I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1992
To amend and improve the workforce investment and adult education systems 
of the Nation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Ms. SOLIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend and improve the workforce investment and adult 
education systems of the Nation.
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 ‘‘Expand Access to Job 
Training for English Language Learners Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Approximately 17.8 million adults in the 
United States have limited proficiency in English.
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(2) Approximately 90 million adults in the 
United States are reading at levels that are insuffi-
cient to allow them to participate fully in the econ-
omy and to obtain new skills necessary for success. 
(3) A significant contributor to low literacy is 
limited English speaking and reading ability. 
(4) Individuals with limited English proficiency 
are the fastest growing segment of the adult edu-
cation, language, and literacy system. 
(5) Simultaneous courses in English language 
instruction in combination with civics education goes 
a long way toward meeting the needs of English lan-
guage learners. 
(6) Lack of English proficiency and a lack of 
understanding of civics and United States institu-
tions are a significant barriers to obtaining training 
and employment. 
(7) English language learners make up nearly 
50 percent of those enrolled in federally funded 
adult education programs. 
(8) The concentration of English language 
learners across the United States is not uniform, 
leaving some States with a far greater need to pro-
vide English as a second language services than oth-
ers.
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(9) New immigrants accounted for 50 percent 
of the growth in the civilian labor force between 
1990 and 2001. 
(10) Immigrants who are fluent in oral and 
written English earn approximately 24 percent more 
than those who lack fluency, regardless of vocational 
qualifications. 
(11) Current workforce development policies 
and programs have been ineffective in serving immi-
grants and persons who are limited English pro-
ficient. 
(12) Programs that integrate skills and training 
and language acquisition have demonstrated remark-
able employment outcomes. 
TITLE 
I—AMENDMENTS 
TO 
WORKFORCE 
INVESTMENT 
SYSTEMS 
SEC. 101. INTENSIVE AND TRAINING SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 134(d) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (3)(A)(i) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(i) who have been determined by a 
one-stop operator to be in need of more in-
tensive services in order to obtain employ-
ment; or’’;
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(2) by amending paragraph (3)(C)(vi) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(vi) Short-term prevocational serv-
ices, including development of learning 
skills, communication skills, English lit-
eracy skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, 
personal maintenance skills, and profes-
sional conduct to prepare individuals for 
unsubsidized employment or training.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (4)(A) by striking clause (i) 
and redesignating clauses (ii) through (v) as clauses 
(i) through (iv) respectively; 
(4) by amending paragraph (4)(D)(i) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(i) occupational skills training, in-
cluding training for nontraditional employ-
ment and bilingual occupational training;’’; 
and 
(5) by amending paragraph (4)(D)(viii) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(viii) adult education, English as a 
Second Language, and literacy activities 
provided in combination with services de-
scribed in any of the clauses (i) through 
(vii); and’’.
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(b) INCENTIVE GRANTS.—Section 503(a) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on July 1, 2000, the 
Secretary shall award a grant to each State that—
‘‘(1) exceeds the State adjusted levels of per-
formance for title I, the expected levels of perform-
ance for title II, and the levels of performance under 
Public Law 88–210 (as amended; 20 U.S.C. 2301 et 
seq.) for the purpose of carrying out an innovative 
program consistent wit the requirements of any one 
or more of the programs within title I, title II, or 
such Public Law, respectively; and 
‘‘(2) funds programs that integrate occupa-
tional skills training and language acquisition.’’. 
(c) ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.—Section 101(31)(B) is 
amended by inserting ‘‘or a reimbursement of up to 100 
percent of the wage rate of a participant who has limited 
English proficiency and for whom the employer is pro-
viding training that integrates occupational skills and lan-
guage acquisition’’ after ‘‘wage rate of the participant,’’. 
SEC. 102. PERFORMANCE MEASURES. 
(a) 
LEVELS
OF
PERFORMANCE.—Section 
136(b)(3)(A)(iv)(II) is amended by inserting ‘‘including 
their level of English proficiency’’ after ‘‘entered the pro-
gram’’.
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(b) PERFORMANCE AND COST INFORMATION.—Sec-
tion 122(d)(3) is amended by adding after subparagraph 
(B) the following: 
‘‘(C) ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LIT-
ERACY ACT REQUIREMENTS..—The local board 
and the designated State agency described in 
subsection (i) may accept program-specific per-
formance information consistent with the re-
quirements for eligibility under the Adult and 
Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9212) from a 
provider for the purpose of enabling the pro-
vider to fulfill the applicable requirements of 
this subsection, if such information is substan-
tially similar to the information otherwise re-
quired under this subsection.’’. 
(c) INTEGRATED
TRAINING
PROGRAMS.—Section 
122(h) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘OR CUS-
TOMIZED TRAINING’’ and inserting ‘‘, CUSTOMIZED 
TRAINING, OR INTEGRATED TRAINING’’ ; and 
(2) in paragraphs (1) and (2) by striking ‘‘or 
customized training’’ and inserting ‘‘, customized 
training, or integrated training’’. 
