areas. 

11 (4) A description of how the State will align 

12 with, and leverage funds from, the State’s workforce 

13 development system and higher education system, 

14 and public assistance programs, and the economic 

15 recovery efforts at the State and local levels. 

16 (5) A description of how the State will collabo17 rate with other relevant State and local government 

18 entities, non-profit entities, and other relevant 

19 groups identified by the State to carry out activities 

20 under section 103, including the roles and respon21 sibilities of each entity that will participate in the 

22 development, implementation, evaluation, and over23 sight of each component of the State plan. 

24 (6) An employer engagement strategy that de25 scribes how employers will be targeted and recruited 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 8747 IH

1 to participate, and any expectations for employer 

2 participation, such as cash or in-kind contributions, 

3 wage release time for employees, provision of on-site 

4 child care or financial support for child care, em5 ployee participation incentives, work-based learning 

6 opportunities, or loaned instructors. 

7 (7) A description of the data sources (commer8 cial or public) the State will use to identify growing, 

9 stable, and declining businesses and industry sectors 

10 or occupations. 

11 (8) A description of how the State will prioritize 

12 individuals with barriers to employment, people of 

13 color, youth, immigrants, formerly incarcerated 

14 adults, and individuals experiencing pandemic-re15 lated job displacement. 

16 (9) A description of how the State will prioritize 

17 access to high-quality jobs by establishing the stand18 ards of job quality that an employer is required to 

19 meet as a condition of receiving funds under this 

20 title, which— 

21 (A) are consistent with the minimum 

22 standards established by the Interagency Task 

23 Force under section 304, and a description of 

24 such standards; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (B) include a defined livable wage for the 

2 State or by subregion of the State. 

3 (10) Any other requirements as determined by 

4 the Secretary. 

5 SEC. 103. USES OF FUNDS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—A State may use, or ensure that 

7 a local area uses, the funds awarded under this title for 

8 any of the following purposes: 

9 (1) Training and education opportunities. 

10 (2) Adult basic education. 

11 (3) Incumbent worker training. 

12 (4) Dislocated worker training. 

13 (5) On-the-job training. 

14 (6) Job seeking assistance. 

15 (7) Layoff aversion, in advance of the notice re16 quired under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining 

17 Notification Act (29 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.), which 

18 may include assisting employers with product diver19 sification, market expansion, and improving produc20 tivity. 

21 (8) Entrepreneurial development and coaching 

22 (helping individuals who need assistance with start23 ing up, scaling up, or maintaining their own busi24 nesses), which may include the provision of loans 

25 through local boards of up to $8,000 to help with 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 8747 IH

1 starting up a new business or preserving a business 

2 in financial distress. 

3 (9) Developing career pathway opportunities 

4 (including through industry or sector partnerships) 

5 to in-demand high-quality jobs in coordination with 

6 employers, community-based organizations, and 

7 State higher education systems, including the State 

8 registered apprenticeship system. 

9 (10) Related instruction for pre-apprenticeship, 

10 registered apprenticeship, or other work-based train11 ing in an occupational pathway. 

12 (11) Funding existing or establishing new State 

13 or non-profit employee ownership resource centers 

14 that offer education and technical assistance to re15 tiring business owners, new entrepreneurs, or worker 

16 groups for the purpose of using broad-based em17 ployee share ownership in the form of employee 

18 stock ownership plans, worker cooperatives, or em19 ployee ownership trusts, to allow worker groups to 

20 buy out retiring business owners. 

21 (12) Capital for revolving loan funds managed 

22 by State or non-profit entities that offer loans to 

23 allow worker groups to buy out retiring business 

24 owners, worker groups, or entrepreneurs looking to 

25 save a declining firm through employee ownership, 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
12 

•HR 8747 IH

1 or workers using broad-based employee share owner2 ship in the form of employee stock ownership plans, 

3 worker cooperatives, or employee ownership trusts. 

4 (b) LIMITATIONS.—No State or local area may use 

5 funds awarded under this title to— 

6 (1) recruit businesses, employees, or customers 

7 from another State; 

8 (2) assist employers that do not meet the 

9 standards of job quality under section 102(b)(9); or 

10 (3) assist proprietary institutions of higher edu11 cation (as defined in section 102(b) of the Higher 

12 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(b))). 

