I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3972 
To provide effective training and education programs for displaced home-
makers, single parents, and individuals entering nontraditional employ-
ment. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2005 
Ms. HART (for herself and Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide effective training and education programs for 
displaced homemakers, single parents, and individuals 
entering nontraditional employment. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pathways Advancing 
Career Training Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 
assistance to States for preparatory services, education 
and training programs, supportive service assistance, and
referral services to displaced homemakers, single parents, 
and individuals pursuing high-skill, high-wage nontradi-
tional occupations. Such assistance will create workforce 
pathways for individuals in transition and help meet the 
employment needs of high-skilled, high-wage industries, 
including those facing significant skilled labor shortages. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) A high quality, productive, and diverse 
workforce is necessary to compete in the global econ-
omy. 
(2) There are approximately 21,000,000 dis-
placed homemakers and single parents in the United 
States for whom the pathway to employment and 
economic independence requires education and train-
ing services. 
(3) The education and training needs of dis-
placed homemakers, and single parents, and individ-
uals pursuing nontraditional occupations are not 
sufficiently met through existing systems. 
(4) Displaced homemakers and single parents 
represent an untapped resource to enter unfilled po-
sitions in the information technology sector, and 
these individuals represent an untapped resource to 
address the growing skilled labor shortage in the 
construction sector.
(5) Employment in information technology and 
high skill, high wage nontraditional careers offers 
wages and advancement opportunities to help fami-
lies achieve economic independence. 
(6) Vocational education programs continue to 
be highly sex-segregated resulting in a dearth of fe-
male students filling the pipeline for jobs in the 
growing high-skill high-wage labor market, especially 
in the areas of technology and the skilled trades. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Except as otherwise specified in this Act, as used in 
this Act: 
(1) COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a pub-
lic or private nonprofit organization of demonstrated 
effectiveness that— 
(A) is representative of a community or 
significant segments of a community; and 
(B) provides educational, preparatory or 
related services to individuals in the community. 
(2) DISPLACED HOMEMAKER.—The term ‘‘dis-
placed homemaker’’ means an individual who has 
been providing unpaid services to family members in 
the home and who—
(A) has been dependent on the income of 
another family member but is no longer sup-
ported by that income; and 
(B) is unemployed or underemployed and 
is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or up-
grading employment. 
(3) ELIGIBLE STATE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible State agency’’ means a State board designated 
or created as the State agency responsible for the 
administration of vocational education in the State. 
(4) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
recipient’’ means a community-based organization, 
an area vocational school, a local educational agency, 
a postsecondary vocational institution, or other enti-
ties that have demonstrated ability to meet the edu-
cation and training needs of displaced homemakers, 
single parents and students in secondary and post-
secondary programs preparing for high-skill, high- 
wage nontraditional training and employment. 
(5) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 14101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801). 
(6) 
NONTRADITIONAL
EMPLOYMENT.—The 
term ‘‘nontraditional employment,’’ refers to occupa-
tions or fields of work for which individuals from 
one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the in-
dividuals employed in each such occupation or field 
of work. 
(7) PREPARATORY SERVICES.—The term ‘‘pre-
paratory services’’ means services, programs, or ac-
tivities designed to assist individuals who are not en-
rolled in education or training programs in the selec-
tion of, or preparation for participation in, an appro-
priate education or training program, such as— 
(A) services, programs, or activities related 
to outreach in the recruitment of potential stu-
dents; 
(B) career and personal counseling and life 
skills development; 
(C) vocational assessment and testing; 
(D) pre-vocational services, including reme-
diation, pre-apprenticeship assistance and other 
services to prepare individuals to succeed in vo-
cational studies in high-skill, high-wage non-
traditional fields; and 
(E) other appropriate services, programs, 
or activities. 
(8) POSTSECONDARY
VOCATIONAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘postsecondary vocation institu-
tion’’ has the same meaning given such term in sec-
tion 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1002(C)). 
(9) SECONDARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801). 
(10) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Education. 
(11) SELF-SUFFICIENCY STANDARD.—The term 
‘‘self-sufficiency standard’’ is a measure of how 
much income families need to cover their basic costs 
without subsidies. It uses a consistent methodology 
that calculates the costs of living and working (in-
cluding taxes) based upon sub-state geographic loca-
tion, family size, and composition. 
(12) SINGLE PARENT.—The term ‘‘single par-
ent’’ means an individual who is unmarried and— 
(A) has a minor child or children for which 
the parent has either custody or joint custody; 
or 
(B) is pregnant. 
(13) SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.—The term ‘‘sup-
portive services’’ means services such as transpor-
tation, child care, dependent care, and needs based
payment, that are necessary to enable an individual 
to participate in education and training activities. 