(d) DEFINITION.—Section 101 is amended by redes-
ignating paragraphs (18) through (53) as paragraphs (19)
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through (54), respectively and by inserting after para-
graph (17) the following: 
‘‘(18) INTEGRATED TRAINING.—The term ‘inte-
grated training’ means training that combines occu-
pational skills with language acquisition.’’. 
SEC. 103. DEMONSTRATION, PILOT, MULTISERVICE, RE-
SEARCH, AND MULTISTATE PROJECTS. 
(a) DEMONSTRATION AND PILOT PROJECTS.—Sec-
tion 171(b)(1) is amended by adding after subparagraph 
(H) the following: 
‘‘(I) projects that provide training to cre-
ate or upgrade the job and related skills of per-
sons who are special participant populations as 
defined in section 134(d)(4)(G)(iv).’’. 
(b) MULTISERVICE PROJECTS.—Section 171(c)(1) is 
amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘and spe-
cial participant populations as defined in section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv)’’ after ‘‘targeted populations’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (B) by inserting ‘‘and spe-
cial participant populations as defined in section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv)’’ after ‘‘disability community’’; and 
(3) in subparagraph (C) by inserting ‘‘and spe-
cial participant populations as defined in section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv)’’ after ‘‘targeted populations’’.
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(c) STUDY AND REPORT.—Section 171(c)(2)(B) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) REPORT ON TRAINING MODELS FOR 
PERSONS
WHO
ARE
LIMITED
ENGLISH-PRO-
FICIENT.—The Secretary shall conduct a 2-year 
study on programs that integrate English lan-
guage instruction with occupational skills train-
ing. The Secretary shall prepare and submit to 
Congress a report containing the results of the 
study, including policy recommendations.’’. 
(d) MULTISTATE PROJECTS.—Section 171(c)(3)(A) 
is amended—
(1) in clause (i) by inserting ‘‘and special par-
ticipant 
populations 
as 
defined 
in 
section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv)’’ after ‘‘particular service popu-
lations’’; and 
(2) in clause (ii) by inserting ‘‘and special par-
ticipant 
populations 
as 
defined 
in 
section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv)’’ after ‘‘demographic groups’’. 
SEC. 104. ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 171(a)(2) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (C) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (D) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; and
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(3) by adding after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(E) the versatility of a standardized one-
stop center assessment for targeted populations, 
including special participant populations that 
face multiple barriers to employment, as defined 
in section 134(d)(4)(G)(iv).’’. 
(b) PARTNERSHIPS.—Section 171(b)(1) is amend-
ed—
(1) in subparagraph (G) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (H) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(3) by adding after subparagraph (H) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(I) the establishment of partnerships with 
national organizations with special expertise to 
assist states develop and implement accurate 
assessment mechanisms to evaluate the skill 
levels of special participant populations that 
face multiple barriers to employment, as defined 
in Section 134(d)(4)(G)(iv).’’. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—Section 172(a)(6) is amend-
ed to read as follows:
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‘‘(6) the extent to which such programs and ac-
tivities meet the needs of various demographic 
groups; and including special participant populations 
that face multiple barriers to employment, as de-
fined in §134(d)(4)(G)(iv);’’. 
(d) INTERPRETATION
AND
TRANSLATION
SERV-
ICES.—Section 188(a) is amended by adding after para-
graph (5) the following: 
‘‘(6) 
INTERPRETATION
AND
TRANSLATION 
SERVICES.—One-stop centers shall provide appro-
priate interpretation and translation services to indi-
viduals who lack English proficiency.’’. 
(e) STATE
PLAN.—Section 112(b)(17)(A)(iv) is 
amended by inserting ‘‘(including persons who are limited 
English-proficient)’’ after ‘‘barriers to employment’’. 
(f) 
SPECIALIZED
ASSESSMENTS.—Section 
134(d)(3)(C)(i) is amended in the matter preceding sub-
clause (I) to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) Comprehensive and specialized 
assessments of the skill levels, English pro-
ficiency, and service needs of adults and 
dislocated workers, which may include—’’. 
SEC. 105. CONTENTS OF STATE PLAN. 
Section 224(b) is amended by adding after paragraph 
(12) the following new paragraph:
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‘‘(13) a description of how the eligible agency 
will consult with any State agency responsible for 
postsecondary education to develop adult education 
that prepares students to enter postsecondary edu-
cation without the need for remediation upon com-
pletion of secondary school equivalency programs.’’. 
SEC. 106. STATE DISCRETIONARY FUNDING. 
