I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6485 
To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a Federal subsidized 
employment program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2018 
Mr. KHANNA (for himself, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 
Ms. MOORE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 
SERRANO, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a Federal 
subsidized employment program, 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 ‘‘Job Opportunities for 
All Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to carry out a program— 
(1) to provide access to a job through federally 
subsidized employment for individuals who are un-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
employed, underemployed, and jobless but want to 
work; 
(2) to assist such individuals in coping with 
structural unemployment in their communities, job 
displacement 
resulting 
from 
deindustrialization, 
trade, automation, and artificial intelligence, as well 
as societal barriers that separate the most vulnerable 
jobless from employment; 
(3) to provide for credentialing and certificates 
that employers recognize and help provide both low- 
income and middle-class jobseekers with concrete 
pathways to good paying, skilled jobs; and 
(4) to expand services automatically during eco-
nomic downturns to address unemployment and sta-
bilize the national economy and State economies. 
SEC. 3. FUNDING. 
(a) FEDERAL
SUBSIDIZED
EMPLOYMENT
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) STATE ALLOCATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appro-
priated under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary 
of Labor shall pay to each State that has an 
application approved under section 6, for each 
quarter, beginning with the quarter beginning 
on or after the date of the enactment of this 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Act, an amount equal to the Federal percentage 
of the total amount expended by the State dur-
ing such quarter under— 
(i) the Federal subsidized employment 
program under section 4; 
(ii) the program of block grants to 
States for temporary assistance for needy 
families established under part A of title 
IV of the Social Security Act; 
(iii) any program under the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act; and 
(iv) any other Federal program under 
which Federal funding is provided to sub-
sidize employment. 
(B) FEDERAL
PERCENTAGE.—For pur-
poses of subparagraph (A), the Federal percent-
age for any State shall be 100 percent less the 
State percentage, and the State percentage 
shall be that percentage that bears the same 
ratio to 45 percent as the square of the per 
capita income of such State bears to the square 
of the per capita income of the continental 
United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, 
except that the Federal percentage shall in no 
case be less than 75 percent or more than 100 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
are appropriated (in addition to any other amounts 
appropriated to carry out this Act and out of any 
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated) 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
Act. 
(2) COMPETITIVE
GRANT
PROGRAMS.—The 
amount of funds that shall be made available for the 
competitive grants under subsection (a)(2) for a fis-
cal year shall be equal to the result obtained by mul-
tiplying— 
(A) the difference between— 
(i) the number of individuals counted 
under the U–6 measure of unemployment 
and underemployment most recently pub-
lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of 
the Department of Labor; and 
(ii) the number of individuals partici-
pating in the program carried out under 
subsection (a)(1); and 
(B) average cost for each participant under 
such program. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. 
Each grantee receiving funds under paragraph (1) or 
(2)(A)(i) of section 3(a) shall carry out, or expand, a pro-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
gram that provides access to federally subsidized employ-
ment for all eligible individuals as follows: 
(1) PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS.— 
(A) AMOUNT
OF
SUBSIDIES.—A grantee 
shall provide each participating employer with a 
subsidy in an amount that— 
(i) covers up to 150 percent of the 
wages that the employer pays to eligible in-
dividuals who are employed in a position 
covered by a collective-bargaining agree-
ment in effect with the employer; and 
(ii) covers up to 120 percent of the 
wages that the employer pays to eligible in-
dividuals who are employed under the pro-
gram in a position not covered by a collec-
tive-bargaining agreement in effect with 
the employer. 
(B) HIRING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(i) WORKFORCE.— 
(I) IN GENERAL.—To remain eli-
gible to receive additional placements 
of subsidized employees under this 
Act, a participating employer who 
seeks to employ, on a cumulative 
basis, more than 15 eligible individ-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
uals under the program shall be re-
quired to hire, in an unsubsidized ca-
pacity, not less than the greater of 4 
employees or 25 percent of the em-
ployees who were previously placed 
with the employer through the sub-
sidized job program. 
(II) EXCEPTION.—The require-
ments of subclause (I) shall not apply 
during a period that is an economic 
recession. 