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide 
grants to States to enable such States to develop or en-
hance programs described in section 8. 
SEC. 5. ALLOCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall allot funds to 
the States under this Act based on the ratio of the popu-
lation between the ages of 16 and 64 of each State to 
the total population between the ages of 16 and 64 in all 
of the States. 
(b) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds provided 
under this Act shall be used to supplement not supplant 
other Federal, State, and local public funds expended to 
provide services to displaced homemakers, single parents, 
and students pursuing high-skill, high-wage nontraditional 
occupations. 
SEC. 6. STATE PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible State agency shall 
prepare and submit to the Secretary a plan for a 5-year 
period, together with such annual revisions as the eligible 
State agency determines to be necessary. 
(b) REVISIONS AND REVIEW.—Each eligible State 
agency shall—
(1) submit such annual revisions of the plan to 
the Secretary as the eligible State agency determines 
to be necessary; and 
(2) after the second year of the 5-year State 
plan, conduct a review of activities assisted under 
this Act and submit any revisions of the State plan 
that the eligible State agency determines necessary 
to the Secretary. 
(c) PLAN DEVELOPMENT.—The eligible State agency 
shall develop the State plan in consultation with experts, 
students in displaced homemaker, single parent, and non-
traditional training programs, and any other individual 
the State considers necessary. 
(d) PLAN CONTENTS.—The State plan shall include 
information that— 
(1) describes the preparatory services and voca-
tional education activities to be assisted that are de-
signed to assist single parents, displaced home-
makers, and students pursuing high-skill, high-wage 
nontraditional training and employment; 
(2) describes the process for soliciting competi-
tive applications and the criteria that will be used by 
the eligible State agency in awarding eligible recipi-
ents funds under this Act;
(3) describes how comprehensive professional 
development will be provided; 
(4) describes how the eligible State agency 
will— 
(A) annually evaluate the effectiveness of 
such programs; and 
(B) coordinate such programs to ensure 
non-duplication with other existing Federal pro-
grams; 
(5) provides assurances that the eligible State 
agency will comply with the requirements of this Act 
and the provisions of the State plan, including the 
provision of a financial audit of funds received under 
this Act which may be included as part of an audit 
of other Federal or State programs; 
(6) provides assurances that none of the funds 
expended under this Act will be used to acquire 
equipment (including computer software) in any in-
stance in which such acquisition results in a direct 
financial benefit to any organization representing 
the interests of the purchasing entity, the employees 
of the purchasing entity, or any affiliate of such an 
organization;
(7) describes how the eligible State agency will 
measure and report the progress of the students who 
are served pursuant to this Act, including— 
(A) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s participation in and completion of a vo-
cational education program; 
(B) students’ participation in and comple-
tion of vocational education programs that lead 
to high-skill, high-wage nontraditional training 
and employment; 
(C) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s attainment of a secondary school di-
ploma or its recognized equivalent; 
(D) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s placement in postsecondary education 
or advanced training, placement in military 
service, or placement in employment; 
(E) student placement in high-skill, high- 
wage nontraditional employment; and 
(F) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s participation in and completion of voca-
tional education programs that will prepare 
them to earn wages equal to or greater than 
that determined by the self sufficiency stand-
ard;
(8) describes how the eligible State agency will 
provide eligible recipients with technical assistance, 
and conduct other technical assistance activities de-
scribed in section 9; and 
(9) describes the methods proposed for the joint 
planning and coordination of programs carried out 
under this Act with other Federal programs. 
(e) PLAN OPTION.—The eligible State agency may 
fulfill the requirements of subsection (d) by submitting a 
plan under section 123 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational 
and Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2343). 
(f) PLAN APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall consider 
a plan or revision of a State plan approved, unless the 
Secretary determines, within 120 days of submission, that 
the State plan, or revision, respectively, does not meet the 
requirements of this section. 
SEC. 7. ACCOUNTABILITY. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to es-
tablish activities, in coordination with the State perform-
ance accountability system, to assess the effectiveness of 
the State in achieving progress of vocational education in 
serving single parents, displaced homemakers and individ-
uals pursuing nontraditional training and employment, 
and to maximize the return on investment of Federal 
funds.
(b) CORE INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE.—Each eli-
gible State agency shall identify in the State plan the proc-
ess used to collect data on the core indicators of perform-
ance from eligible recipients that include, at a minimum, 
measures of each of the following: 
(1) Participation and completion in a pre-
paratory services program. 
(2) Participation in and completion of voca-
tional education programs that lead to high-skill, 
high-wage nontraditional training and employment. 
(3) Attainment of a secondary school diploma 
or its recognized equivalent, a proficiency credential 
in conjunction with a secondary school diploma, or 
a postsecondary degree or credential. 
