I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3234 

To establish a demonstration project to train unemployed workers for 

employment as health care professionals, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 16, 2009 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a demonstration project to train unemployed 

workers for employment as health care professionals, 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 ‘‘Community-Based 

5 Health Care Retraining Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING DEMONSTRATION 

2 PROJECT. 

3 Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 

4 (29 U.S.C. 2916) is amended by adding at the end the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(f) HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING DEMONSTRA7 TION PROJECT.— 

8 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection the fol9 lowing definitions apply: 

10 ‘‘(A) COVERED COMMUNITY.—The term 

11 ‘covered community’ means a community or re12 gion— 

13 ‘‘(i) that has experienced a significant 

14 percentage decline in rates of employment; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(ii)(I) that is determined by the Sec17 retary of Health and Human Services (in 

18 consultation with the medical community) 

19 to be an area with a shortage of health 

20 care professionals described in subpara21 graph (C)(i); or 

22 ‘‘(II) that is underserved by the 

23 health care structure, such as a rural com24 munity, a community with a significant mi25 nority population, or a community for 

26 which an applicant can otherwise demVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:27 Jul 17, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3234.IH H3234

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1 onstrate need for increased training for 

2 health care professionals. 

3 ‘‘(B) COVERED WORKER.—The term ‘cov4 ered worker’ means an individual who— 

5 ‘‘(i)(I) has been terminated or laid 

6 off, or who has received a notice of termi7 nation or layoff; 

8 ‘‘(II)(aa) is eligible for or has ex9 hausted entitlement to unemployment com10 pensation; or 

11 ‘‘(bb) has been employed for a dura12 tion sufficient to demonstrate, to the ap13 propriate entity at a one-stop center re14 ferred to in section 134(c), attachment to 

15 the workforce, but is not eligible for unem16 ployment compensation due to insufficient 

17 earnings or having performed services for 

18 an employer that were not covered under a 

19 State unemployment compensation law; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(III) is unlikely to return to a pre22 vious industry or occupation; 

23 ‘‘(ii)(I) has been terminated or laid 

24 off, or has received a notice of termination 

25 or layoff, as a result of any permanent cloVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:27 Jul 17, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3234.IH H3234

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1 sure of, or any substantial layoff at, a 

2 plant, facility, or enterprise; or 

3 ‘‘(II) is employed at a facility at 

4 which the employer has made a general an5 nouncement that such facility will close 

6 within 180 days; or 

7 ‘‘(iii) is an incumbent worker em8 ployed in a health care profession, and 

9 whose training will provide an opportunity 

10 for employment of other individuals by in11 creasing— 

12 ‘‘(I) the number of instructors 

13 serving the covered community; or 

14 ‘‘(II) the number of vacant posi15 tions in the covered community. 

16 ‘‘(C) HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.—The 

17 term ‘health care professional’— 

18 ‘‘(i) means an individual who is in19 volved with— 

20 ‘‘(I) the delivery of health care 

21 services, or related services, pertaining 

22 to— 

23 ‘‘(aa) the identification, 

24 evaluation, management, and 


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1 prevention of diseases, disorders, 

2 or injuries; or 

3 ‘‘(bb) home-based or com4 munity-based long-term care; 

5 ‘‘(II) the delivery of dietary and 

6 nutrition services; 

7 ‘‘(III) the delivery of dental serv8 ices; or 

9 ‘‘(IV) rehabilitation and health 

10 systems management; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) includes individuals in health 

12 care professions for which there is a short13 age in the community involved, as deter14 mined by the Secretary of Health and 

15 Human Services (in consultation with the 

16 medical community) or as otherwise dem17 onstrated by the applicant. 

18 ‘‘(D) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.— 

19 The term ‘tribal college or university’ means a 

20 Tribal College or University, as defined in sec21 tion 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 

22 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

23 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT.—In ac24 cordance with subsection (b), the Secretary shall esVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:27 Jul 17, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3234.IH H3234

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1 tablish and carry out a health professions training 

2 demonstration project. 

3 ‘‘(3) GRANTS.—In carrying out the project, the 

4 Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of 

5 Health and Human Services, shall make grants to 

6 eligible entities to pay for the Federal share of the 

7 cost of enabling the entities to carry out programs 

8 in covered communities to train covered workers for 

9 employment as health care professionals (referred to 

10 in this subsection as ‘training programs’). The Sec11 retary shall make each grant in an amount of not 

12 less than $100,000 and not more than $500,000, 

13 and each such grant shall be for a period of 5 years. 

14 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Notwithstanding 

15 subsection (b)(2)(B), to be eligible to receive a grant 

16 under this subsection to carry out a training pro17 gram in a covered community, an entity shall be a 

18 partnership that consists of— 

19 ‘‘(A) a local workforce investment board 

20 established under section 117 that is serving 

21 the covered community; and 

22 ‘‘(B) an institution of higher education, as 

23 defined in sections 101 and 102 of the Higher 

24 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002), 

25 in partnership with at least 1 of the following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) A health clinic or hospital. 

2 ‘‘(ii) A home-based or community3 based long-term care facility or program. 

4 ‘‘(iii) A health care facility adminis5 tered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

6 ‘‘(iv) A tribal college or university. 

7 ‘‘(v) A labor organization, or an in8 dustry or industry group. 

9 ‘‘(vi) A local economic development 

10 entity serving the covered community. 

11 ‘‘(vii) A joint labor-management part12 nership. 

13 ‘‘(5) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a 

14 grant under this subsection, an entity shall submit 

15 an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 

16 manner, and containing such information as the Sec17 retary may require, including, at a minimum— 

18 ‘‘(A) a proposal to use the grant funds to 

19 establish or expand a training program in order 

20 to train covered workers for employment as 

21 health care professionals, including information 

22 that demonstrates the long-term viability of the 

23 training program beyond the period of the 

24 grant; 


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1 ‘‘(B) information demonstrating the need 

2 for the training and support services to be pro3 vided through the training program; 

4 ‘‘(C) information describing the manner in 

5 which the entity will expend the grant funds, 

6 and the activities to be carried out with the 

7 funds; 

8 ‘‘(D) information demonstrating that the 

9 entity meets the requirements of paragraph (4); 

10 ‘‘(E) with respect to training programs 

11 carried out by the applicant, information— 

12 ‘‘(i) on the graduation rates of the 

13 training programs involved; 

14 ‘‘(ii) on the retention measures car15 ried out by the applicant; 

16 ‘‘(iii) on the length of time necessary 

17 to complete the training programs of the 

18 applicant; and 

19 ‘‘(iv) on the number of qualified cov20 ered workers that are refused admittance 

21 into the training programs because of lack 

22 of capacity; and 

23 ‘‘(F) a description of how the applicant 

24 has engaged all relevant stakeholders, including 

25 the health care industry to be served by the 


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1 training program, local labor organizations and 

2 other workforce groups, and local industry, in 

3 the design of the training program to be served 

4 with grant funds. 

5 ‘‘(6) SELECTION.—In making grants under 

6 paragraph (3), the Secretary, after consultation with 

7 the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

8 shall— 

9 ‘‘(A) consider the information submitted by 

10 the eligible entities under paragraph (5)(E); 

11 ‘‘(B) select— 

12 ‘‘(i) eligible entities submitting appli13 cations that meet such criteria as the Sec14 retary of Labor determines to be appro15 priate; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) among such entities, the eligible 

17 entities serving the covered communities 

18 with the greatest need for the grants and 

19 the greatest potential to benefit from the 

20 grants; and 

21 ‘‘(C) give preference to eligible entities— 

22 ‘‘(i) submitting applications to serve 

23 covered workers who have been terminated 

24 or laid off or have received a notice of ter25 mination or layoff from a manufacturing, 


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1 service, or construction industry, or an2 other industry with significant decline in 

3 employment as determined by the Sec4 retary; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) with a demonstrated history of 

6 similar and successful partnerships with 

7 State boards or local boards, institutions of 

8 higher education (as defined in paragraph 

9 (4)(B)), industry groups, and labor organi10 zations. 

11 ‘‘(7) USE OF FUNDS.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An entity that re13 ceives a grant under this subsection shall use 

14 the funds made available through the grant for 

15 training and support services that meet the 

16 needs described in the application submitted 

17 under paragraph (5), which may include— 

18 ‘‘(i) implementing training programs 

19 for covered workers; 

20 ‘‘(ii) providing support services for 

21 covered workers participating in the train22 ing programs, such as— 

23 ‘‘(I) providing tuition assistance; 

24 ‘‘(II) establishing or expanding 

25 distance education programs; 


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1 ‘‘(III) providing transportation 

2 assistance; or 

3 ‘‘(IV) providing child care; or 

4 ‘‘(iii) increasing capacity, subject to 

5 subparagraph (B), at an educational insti6 tution or training center to train individ7 uals for employment as health profes8 sionals, such as by— 

9 ‘‘(I) expanding a facility, subject 

10 to subparagraph (B); 

11 ‘‘(II) expanding course offerings; 

12 ‘‘(III) hiring faculty; 

13 ‘‘(IV) providing a student loan 

14 repayment program for the faculty; 

15 ‘‘(V) establishing or expanding 

16 clinical education opportunities; 

17 ‘‘(VI) purchasing equipment, 

18 such as computers, books, clinical 

19 supplies, or a patient simulator; or 

20 ‘‘(VII) conducting recruitment. 

21 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—Any such grant funds 

22 that are used to expand facilities may only be 

23 used to rent or modernize existing facilities, not 

24 to build additional facilities. The entity shall 

25 use not less than 50 percent of the grant funds 


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1 to carry out activities described in clause (i) or 

2 (ii) of subparagraph (A), unless the entity dem3 onstrates, in the application submitted under 

4 paragraph (5), a need to spend more than 50 

5 percent of the grant funds on activities de6 scribed in subparagraph (A)(iii). 

7 ‘‘(8) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of 

9 the cost described in paragraph (3) shall be— 

10 ‘‘(i) for the first year of the grant pe11 riod, 95 percent; 

12 ‘‘(ii) for the second such year, 85 per13 cent; 

14 ‘‘(iii) for the third such year, 75 per15 cent; 

16 ‘‘(iv) for the fourth such year, 65 per17 cent; and 

18 ‘‘(v) for the fifth such year, 55 per19 cent. 

20 ‘‘(B) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The eligible 

21 entity shall provide the non-Federal share of 

22 the cost in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, in23 cluding plant, equipment, or services. 

24 ‘‘(9) EVALUATION.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the Secretary’s 

2 existing authority under section 172, not more 

3 than 1 percent of the funds provided under this 

4 subsection shall be used for evaluation of the 

5 training programs described in paragraph (3). 

6 Eligible entities receiving grants under this sec7 tion shall use not more than 1 percent of the 

8 grant funds for purposes of evaluation or docu9 mentation of the training programs. 

10 ‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—In conducting an eval11 uation under subparagraph (A), an eligible enti12 ty shall provide data detailing the success of the 

13 training program carried out by the entity 

14 under paragraph (3), including— 

15 ‘‘(i) information on the number and 

16 percentage of participating covered work17 ers who complete a training program, in18 cluding those who earn a degree or certifi19 cate through such training programs; 

20 ‘‘(ii) information on the rate of em21 ployment of covered workers who have 

22 completed the training program; 

23 ‘‘(iii) an assessment of how well the 

24 needs of the health care community were 

25 addressed by the training program; and 


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1 ‘‘(iv) any other data determined to be 

2 relevant by the entity to demonstrate the 

3 success of the training program. 

4 ‘‘(C) REPORT.—The Secretary shall com5 pile the information resulting from the evalua6 tion or documentation conducted under sub7 paragraph (A), and shall submit a report to 

8 Congress containing the information. 

9 ‘‘(10) FUNDING.—Of the amounts appropriated 

10 to, and available at the discretion of, the Secretary 

11 or the Secretary of Health and Human Services for 

12 programmatic and administrative expenditures, a 

13 total of $25,000,000 shall be used to establish and 

14 carry out the demonstration project described in 

15 paragraph (2) in accordance with this subsection.’’. 

Æ 


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