13 SEC. 104. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; NATIONAL REPOSI14 TORY. 

15 (a) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

16 (1) STATES.—Each State that receives a grant 

17 under this title shall submit to the Secretary an an18 nual report that, to the extent practicable integrates 

19 reporting requirements under the Workforce Innova20 tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) 

21 and includes— 

22 (A) an evaluation— 

23 (i) of the performance of the activities 

24 funded under the grant— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
13 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (I) with respect to indicators of 

2 performance under section 

3 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Inno4 vation and Opportunity Act (29 

5 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)); and 

6 (II) with respect to meeting the 

7 goals of the State plan; 

8 (ii) of the satisfaction of each em9 ployer receiving assistance under this title, 

10 on the basis of the satisfaction measure11 ment framework as determined by the 

12 Interagency Task Force under section 301; 

13 and 

14 (B) information on whether an employer 

15 that received assistance under the grant pro16 vided health benefits, paid sick leave, and paid 

17 family and medical leave to their employees. 

18 (2) SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall submit a 

19 report to Congress on an annual basis containing a 

20 summary of the reports received under paragraph 

21 (1), including promising emerging practices with re22 spect to layoff aversion and job creation. 

23 (b) NATIONAL REPOSITORY.—The Secretary shall, 

24 jointly with the Interagency Task Force established under 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
14 

•HR 8747 IH

1 title III, establish on a publicly accessible website, a na2 tional repository— 

3 (1) of data-driven, promising practices with re4 spect to layoff aversion and job creation based on 

5 the evaluations described in subsection (a)(1); and 

6 (2) of recommendations for replicating and 

7 scaling up such practices. 

8 SEC. 105. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There are authorized to be appropriated 

10 $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each of the 4 suc11 ceeding fiscal years. 

12 TITLE II—COMPETITIVE GRANTS 

13 FOR INNOVATIVE LAYOFF 

14 AVERSION MODELS 

15 SEC. 201. COMPETITIVE GRANTS. 

16 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

18 planning grants and implementation grants, on a 

19 competitive basis and in accordance with paragraph 

20 (2), to States for innovative layoff aversion models. 

21 (2) GRANT CYCLES.—In awarding grants under 

22 this title, the Secretary shall award— 

23 (A) a first cycle of grants that shall in24 clude— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
15 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (i) planning grants, which shall be 

2 used during the 18-month period beginning 

3 on the date on which the grants are award4 ed; and 

5 (ii) implementation grants, which 

6 shall be used during the 5-year period be7 ginning on the date on which the grants 

8 are awarded; and 

9 (B) a second cycle of grants that shall be 

10 new implementation grants— 

11 (i) to States that used planning 

12 grants in accordance with subparagraph 

13 (A)(i); and 

14 (ii) that shall be used during the 3.5- 

15 year period beginning on the date on which 

16 the grants are awarded. 

17 (b) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

18 (1) APPLICATIONS.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—To receive a planning 

20 grant under this title, a State shall submit an 

21 application to the Secretary, at such time and 

22 in such manner as the Secretary may require, 

23 which shall include the information described in 

24 subparagraph (B). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
16 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (B) CONTENTS.—Each application shall 

2 include the following: 

3 (i) The need for a planning grant, and 

4 whether the State plans to submit an ap5 plication for an implementation grant. 

6 (ii) A description of the planning ac7 tivities the State will carry out with the 

8 grant. 

9 (iii) A description of each entity with 

10 which the State will coordinate to carry 

11 out such activities. 

12 (iv) A description of the data sources 

13 (commercial or public) that the State plans 

14 to use to— 

15 (I) investigate in-demand, stag16 nant, and declining industry sectors 

17 or occupations and employers in the 

18 State; 

19 (II) determine the needs of un20 derserved and underrepresented popu21 lations to obtain and retain high-qual22 ity jobs; and 

23 (III) identify strategies and ap24 proaches to job creation and layoff 

25 aversion. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
17 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (v) A list of individuals and organiza2 tions, including roles and responsibilities, 

3 of each member of the State grantee advi4 sory council under title III. 

5 (vi) Potential State administrative 

6 policies or other conditions that may sup7 port or impede implementation of new ap8 proaches to job creation and layoff aver9 sion. 

10 (2) GRANT AMOUNT.—A planning grant under 

11 this title may not be less than $75,000, and may not 

12 exceed $350,000 for a State. 