Section 134(a)(3)(A)(vi) is amended—
(1) in subclause (I) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in subclause (II) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; and 
(3) by adding after clause (II) the following: 
‘‘(III) implementation of innova-
tive programs for special participant 
populations as defined in section 
134(d)(4)(G)(iv) to increase the num-
ber of individuals offered occupational 
training in growth industries;’’. 
TITLE 
II—AMENDMENTS 
TO 
ADULT EDUCATION AND LIT-
ERACY 
SEC. 201. ADULT BASIC EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA. 
(a) QUALIFYING ADULT.—Paragraph (3) of section 
211(d) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act
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(20 U.S.C. 9211(d)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or is of lim-
ited English proficiency’’ after ‘‘its recognized equivalent’’. 
(b) HOLD-HARMLESS.—Paragraph (1) of section 
211(f) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act 
(20 U.S.C. 9211(f)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘fiscal 
year 1999’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2004’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (b), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 
2000’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2005’’. 
SEC. 202. STATE PLAN CONTENTS. 
Paragraph (1) of section 224(b) of the Adult Edu-
cation and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9224(b)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘including individuals most in need 
or hardest to serve;’’ and inserting ‘‘including—
‘‘(A) individuals most in need or hardest to 
serve; and 
‘‘(B) individuals with limited English pro-
ficiency;’’. 
SEC. 203. DIRECT AND EQUITABLE ACCESS IN GRANTS AND 
CONTRACTS. 
(a) Section 231 of the Adult Education and Family 
Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9226) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘, as outlined 
under section 203(5),’’ after ‘‘State or outlying 
area’’;
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(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘an-
nouncement process and application process is 
used for all eligible providers’’ and inserting 
‘‘announcement process, application process, 
and proposal review process is used for all eligi-
ble providers, including community-based orga-
nizations,’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) there is a process in place to increase out-
reach and recruitment to solicit grant and contract 
applications from eligible community-based organiza-
tions.’’; and 
(b) in subsection (e)—
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘individuals 
who are low-income or have minimal literacy skills’’ 
and inserting ‘‘individuals who are of limited English 
proficiency, are low-income, or have minimal literacy 
skills’’;
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(2) in paragraph (9), by inserting ‘‘community-
based organizations,’’ after ‘‘job training pro-
grams,’’; 
(3) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(4) in paragraph (12), by inserting ‘‘and civics 
education’’ after ‘‘additional English literacy’’; 
(5) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(6) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(13) whether the activities are located in com-
munities with high populations of individuals with 
limited English proficiency.’’. 
SEC. 204. INCENTIVES FOR INTEGRATING TITLE I AND 
TITLE II. 
(a) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY.—Subpara-
graph (C) of section 242(c)(1) of the Adult Education and 
Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9252(c)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘the Office of Educational Re-
search and Improvement’’ and inserting ‘‘the Insti-
tute of Education Sciences’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘and the Office of Employment 
and Training in the Department of Labor’’ after 
‘‘the Department of Education’’; and
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(3) by inserting ‘‘and the effectiveness of pro-
grams that integrate occupational skills training and 
language acquisition’’ after ‘‘with learning disabil-
ities’’. 
(b) PERFORMANCE
ACCOUNTABILITY
SYSTEM.—
Subsection (b) of section 212 of the Adult Education and 
Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9212) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)(i), striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in paragraph (1)(A), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(iii) unified indicators of perform-
ance (if any) identified by the eligible 
agency under paragraph (2)(C); and″; 
and’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(C) UNIFIED
INDICATORS.—An eligible 
agency shall identify uniform indicators of per-
formance for programs under section 134(d)(4) 
or 211 and shall include in such uniform indica-
tors the following: 
‘‘(i) Performance measures identified 
in section 136(b)(2)(A).
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‘‘(ii) Performance measures identified 
in section 212(b)(2)(a)(i).’’. 
SEC. 205. REPORTS ON INDIVIDUALS 16 TO 18 YEARS OF 
AGE. 
Section 241 of the Adult Education and Family Lit-
eracy Act (20 U.S.C. 9251) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(c) REPORTS.—
‘‘(1) REPORTS
TO
SECRETARY.—An eligible 
agency receiving funds under this title shall annually 
provide the Secretary with a report on the number 
participants who are 16, 17, or 18 years of age in 
the programs and services provided under section 
231, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, lim-
ited English proficiency status, disability, and socio-
economic status. 
‘‘(2) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
June 30, 2005, and by June 30 annually thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress 
containing the results of the eligible agency reports 
required by paragraph (1).’’. 
SEC. 206. NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES. 
Section 243 of the Adult Education and Family Lit-
eracy Act (20 U.S.C. 9253) is amended in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘including grants to
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communities experiencing large increases of individuals 
with limited English proficiency who were not accounted 
for in making State allocations under section 211(c)(2), 
for the purpose of providing English language and civics 
education programs’’ after ‘‘programs nationwide’’.
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