I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1446 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to identify or 
develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills, competencies, 
and experiences of an individual, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 21, 2025 
Mr. ALLEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
to identify or develop assessments to measure the prior 
knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences of an 
individual, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Validate Prior Learn-
ing to Accelerate Employment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ASSESSMENTS TO MEASURE THE PRIOR KNOWL-
EDGE, SKILLS, COMPETENCIES, AND EXPERI-
ENCES OF AN INDIVIDUAL. 
(a) STATEWIDE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AC-
TIVITIES.—Section 134(a)(2)(B) of the Workforce Innova-
tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(a)(2)(B)) is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (v)(VI), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(vii) coordinating with industry orga-
nizations, employers (including small and 
mid-sized employers), training providers, 
local boards, and institutions of higher 
education to identify or develop com-
petency-based assessments that are a valid 
and reliable method of measuring and col-
lecting information on the knowledge, 
skills, and abilities of individuals who are 
adults or dislocated workers for the pur-
pose of— 
‘‘(I) awarding, based on the 
knowledge, skills, and abilities of such 
an individual— 
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‘‘(aa) a recognized postsec-
ondary credential that is used by 
employers in the State for re-
cruitment, hiring, retention, or 
advancement purposes; or 
‘‘(bb) credit toward a recog-
nized postsecondary credential 
aligned with an in-demand indus-
try sector or occupation in the 
State; 
‘‘(II) developing individual em-
ployment 
plans 
under 
subsection 
(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II) that identify— 
‘‘(aa) in-demand industry 
sectors or occupations that re-
quire knowledge, skills, and abili-
ties that are similar to the knowl-
edge, skills, and abilities of such 
an individual to secure employ-
ment in such sectors or occupa-
tions; and 
‘‘(bb) any upskilling needed 
to secure such employment; or 
‘‘(III) helping such an individual 
communicate the knowledge, skills, 
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and abilities of the individual to pro-
spective employers through skills- 
based resumes, profiles, or portfolios; 
and 
‘‘(viii) disseminating to local areas 
and employers information relating to the 
assessments described in clause (vii), in-
cluding— 
‘‘(I) any credential or credit 
awarded pursuant to items (aa) and 
(bb) of clause (vii)(I); 
‘‘(II) the industry organizations, 
employers, training providers, and in-
stitutions of higher education located 
within the State that recognize the 
knowledge, skills, and abilities of such 
an individual that are validated by 
such assessments; 
‘‘(III) how such assessments may 
be provided to, and accessed by, such 
an individual through the one-stop de-
livery system; and 
‘‘(IV) information on how the de-
velopment of the individual employ-
ment 
plans 
under 
subsection 
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(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II) can include an iden-
tification of the information described 
in items (aa) and (bb) of clause 
(vii)(III).’’. 
(b) ALLOWABLE
STATEWIDE
EMPLOYMENT
AND 
TRAINING
ACTIVITIES.—Section 134(a)(3)(A) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174(a)(3)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (xiii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in clause (xiv), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xv) supporting employers in the 
State seeking to implement skills-based 
hiring practices to evaluate individuals 
based on the demonstrated knowledge, 
skills, and abilities of such individuals, as 
an alternative to relying on postsecondary 
degree requirements in the hiring process, 
which may include— 
‘‘(I) technical assistance on the 
use and validation of employment as-
sessments, such as the competency- 
based assessments identified or devel-
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oped by the State pursuant to para-
graph (2)(B)(vii); and 
‘‘(II) support in the creation of 
skills-based job descriptions.’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZED LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAIN-
ING ACTIVITIES.—Section 134(c)(2)(A) of the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3174(c)(2)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (iii), by inserting before the semi-
colon the following: ‘‘, including a determination 
(which shall consider factors including prior work 
experience, military service, education, and in-de-
mand industry sectors and occupations in the local 
area) of whether such an individual would benefit 
from a competency-based assessment identified or 
developed by the State pursuant to subsection 
(a)(2)(B)(vii) to accelerate the time to obtaining em-
ployment that leads to economic self-sufficiency or 
career advancement’’; and 
(2) in clause (xii)(I)(aa), by inserting before the 
semicolon the following: ‘‘, including a competency- 
based assessment identified or developed pursuant to 
subsection (a)(2)(B)(vii)’’. 
(d) PERMISSIBLE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAIN-
ING ACTIVITIES.—Section 134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce 
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Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (ix)(II)— 
(A) in item (cc), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(B) in item (dd), by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ee) technical assistance or 
other support to employers seek-
ing to implement skills-based hir-
ing practices, which may include 
technical assistance on the use 
and validation of employment as-
sessments, including competency- 
based assessments developed or 
identified by the State pursuant 
to subsection (a)(2)(B)(vii), and 
support in the creation of skills- 
based job descriptions.’’; 
(2) in clause (xi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(3) in clause (xii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(xiii) competency-based assessments 
for individuals upon the initial assessment 
of skill levels pursuant to subsection 
(c)(2)(A)(iii), or upon completion of train-
ing services or other learning experi-
ences.’’. 
Æ 
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