13 (3) USES OF FUNDS.—For a period that may 

14 not exceed 18 months after receipt of such grant, a 

15 State receiving a planning grant shall use such 

16 grant to carry out at least one of the following: 

17 (A) To research, develop a proof of con18 cept, or pilot layoff aversion and job creation 

19 strategies prior to submission of an implemen20 tation grant application under subsection (c), if 

21 the State plans to apply for such a grant. 

22 (B) To help support the modification or re23 moval of State administrative policy barriers to 

24 implementation of job creation and layoff aver25 sion interventions. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
18 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (c) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

2 (1) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 

3 (A) IN GENERAL.—To receive an imple4 mentation grant under this title, a State shall 

5 submit an application to the Secretary at such 

6 time, in such manner, and containing the infor7 mation described in subparagraph (B). 

8 (B) CONTENTS.—Subject to subparagraph 

9 (C), each application shall include the following: 

10 (i) A description of the interventions 

11 that will be carried out including a min12 imum of one layoff aversion intervention 

13 aimed at a particular industry sector or oc14 cupation or segment of the workforce, or 

15 that is workforce system-wide, and the 

16 plan for deploying such interventions. 

17 (ii) Projected performance goals for 

18 such interventions, and a timeline for 

19 achieving such goals. 

20 (iii) An analysis of the need for the 

21 grant, the particular problems that will be 

22 addressed through such interventions, and 

23 the reasons for prioritizing such interven24 tions. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
19 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (iv) A description of efforts already 

2 underway in the State and that have been 

3 previously implemented to create jobs or 

4 avert layoffs, and a description of the suc5 cess elements and lessons learned that 

6 have informed each type of intervention 

7 that will be funded under the grant. 

8 (v) An identification of the State 

9 agency for fiscal and contract administra10 tion, and description of its management 

11 capacity. 

12 (vi) A description of how the State 

13 will collaborate with relevant State and 

14 local government agencies, non-profit enti15 ties, business and employer partners, and 

16 any other groups determined relevant by 

17 the State, and the roles and responsibilities 

18 of each such entity, which may include 

19 small business development entities, eco20 nomic development entities, job training 

21 entities, unemployment compensation enti22 ties, institutions of higher education (in23 cluding 2-year public institutions of higher 

24 education), labor unions, business associa25 tions, community-based organizations, and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
20 

•HR 8747 IH

1 American Job Centers and one-stop cen2 ters. 

3 (vii) How the State will leverage 

4 State, local, and private resources from 

5 partnering entities, including the entities 

6 described in clause (vi). 

7 (viii) A description of how the State 

8 will identify and prioritize individual work9 ers at risk of layoffs and employers or in10 dustry sectors with the most significant 

11 risks for decline and individual workers at 

12 risk of layoffs. 

13 (ix) A list of in-demand industry sec14 tors or occupations that will be the target 

15 of the interventions, and the corresponding 

16 recognized postsecondary credentials nec17 essary for workers to obtain jobs in such 

18 sectors or occupations, and how underrep19 resented populations and individuals with 

20 education and employment barriers will be 

21 supported to succeed in such sectors or oc22 cupations. 

23 (x) A description of the recognized 

24 postsecondary credentials necessary for 

25 workers to obtain in-demand high-quality 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
21 

•HR 8747 IH

1 jobs within targeted sectors or occupations, 

2 the corresponding education and training 

3 resources currently available to be lever4 aged, new education and training resources 

5 that must be developed, and the role of 

6 employers in helping to create the appro7 priate and adequate pipeline of workers 

8 with those credentials. 

9 (xi) A list of individuals and organiza10 tions, including roles and responsibilities, 

11 of each member of the State advisory 

12 council under title III. 

13 (xii) A description of how the State 

14 will prioritize access to high-quality jobs by 

15 establishing the standards of job quality 

16 that an employer is required to meet as a 

17 condition of receiving funds under this 

18 title, which are consistent with the min19 imum standards established by the Inter20 agency Task Force under section 304, and 

21 a description of such standards. 

22 (xiii) Any other information required 

23 by the Secretary. 

24 (C) SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS.— 

25 The Secretary shall establish a simplified appliVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Dec 22, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8747.IH H8747

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
22 

•HR 8747 IH

1 cation process for States that have received a 

2 planning grant under this title who are seeking 

3 to apply for an implementation grant. 

4 (2) GRANT AMOUNT.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara6 graph (B), an implementation grant under this 

7 title shall be made to a State in an amount that 

8 is not less than $5,000,000 and not more than 

9 $20,000,000. 

