I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2611 

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare individuals 

with multiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce by providing 

such individuals with support services, job training, and education, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 21, 2011 

Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. POLIS, Mr. BACA, and Mr. 

PIERLUISI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare 

individuals with multiple barriers to employment to enter 

the workforce by providing such individuals with support 

services, job training, and education, 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 ‘‘Promoting Partner5 ships to Transform Opportunities Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

2 It is the purpose of this Act to provide resources to 

3 nonprofit organizations and minority-serving institutions 

4 to prepare individuals with multiple barriers to employ5 ment, especially underrepresented minorities, to enter the 

6 workforce by providing support services, job training, and 

7 education. 

8 SEC. 3. UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS. 

9 Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment Act 

10 of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 166 (29 

11 U.S.C. 2911), the following new section: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 166B. UNREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS. 

13 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 

14 support employment and training activities for individuals 

15 with multiple barriers to employment in order— 

16 ‘‘(1) to develop more fully the academic, occu17 pational, and literacy skills of such individuals; 

18 ‘‘(2) to make such individuals more competitive 

19 in the workforce; and 

20 ‘‘(3) to promote the economic and social devel21 opment of minority communities in accordance with 

22 the goals and values of such communities. 

23 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 

24 ‘‘(1) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

25 term ‘minority-serving institution’ means— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a historically Black college or univer2 sity; 

3 ‘‘(B) a Hispanic-serving Institution; 

4 ‘‘(C) a Tribal College or University; or 

5 ‘‘(D) a Predominantly Black Institution. 

6 ‘‘(2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI7 VERSITY.—The term ‘historically Black college or 

8 university’ has the meaning given the term ‘part B 

9 institution’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 

10 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 

11 ‘‘(3) HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

12 term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has the meaning 

13 given the term in section 502 of the Higher Edu14 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 

15 ‘‘(4) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

16 ‘nonprofit organization’ means a nonprofit organiza17 tion that focuses on preparing individuals with mul18 tiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce 

19 by providing such individuals with support services, 

20 job training, and education. 

21 ‘‘(5) PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION.— 

22 The term ‘Predominantly Black Institution’ has the 

23 meaning given the term in section 318 (20 U.S.C. 

24 1059e). 


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1 ‘‘(6) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The 

2 term ‘Tribal College or University’ has the meaning 

3 given the term in section 316 of the Higher Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c). 

5 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall, 

6 on a competitive basis, make grants to, or enter into con7 tracts or cooperative agreements with, nonprofit organiza8 tions in partnership with one or more minority-serving in9 stitutions to carry out the authorized activities described 

10 in subsection (d). 

11 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—A nonprofit organi12 zation in partnership with one or more minority-serving 

13 institutions receiving a grant, contract, or agreement 

14 under subsection (c) shall use such funds to serve individ15 uals with multiple barriers to employment by carrying out 

16 the following activities: 

17 ‘‘(1) Education services, including postsec18 ondary education, English as a second language 

19 courses, General Education Development prepara20 tion, financial literacy workshops, access to informa21 tion technology workshops and courses, Generational 

22 Diversity Awareness programs, and health and 

23 wellness programs. 

24 ‘‘(2) Activities that increase access to workforce 

25 services, including on-the-job training, internships, 


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1 skills training, job placement, financial literacy, and 

2 personal development. 

3 ‘‘(3) Additional support services, including 

4 health and nutrition services, housing assistance, 

5 transportation, child care, and clothing. 

6 ‘‘(e) PROGRAM PLAN.—In order to receive a grant 

7 or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement under 

8 this subsection (c), a nonprofit organization in partnership 

9 with one or more minority-serving institutions shall submit 

10 to the Secretary a program plan that describes a strategy 

11 for meeting the needs of individuals with multiple barriers 

12 to employment in the area served by such organization. 

13 Such plan shall— 

14 ‘‘(1) be consistent with the purpose of this sec15 tion; 

16 ‘‘(2) identify the population to be served; 

17 ‘‘(3) identify the education and employment 

18 needs of the population to be served and the manner 

19 in which the activities to be provided will strengthen 

20 the ability of the individuals served to obtain or re21 tain unsubsidized employment; 

22 ‘‘(4) describe the activities to be provided and 

23 the manner in which such activities are to be inte24 grated with other appropriate activities; and 


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1 ‘‘(5) describe, after the organization submitting 

2 the plan consults with the Secretary, the perform3 ance measures to be used to assess the performance 

4 of nonprofit organizations in carrying out the activi5 ties assisted under this section. 

6 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

8 necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 

9 2012 through 2016.’’. 

Æ 


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