I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1634 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide for 
the establishment of Youth Corps programs and provide for wider dis-
semination of the Youth Corps model. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2019 
Ms. WILSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
to provide for the establishment of Youth Corps pro-
grams and provide for wider dissemination of the Youth 
Corps model. 
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 ‘‘Youth Corps Act of 
2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(1) 
Nationally, 
there 
are 
an 
estimated 
5,500,000 youth, ages 16 through 24, out-of-school 
and out-of-work, with an additional over 500,000 
young people dropping out of school each year. At 
present, the unemployment rate for youth ages 16 
through 24 is approximately 17 percent. For youth 
who are in low-income or minority communities, or 
who have disabilities, this rate is significantly high-
er. 
(2) Youth Service and Conservation Corps pro-
grams, descended from the Civilian Conservation 
Corps of the 1930s, have been preparing disadvan-
taged and disconnected youth for careers in resource 
conservation, environmental restoration, land man-
agement, building renovation and weatherization, 
education, human services, health care, homeland se-
curity, and disaster relief for over 4 decades. To 
date, nearly a million young people have found a 
new start through a Youth Service and Conservation 
Corps program. 
(3) Today, over 125 Youth Service and Con-
servation Corps programs are being carried out in 
50 States and the District of Columbia, and employ-
ing a research-driven strategy, called the Youth 
Corps model, to reengage and provide educational 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
and economic opportunity to around 30,000 young 
people each year. These Corps members participate 
in 13.5 million hours of community service annually. 
(4) According to a recent study by the Corpora-
tion for National and Community Service, partici-
pating in service increases your likelihood of finding 
employment by 27 percent. When limited to individ-
uals living in rural areas or without a high school di-
ploma, the increase in likelihood of gaining employ-
ment jumps to 55 percent and 51 percent, respec-
tively. 
(5) Due to the many benefits and positive out-
comes, not only for program participants but also 
for the communities in which they serve, the Youth 
Corps model is a proven strategy for reengaging dis-
connected youth in education and the workforce, 
while improving communities and the environment. 
SEC. 3. YOUTH CORPS PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title I of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 171 (29 U.S.C. 
3226) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 171B. YOUTH CORPS PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to uti-
lize service, environmental stewardship, and the Youth 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
Corps model to educate and train the next generation of 
workers to enable them to find meaningful employment 
in the economy of the 21st century, and instill in them 
a sense of civic engagement and environmental steward-
ship. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means a public or private nonprofit agency or 
organization (including a consortium of such agen-
cies or organizations), including— 
‘‘(A) a community-based organization; 
‘‘(B) a faith-based organization; 
‘‘(C) a community action agency; 
‘‘(D) a community development corpora-
tion; 
‘‘(E) an entity carrying out activities under 
this title, such as a local board; 
‘‘(F) an Indian tribe or other agency pri-
marily serving Indians; 
‘‘(G) a public or private institution of high-
er education; 
‘‘(H) a State or unit of general local gov-
ernment; or 
‘‘(I) a State or local youth service or con-
servation corps. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE YOUTH.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 3, the term ‘eligible youth’ means an individual 
eligible to participate in a Youth Corps program in 
accordance with subsection (d). 
‘‘(3) INDIAN; INDIAN TRIBE.—The terms ‘In-
dian’ and ‘Indian tribe’ have the meanings given the 
terms in section 166(b). 
‘‘(4) PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘participant’ in-
cludes a recipient of services under paragraph 
(5)(F). 
‘‘(5) YOUTH CORPS MODEL.—The term ‘Youth 
Corps model’ means a model for a youth education 
and training program for which an eligible entity— 
‘‘(A) provides eligible youth with stipended 
or paid work experience, and basic and tech-
nical skills training leading, at a minimum, to 
an outcome consisting of— 
‘‘(i) enrollment in postsecondary edu-
cation or training; 
‘‘(ii) attainment of an industry-recog-
nized certification or credential; 
‘‘(iii) meaningful employment in the 
economy of the 21st century; or 
‘‘(iv) military service; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(B) provides eligible youth with opportu-
nities for educational advancement, including 
the attainment of a secondary school diploma or 
its recognized equivalent, or other State-recog-
nized credential; 
‘‘(C) engages eligible youth to work, in 
teams or crews under the leadership of adult 
mentors and trainers, on service and conserva-
tion projects designed to improve the commu-
nities in which the youth live and the environ-
ment; 
‘‘(D) works with youth- and family-serving 
systems, such as child welfare and justice sys-
tems, to provide and coordinate supportive serv-
ices for education and training program partici-
pants; 
‘‘(E) works with program partners in the 
local workforce investment system, institutions 
of higher education, or other community-based 
organizations to develop pathways to subse-
quent enrollment in education or training, at-
tainment of an industry-recognized certification 
or credential, meaningful employment, or serv-
ice as described in subparagraph (A); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(F) provides 12 months of followup serv-
ices and tracking for the program graduates. 
