I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5111 

To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to prioritize 

programs that provide evidence of performance. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 1, 2023 

Mrs. HOUCHIN (for herself, Mrs. MCCLAIN, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, Mr. 

BUCSHON, Mr. JAMES, Mr. BEAN of Florida, and Mr. LAWLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 

to prioritize programs that provide evidence of performance. 

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 ‘‘Prioritizing Evidence 

5 for Workforce Development Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PRIORITIZING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE EVI7 DENCE OF PERFORMANCE. 

8 Section 102 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor9 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (b)— 

2 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

3 (i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 

4 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 

5 (ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking 

6 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

7 and’’; and 

8 (iii) by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(F) a description of how the State plans 

11 to prioritize the funding of evidence-based pro12 grams for which evidence from a rigorous eval13 uation of the programs shows a positive effect 

14 on the target population for the programs, with 

15 highest priority given to programs that are 

16 high-evidence interventions, next priority given 

17 to programs that are moderate-evidence inter18 ventions, and next priority given to programs 

19 that are low-evidence interventions.’’; and 

20 (B) in paragraph (2)(C)— 

21 (i) in clause (vii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

22 after the semicolon; 

23 (ii) in clause (viii), by striking the pe24 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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•HR 5111 IH

1 (iii) by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(ix) how the State will prioritize the 

4 funding of evidence-based programs for 

5 which evidence from a rigorous evaluation 

6 of the programs shows a positive effect on 

7 the target population for the programs.’’; 

8 and 

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

10 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In subsection (b): 

11 ‘‘(1) EVIDENCE-BASED.—The term ‘evidence12 based’, used with respect to an activity, strategy, or 

13 other intervention, means a high-evidence, moderate14 evidence, or low-evidence intervention. 

15 ‘‘(2) HIGH-EVIDENCE.—The term ‘high-evi16 dence’, used with respect to an intervention, means 

17 an intervention that is shown to produce a sizable, 

18 sustained effect on important outcomes, in— 

19 ‘‘(A) two or more well-conducted experi20 mental studies carried out in typical community 

21 settings and conducted at different implementa22 tion sites; or 

23 ‘‘(B) one large multisite well-conducted ex24 perimental study carried out in such a setting. 


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1 ‘‘(3) LOW-EVIDENCE.—The term ‘low-evidence’, 

2 used with respect to an intervention, means an inter3 vention that is shown to produce or have the poten4 tial to produce a positive effect on important out5 comes, in a study based on a reasonable hypothesis 

6 and with credible research findings, such as a cor7 relational study with statistical controls for selection 

8 bias or descriptive research such as a case study. 

9 ‘‘(4) MODERATE-EVIDENCE.—The term ‘mod10 erate-evidence’, used with respect to an intervention, 

11 means an intervention that is shown to produce a 

12 positive effect, that is sizable but not yet conclusive, 

13 on important outcomes, in at least one well-con14 ducted experimental study, or in a rigorous quasi-ex15 perimental study from which a researcher can draw 

16 a causal conclusion regarding the intervention’s ef17 fectiveness. 

18 ‘‘(5) WELL-CONDUCTED EXPERIMENTAL

19 STUDY.—The term ‘well-conducted experimental 

20 study’ means an experimental study such as a study 

21 with randomized controlled trials.’’. 

Æ 


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