I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8602 
To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a program to provide grants 
for job guarantee programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2024 
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Ms. OMAR, Ms. NORTON, Ms. TLAIB, 
Mr. BOWMAN, and Mrs. RAMIREZ) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a program 
to provide grants for job guarantee programs. 
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 ‘‘Workforce Promotion 
and Access Act’’ or the ‘‘WPA Act’’. 
SEC. 2. JOB GUARANTEE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a State; 
(B) a political subdivision of a State; 
(C) a Tribal entity; 
(D) an outlying area; or 
(E) a consortium of the entities described 
in subparagraph (B) or (C). 
(2) JOB
GUARANTEE
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘job guarantee program’’ means a program that 
meets the requirements of subsection (c). 
(3) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 
means an area that is located outside of an urban 
area. 
(4) TRIBAL ENTITY.—The term ‘‘Tribal entity’’ 
means an Indian tribe or tribal organization as such 
terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(5) URBAN AREA.—The term ‘‘urban area’’ the 
has the meaning given the term by the Bureau of 
the Census in regulations. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Labor. 
(7) WIOA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘adult 
education and literacy activities’’, ‘‘career planning’’, 
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‘‘individual with a barrier to employment’’, ‘‘in-de-
mand industry sector or occupation’’, ‘‘local board’’, 
‘‘outlying area’’, ‘‘recognized postsecondary creden-
tial’’, ‘‘State’’, ‘‘State board’’, ‘‘supportive services’’, 
and ‘‘workplace learning advisor’’ have the meanings 
given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce Inno-
vation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a program to provide competitive grants to eligible 
entities to establish programs to ensure that any eli-
gible individual within the area served by any such 
eligible entity who applies for a job through such a 
program established by such eligible entity will be 
provided with employment in accordance with this 
section. 
(2) NATIONAL JOB PRIORITIES.—Prior to solic-
iting the initial grants under this section, the Sec-
retary shall make publicly available on the website of 
the Department of Labor a list of national job prior-
ities emphasizing strategic job creation in in-demand 
industry sectors and occupations that address com-
munity needs, promote economic resilience, and sup-
port sustainable development. The Secretary may 
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take State board and local board suggestions into 
consideration when developing such list. 
(3) GRANT PERIOD; ADDITIONAL GRANTS.— 
(A) GRANT
PERIOD.—A grant awarded 
under this section shall be for a period of 3 
years. In the case of an additional grant award-
ed to an eligible entity, the 3-year grant period 
for such additional grant shall begin on the day 
after the last day of the grant period of the pre-
ceding grant awarded to such eligible entity 
under this section. 
(B) ADDITIONAL GRANTS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—An eligible entity 
that receives a grant under this section 
may reapply under this section for one or 
more additional grants if such eligible enti-
ty, as of the date of the application for 
such additional grant— 
(I) meets the requirements of 
subsection (f)(1); 
(II) has not become ineligible for 
funds under this section pursuant to 
subsection (k)(2)(B); and 
(III) meets any performance re-
quirements, as determined by the Sec-
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