10 (B) ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—A State that is 

11 awarded an implementation grant under this 

12 section for piloting the following models may re13 ceive up to $5,000,000 in additional funds: 

14 (i) Establishing a State or local public 

15 holding company that invests and acquires 

16 ownership in distressed businesses to allow 

17 them to continue operating or reopen later. 

18 (ii) Piloting a model that seeks to im19 prove individual economic security through 

20 every stage of career life, particularly for 

21 workers who are left out of traditional un22 employment insurance, benefits, or worker 

23 training and retraining programs such as 

24 independent contractors, gig workers, busi25 ness owners, and individuals who are carVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Dec 22, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8747.IH H8747

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
23 

•HR 8747 IH

1 ing for dependents or otherwise not work2 ing outside of the home. This may include 

3 efforts to provide broader lifelong access to 

4 income support, access to pensions or re5 tirement savings accounts, health care ben6 efits, paid family leave, medical leave, and 

7 other fringe benefits. 

8 (iii) Establishing sector-based or 

9 labor-management governance boards with 

10 shared oversight over a worker support 

11 fund. Worker support funds may be used 

12 to provide ongoing training and retraining 

13 opportunities, income support during un14 employment, health insurance or other 

15 health and wellness benefits, flexible or 

16 compensation during alternative or flexible 

17 work schedules, paid sick leave or paid 

18 family leave, or other benefits as deter19 mined by the joint sector-based or worker20 management governing body. 

21 (3) PRIORITY.—In awarding implementation 

22 grants under this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 

23 with the Interagency Task Force, shall prioritize the 

24 following States: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
24 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (A) States that demonstrate the greatest 

2 need. 

3 (B) States that have the most thorough 

4 plans for deploying interventions. 

5 (C) States that prioritize individuals with 

6 barriers to employment, people of color, immi7 grants, youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, 

8 and/or people experiencing pandemic-related job 

9 displacement. 

10 (D) States that are committed to forging 

11 career pathways with employers that provide 

12 high-quality jobs (as defined by the State in 

13 section 102(b)(10)), or in a case in which the 

14 State does not submit a State plan under title 

15 I, as defined in accordance with the require16 ments of section 102(b)(10). 

17 (E) States that have the most thorough, 

18 actionable and achievable plans for deploying 

19 interventions, and present reliable and relevant 

20 evidence for the interventions chosen. 

21 (d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

22 (1) STATES.—Each State shall submit annual 

23 performance reports to the Secretary that dem24 onstrate how the grant-funded activities are per25 forming with respect to indicators of performance 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
25 

•HR 8747 IH

1 under section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innova2 tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

3 3141(b)(2)(A)), and the business satisfaction meas4 ures established by the Interagency Task Force es5 tablished under title IV. 

6 (2) SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall submit 

7 to Congress, a report— 

8 (A) on an annual basis, containing a sum9 mary of the reports submitted under paragraph 

10 (1); and 

11 (B) at the conclusion of each implementa12 tion grant period, the results of a rigorous, 

13 independent evaluation of the grants awarded 

14 under this title. 

15 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

16 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title, 

17 $250,000,000— 

18 (1) of which up to 70 percent may be used to 

19 award the first round of grants under subsection 

20 (a)(2)(A); and 

21 (2) of which any remaining funds shall be used 

22 to award a second round of grants under subsection 

23 (a)(2)(B). 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
26 

•HR 8747 IH

1 TITLE III—STATE GRANTEE 

2 ADVISORY COUNSEL 

3 SEC. 301. STATE GRANTEE ADVISOR COUNSEL. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each State that receives a grant 

5 under title I or title II shall establish a State grantee advi6 sory counsel. 

7 (b) MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The State board shall serve 

9 as the State grantee advisory council and shall over10 see and assess the performance of the activities car11 ried out under the grant received under title I or II. 

12 (2) OTHER ENTITIES.—Representatives of the 

13 following entities shall be invited to serve as a mem14 ber of the State grantee advisory council, if not a 

15 member of the State board: 

16 (A) The State workforce system. 

17 (B) The State unemployment compensa18 tion agency. 

19 (C) The State higher education system, in20 cluding 2-year public institutions of higher edu21 cation. 

22 (D) The State, local, or regional chambers 

23 of commerce. 

24 (E) Representatives of employer organiza25 tions. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
27 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (F) Representatives of labor organizations 

2 or joint labor-management organizations. 