‘‘(c) YOUTH CORPS GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) AMOUNTS OF GRANTS.—The Secretary is 
authorized to make grants to eligible entities for the 
purpose of carrying out Youth Corps programs ap-
proved under this section. 
‘‘(2) TERM OF GRANTS.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to make the grants for terms of up to 3 
years in length, and is authorized to renew the 
grants. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An entity that re-
ceives a grant under this subsection— 
‘‘(A) shall use the funds made available 
through the grant to carry out a Youth Corps 
program that utilizes the Youth Corps model to 
provide to the participants, prior to graduation 
from the program— 
‘‘(i) education, which may include— 
‘‘(I) basic instruction and reme-
dial education; 
‘‘(II) language instruction for in-
dividuals with limited English pro-
ficiency; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(III) secondary education serv-
ices and activities, including dropout 
prevention, tutoring, and other activi-
ties, that— 
‘‘(aa) are designed to lead to 
the attainment of a secondary 
school diploma or its recognized 
equivalent, or other State-recog-
nized credential (including a cre-
dential for meeting recognized al-
ternative standards for individ-
uals with disabilities); and 
‘‘(bb) are delivered in con-
junction with project-based serv-
ice-learning to the maximum de-
gree practicable; and 
‘‘(IV) preparation for and access 
to postsecondary education opportuni-
ties, including counseling and assist-
ance with applying for student finan-
cial aid; 
‘‘(ii) work readiness training, which 
may include— 
‘‘(I) development of basic skills, 
such as— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(aa) arriving on time to 
work; 
‘‘(bb) 
being 
prepared 
to 
work; 
‘‘(cc) following directions; 
‘‘(dd) 
working 
independ-
ently; 
‘‘(ee) working with others; 
‘‘(ff) working safely; and 
‘‘(gg) demonstrating a com-
mitment to produce high-quality 
work; 
‘‘(II) development of job-specific 
occupational 
skills 
and 
on-the-job 
training; 
‘‘(III) stipended or paid work ex-
perience that provides participants 
with insights into the professional 
work environment; 
‘‘(IV) activities designed to lead 
to— 
‘‘(aa) the attainment of an 
industry-recognized 
certification 
or credential; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(bb) meaningful employ-
ment in the economy of the 21st 
century; 
‘‘(V) career counseling and job 
search assistance; and 
‘‘(VI) provision of a job developer 
to cultivate relationships with local 
employers to hire program graduates; 
‘‘(iii) supportive services, which may 
include— 
‘‘(I) needs-related payments; 
‘‘(II) health care, including men-
tal health care such as drug and alco-
hol abuse counseling; 
‘‘(III) child care; and 
‘‘(IV) transportation; 
‘‘(iv) provision of wages, stipends, or 
benefits; 
‘‘(v) development and monitoring of 
individual education and career plans; 
‘‘(vi) 
service 
and 
conservation 
projects, designed to develop civic engage-
ment and environmental stewardship; 
‘‘(vii) supervision and training on 
those projects; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(viii) adult mentoring; 
‘‘(B) shall use the funds made available 
through the grant, in carrying out the Youth 
Corps program, to provide followup services and 
tracking for program graduates; and 
‘‘(C) may use the funds made available 
through the grant for— 
‘‘(i) ongoing training and technical as-
sistance that is related to the development, 
implementation, and sustainability of the 
program; and 
‘‘(ii) payment of administrative ex-
penses. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In order to be quali-
fied to receive a grant for a program under this 
subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an ap-
plication at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
‘‘(B) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall require that the application contain, 
at a minimum— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:24 Mar 22, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1634.IH
H1634
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS