I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4758 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to create a searchable database containing 

a credentials registry, a skills database, and a jobs bank. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 29, 2014 

Mr. CARNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to create a searchable 

database containing a credentials registry, a skills database, and a jobs bank. 

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 ‘‘Skills Connection Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. CREATION OF SEARCHABLE DATABASE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall 

8 create a publicly available, easily navigable, and searchable 

9 database containing the following: 


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1 (1) A registry of credentials (which may be cer2 tificates), for purposes of enabling programs that 

3 lead to such a credential to receive priority under a 

4 covered provision. 

5 (2) A skills database, for purposes of enabling 

6 programs that lead to such a credential to receive 

7 priority under a covered provision. 

8 (3) A jobs bank. 

9 (b) CREDENTIALS REGISTRY.—In creating a registry 

10 of credentials, the Secretary shall— 

11 (1) list the credential in the registry if the cre12 dential is required by Federal or State law for an oc13 cupation (such as a credential required by a State 

14 law regarding qualifications for a health care occu15 pation); 

16 (2) list the credential, and list an updated cre17 dential, in the registry if the credential involved is 

18 an industry-recognized, nationally portable credential 

19 that is consistent with the Secretary’s established in20 dustry competency models and is consistently up21 dated through third party validation to reflect 

22 changing industry competencies; and 

23 (3) for each credential listed in the registry, 

24 provide an assessment of which skills listed in the 

25 skills database created under subsection (c) align 


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1 with or are related to the requirements of the cre2 dential. 

3 (c) SKILLS DATABASE.—In creating a skills data4 base, the Secretary shall— 

5 (1) list identifiable skills that are required for 

6 employment in the manufacturing sector, as deter7 mined by the Secretary— 

8 (A) by using Manufacturing Institute-En9 dorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification Sys10 tem or similar resource; or 

11 (B) by consulting with an organization 

12 similar to the Manufacturing Institute; 

13 (2) after consultation with the Manufacturing 

14 Institute or similar organization and representatives 

15 of the Armed Forces list identifiable skills developed 

16 through service in the Armed Forces; and 

17 (3) for each skill listed under paragraphs (1) 

18 and (2), include information about how that skill 

19 aligns with or is related to the requirements for the 

20 credentials listed under the credentials registry cre21 ated under subsection (b). 

22 (d) JOBS BANK.—In creating a jobs bank, the Sec23 retary shall— 

24 (1) enable job seekers to— 


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1 (A) enter basic information through the 

2 statewide employment statistics system estab3 lished under section 15 of the Wagner-Peyser 

4 Act (29 U.S.C. 49l–2) for their State of resi5 dence about their skills, experience, credentials, 

6 and preferred area of employment; and 

7 (B) browse job listings submitted by em8 ployers to such jobs bank that match the cre9 dentials, experience, or other qualifications en10 tered under subparagraph (A); 

11 (2) automatically match available jobs with job 

12 seekers who have matching qualifications; and 

13 (3) enable information relating to shortages in 

14 certain skills or credentials available to be utilized by 

15 State workforce investment board established under 

16 section 111 of the Workforce Investment Board of 

17 1998 (29 U.S.C. 49j) and others to inform decisions 

18 about how to allocate workforce development re19 sources. 

20 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

21 shall be construed— 

22 (1) to require an entity with responsibility for 

23 selecting or approving an education, training, or 

24 workforce investment activities program with regard 

25 to a covered provision, to select a program with a 


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1 credential listed in the registry described in sub2 section (b); or 

3 (2) to be an endorsement of a skill listed under 

4 the skills database described in subsection (c) by the 

5 Secretary of Labor or the Federal Government. 

6 (f) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—For each fiscal year, 

7 funds shall be available from the amount appropriated for 

8 each such fiscal year for the Workforce Innovation Fund 

9 established under section 1801(a)(3) of title VIII of divi10 sion B of Public Law 112–10 for the costs of carrying 

11 out the provisions of this Act. 

12 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) ARMED FORCES.—The term ‘‘Armed 

14 Forces’’ means the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Ma15 rine Corps. 

16 (2) COVERED PROVISION.—The term ‘‘covered 

17 provision’’ means any of sections 129 and 134 of the 

18 Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854, 

19 2864), section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D. Perkins 

20 Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 

21 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)), and section 236 of the Trade 

22 Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296). 

23 (3) INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL.—The 

24 term ‘‘industry-recognized’’, used with respect to a 

25 credential, means a credential that— 


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1 (A) is sought or accepted by companies 

2 within the industry sector involved as recog3 nized, preferred, or required for recruitment, 

4 screening, or hiring; and 

5 (B) is endorsed by a nationally recognized 

6 trade association or organization representing a 

7 significant part of the industry sector. 

8 (4) NATIONALLY PORTABLE.—The term ‘‘na9 tionally portable’’, used with respect to a credential, 

10 means a credential that is sought or accepted by 

11 companies within the industry sector involved, across 

12 multiple States, as recognized, preferred, or required 

13 for recruitment, screening, or hiring. 

14 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of Labor. 

16 (6) WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES.— 

17 The term ‘‘workforce investment activities’’ has the 

18 meaning given the term in section 101 of the Work19 force Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801). 

Æ 


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