3 (G) Community-based organizations. 

4 (H) An established State-based employee 

5 ownership center that offers education and 

6 technical assistance to retiring business owners, 

7 worker groups, entrepreneurs, or declining 

8 firms, for the purpose of using broad-based em9 ployee share ownership in the form of employee 

10 stock ownership plans, worker cooperatives, or 

11 employee ownership trusts, to allow worker 

12 groups to buy out businesses. 

13 (I) Any other member relevant to the ac14 tivities carried out by the State under the grant 

15 awarded under title I or II. 

16 TITLE IV—INTERAGENCY TASK 

17 FORCE 

18 SEC. 401. PURPOSES. 

19 Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 

20 of this Act, the Secretaries of Commerce and Labor (in 

21 this title referred to as the ‘‘Secretaries’’) shall, jointly, 

22 assemble a Federal interagency task force to— 

23 (1) identify any challenges that a State or local 

24 area receiving funds under this Act has had to over25 come; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
28 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (2) collect and disseminate best practices, and 

2 develop and recommend policies at the Federal level 

3 to support ongoing efforts to limit the impact of 

4 market disruptions on workers, employers, and in5 dustry sectors or occupations, particularly with re6 spect to individuals with barriers to employment, 

7 people of color, youth, immigrants, formerly incar8 cerated individuals, and people experiencing pan9 demic-related job displacement; 

10 (3) establish a framework for a State receiving 

11 a grant under this Act to measure employer satisfac12 tion with respect to activities funded under this Act; 

13 and 

14 (4) establish the minimum standards of job 

15 quality that an employer is required to meet as a 

16 condition of receiving assistance under this Act, 

17 which shall consider the following: 

18 (A) Whether the employer provides wages 

19 at or above the minimum living wage standards 

20 for States and localities determined by research 

21 centers at public or private non-profit institu22 tions of higher education or think tanks. Living 

23 wage models used by the Interagency Task 

24 Force must use a market-based approach that 

25 utilizes geographically specific expenditure data 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
29 

•HR 8747 IH

1 related to a household’s expected minimum 

2 food, child care, health insurance, housing, 

3 transportation, and other basic needs costs. 

4 (B) Whether the employer provides access 

5 to ongoing training and advancement opportu6 nities. 

7 (C) Whether the employer provides paid 

8 sick days, paid family leave, or paid medical 

9 leave or short-term disability leave. 

10 (D) Whether the employer provides ade11 quate hours and predictable schedules. 

12 SEC. 402. COMPOSITION. 

13 The Secretaries shall appoint the following individ14 uals to serve as members of the Task Force: 

15 (1) The Secretary of Labor. 

16 (2) The Administrator of the Economic Devel17 opment Administration of the Department of Com18 merce. 

19 (3) The Administrator of the Small Business 

20 Administration. 

21 (4) The Director of the Community Develop22 ment Financial Institutions Fund. 

23 (5) The Administrator of the Office of Career, 

24 Technical, and Adult Education of the Department 

25 of Education. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
30 

•HR 8747 IH

1 (6) The Administrator of the Office of Postsec2 ondary Education at the Department of Education. 

3 (7) A representative from the Employment and 

4 Training Administration. 

5 SEC. 403. MEETINGS. 

6 The Interagency Task Force shall meet at least on 

7 an annual basis until the date on which the Task Force 

8 is terminated to evaluate the activities being carried out 

9 by each State receiving a grant grantees under this Act 

10 and impact of those activities on employers, incumbent 

11 workers, and job-seekers, including the effectiveness of 

12 such activities— 

13 (1) in keeping workers employed in high-quality 

14 jobs; 

15 (2) helping workers transition smoothly to high16 quality in-demand jobs during economic disruption; 

17 (3) improving firm resiliency during economic 

18 disruption; and 

19 (4) expanding the number of jobs available in 

20 high-quality in-demand industry sectors and occupa21 tions. 

22 SEC. 404. REPORT. 

23 Not later than 1 year after the funds awarded under 

24 the final grant under this Act are expended, the Inter25 agency Task Force shall submit a report to Congress deVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Dec 22, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8747.IH H8747

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
31 

•HR 8747 IH

1 tailing recommendations for a Federal program based on 

2 the most promising practices carried out with the funds 

3 awarded under titles I and II. 

4 SEC. 405. SUNSET. 

5 The Interagency Task Force shall terminate after 

6 submitting its final report under section 404. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS