Workforce Training Enhancement Act of 2017

To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize a State to reimburse certain costs incurred by the State in providing training to workers after a petition for certification of eligibility for trade adjustment assistance has been filed, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Workforce Training Enhancement Act of 2017 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) The viability of the domestic steel industry is crucial to the United States economy and national security. (2) The steel and taconite iron mining industries have been severely impacted by the foreign dumping and overproduction of steel and are continually faced with unfair trade practices. (3) In 2014, United States imports of steel and steel products increased by 36 percent and captured 28 percent of the total United States steel market. In 2015, United States imports of steel and steel products continued to increase, and captured 29 percent of the total United States steel market. (4) In 1974, Congress enacted the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2101 19 U.S.C. 2271 (5) The trade adjustment assistance for workers program provides vital benefits and services to workers whose employment has been adversely affected by foreign trade. Those benefits and services include education and training, income support, relocation assistance, job search assistance, and the health coverage tax credit. (6) Since the inception of the trade adjustment assistance for workers program, more than 5,000,000 United States workers have been certified as eligible for benefits and services under the program. (7) As of September 30, 2015, the trade adjustment assistance for workers program had served more than 2,200,000 workers. (8) In fiscal year 2015, the Department of Labor certified 413 petitions for eligibility for the trade adjustment assistance for workers program, which provided access to trade adjustment assistance benefits for 57,631 workers. (9) In 2015, more than 13,000 new participants were enrolled in the trade adjustment assistance for workers program and the program provided services and benefits to more than 47,000 workers. (10) From fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2015, the average processing time for a petition under the trade adjustment assistance for workers program was 49.1 days and the average processing time for fiscal year 2015 was 47.2 days. (11) The trade adjustment assistance for workers program provides vital educational and training services to help trade-affected workers to acquire new skills and prepare for new employment. (12) In order to empower workers who have been adversely affected by foreign trade, States should have the option of providing the funding for vital educational and training programs for workers while their petitions for certifications of eligibility for trade adjustment assistance are pending. 3. Authorization of States to reimburse certain costs of providing training to workers after a petition for trade adjustment assistance is filed (a) In general Section 236(a)(6) of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(6) (C) (i) If the conditions described in clause (ii) are met, a State may use the funds distributed to the State under paragraph (2) to reimburse the costs of providing training to a worker before the worker is approved for training under paragraph (1) paid by— (I) the State from funds provided by the State; (II) the State or local workforce development areas within the State from funds available under subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3151 (III) an eligible entity under section 170 of that Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3225 (ii) The conditions described in this clause are met if— (I) as of the date of the reimbursement under clause (i) the worker is covered by a certification for eligibility under subchapter A; and (II) the training the costs of which are being reimbursed— (aa) commenced after the date on which the total or partial separations of the group of workers covered by the certification for eligibility began or threatened to begin; and (bb) meets the requirements for approval of training under paragraph (1). . (b) Conforming amendment Section 236(a)(4)(B) of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(4)(B) No Except as provided in paragraph (6)(C), no

Summary: Workforce Training Enhancement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Trade Act of 1974, with respect to trade adjustment assistance (TAA) for training to adversely affected workers, to authorize a state to use certain funds distributed by the Department of Labor to reimburse the costs of providing training to an adversely affected worker before the worker is approved for training under the Act if those costs have been paid by: the state from state funds, the state or local workforce development areas within the state from funds available for workforce investment activities and providers under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or another entity eligible in the state under the national dislocated worker grants program from funds available for that program. The use of funds under this Act shall be conditioned, however, on the worker's coverage by a certification for TAA eligibility for training meeting approval requirements which commenced after the date on which the total or partial separations of the group of workers covered by the certification for eligibility began or threatened to begin.