(4) Placement in, retention in, and completion 
of, postsecondary education or advanced training, 
placement in military service, or placement or reten-
tion in employment. 
(5) Placement and retention in high-skill, high- 
wage nontraditional employment. 
An eligible agency, with input from eligible recipients, may 
identify in the State plan additional indicators of perform-
ance for vocational education activities authorized under 
this Act, such as attainment of self-sufficiency.
(c) ANNUAL REPORT BY STATE AGENCY.—Each eli-
gible State agency shall transmit to the Secretary an an-
nual report of data compiled in accordance with section 
7(b) disaggregated by gender, race, age, disability, na-
tional origin, ethnicity, and English proficiency status. 
Each eligible State agency shall also report on technical 
assistance delivered under section 9. The eligible State 
agency may fulfill the requirements of reporting for core 
indications in paragraphs (2) through (5) of subsection 
(b) by submitting a report under section 113(c)(2) of the 
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act 
of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2324). 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT
OF
THE SECRETARY.—The 
Secretary shall transmit to Congress annually a national 
report that describes the extent to which the purposes of 
the Act are being achieved. The Secretary’s report shall 
include individual state annual reports and a compilation 
of those state reports with national data disaggregated by 
gender, race, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, and 
English proficiency status. 
SEC. 8. PROGRAMS FOR SINGLE PARENTS, DISPLACED 
HOMEMAKERS, AND NONTRADITIONAL EM-
PLOYMENT. 
Except as provided in section 8(a), each State may 
use funds provided under section 9 only to—
(1) provide programs for single parents and dis-
placed homemakers, including— 
(A) subsidies, reimbursement, tuition as-
sistance, or payment for preparatory services, 
necessary 
educational 
materials 
(including 
books and supplies), career guidance and coun-
seling services, and supportive services; 
(B) information to inform individuals of 
vocational education and training programs, re-
lated supportive services, and counseling; and 
(C) program services, counseling, and ac-
tivities to prepare individuals to attain market-
able skills for employment that will lead to eco-
nomic self-sufficiency; 
(2) provide programs for individuals pursuing 
high-skill, high-wage nontraditional training and em-
ployment, including— 
(A) programs, preparatory services, coun-
seling, mentoring, tuition assistance and activi-
ties that will provide individuals with the skills 
to pursue education and training in high-skill, 
high-wage nontraditional careers, including in-
formation technology and other high skill and 
high wage careers;
(B) programs services, counseling, profes-
sional development, and activities to— 
(i) increase awareness of nontradi-
tional occupations; and 
(ii) to ensure a fair and respectful 
learning environment for all vocational 
education students, particularly those pre-
paring for nontraditional employment; and 
(C) replicable model programs and mate-
rials that increase participation, completion, 
and placement rates of individuals in high-skill, 
high-wage nontraditional employment. 
SEC. 9. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION AND ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) RESERVATION FOR STATE ACTIVITIES.—From 
the amounts allocated under section 5, not more than 5 
percent shall be reserved for State administration. 
(b) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Each eligible State 
agency receiving funds made available under section 5(a), 
shall match, from non-Federal sources and on a dollar- 
for-dollar basis, the funds received under section 9. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Any State desiring to partici-
pate in a program authorized by this Act shall assign not 
less than one individual within the appropriate agency es-
tablished to administer vocational education programs
within the State to assist in fulfilling the purposes of this 
Act by— 
(1) administering the program of vocational 
education described in section 8; 
(2) gathering, analyzing, and disseminating 
data on the adequacy and effectiveness of vocational 
education programs in the State as described in sec-
tion 7; 
(3) developing the State plan described in sec-
tion 6; 
(4) providing technical assistance and profes-
sional development in expanding vocational opportu-
nities for single parents and displaced homemakers, 
and building institutional capacity to increase indi-
vidual’s access to and success in high-skill, high- 
wage nontraditional occupations, including— 
(A) training of staff, including guidance 
counselors, academic advisors, training coordi-
nators, teachers and instructors; 
(B) public education and marketing mate-
rials; 
(C) development of institutional and cross- 
agency protocols and policies; 
(D) tracking of utilization and impact of 
policies and activities;
(E) participation in statewide coordination 
activities with other agencies; and 
(F) development of curriculum; 
(5) managing the distribution of funds pursu-
ant to section 6; 
(6) monitoring the use of funds distributed to 
recipients under such programs; and 
(7) evaluating the effectiveness of programs and 
activities supported by such funds. 
(d) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.—The Administrators as-
signed under subsection (c) shall— 
(1) on a competitive basis, provide grants to eli-
gible recipients; and 
(2) ensure that each grant is for a program 
that is of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be ef-
fective. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act, $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and such sums 
as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
years. 
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