(ii) NONDISPLACEMENT
OF
UNSUB-
SIDIZED
EMPLOYEES.—The grantee may 
not employ an individual under the pro-
gram, if— 
(I) employing such individual will 
result in the layoff or partial displace-
ment (such as a reduction in hours, 
wages, or employee benefits) of an ex-
isting employee of the grantee who 
was not hired under the program, or 
will result in infringing upon the pro-
motional opportunities of such exist-
ing employee; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(II) such individual will perform 
the same or substantially similar work 
that had previously been performed by 
such an existing employee who— 
(aa) has been laid off or 
partially displaced; and 
(bb) has not been offered by 
the employer, to be restored to 
the position the employee had im-
mediately prior to being laid off 
or partially displaced. 
(iii) ELIMINATION OF POSITION.— 
(I) IN
GENERAL.—Clause (ii) 
shall not apply to any position that 
has been eliminated by a grantee. 
(II) 
DESCRIPTION.—For 
pur-
poses of this clause, a position shall 
be considered to have been eliminated 
by a grantee if the position has re-
mained unfilled and the grantee has 
not sought to fill such position for at 
least a period of one month. 
(iv) NONDISPLACEMENT OF STATE OR 
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
SERVICES.—The 
grantee may not employ an individual 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
under the program to provide services or 
functions that are customarily provided by 
the grantee. 
(v) CONSENT
OF
UNION.—An em-
ployer that has a collective-bargaining 
agreement in effect with a labor organiza-
tion, or an employer whose employees are 
represented by a labor organization for 
purposes of collective bargaining, shall seek 
the consent of the labor organization rep-
resenting its employees to participate in 
the program under this Act. 
(vi) OTHER PARTICIPATING EMPLOY-
ERS.—In addition to other entities that 
may serve as participating employers under 
this section, nonprofit entities, local gov-
ernment entities (except as provided in 
clause (iv)), and labor organizations may 
serve as participating employers, adminis-
trators, or intermediaries under this sec-
tion. 
(2) TECHNICAL TRAINING.— 
(A) EMPLOYEES
IN-DEMAND
INDUSTRY 
SECTORS
OR
OCCUPATIONS.—With respect to 
an eligible individual employed under the pro-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
gram by an employer in an in-demand industry 
sector or occupation, subject to the adminis-
trator of the job placement entity selected by 
the grantee and upon completion of 3 months 
of satisfactory job performance, the employer 
may receive additional funds under the program 
to enable such individual to pursue a general 
equivalency diploma, or a year of career and 
technical education that leads to a recognized 
postsecondary credential required for continued 
employment in such sector or occupation. 
(B) OTHER EMPLOYEES.—With respect to 
an eligible individual employed under the pro-
gram who is not employed in an industry sector 
or occupation described in subparagraph (A), 
subject to the administrator of the job place-
ment entity selected by the grantee and upon 
completion of 3 months of satisfactory job per-
formance, such individual may be provided with 
an opportunity to pursue up to a year of career 
and technical education. 
(3) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—To participate in 
the program an individual shall— 
(A) be at least 18 years of age; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(B)(i) have been unemployed for more than 
90 days by demonstrating to the program ad-
ministrator selected by the grantee involved— 
(I) that the individual has been reg-
istered as unemployed for more than 90 
days under a State unemployment insur-
ance system; or 
(II) through submission of a self-affi-
davit that demonstrates that the individual 
has been so unemployed; or 
(ii) have had earnings for the previous 6 
months that are below the poverty line. 
(4) PLACEMENT LENGTH.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A period of employ-
ment with a participating employer under the 
program for an individual shall be not longer 
than 18 months, and not less than 3 months, 
except that such period— 
(i) may be shorter in the case of ter-
mination of the individual for unsatisfac-
tory performance; 
(ii) may be extended— 
(I) for an additional 12-month 
period in a case in which the eligible 
individual is pursuing the career and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
technical education described in para-
graph (2); or 
(II) in the case of an individual 
with a barrier to employment; and 
(iii) shall not be applicable during a 
period that is an economic recession. 
(B) MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—During a 10-year 
period, an eligible individual may have not 
more than 3 separate periods of employ-
ment under the program. 
(ii) DIFFERENT
EMPLOYERS.—Each 
period of employment shall be with a dif-
ferent participating employer. 
(iii) CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY.—An el-
igible individual shall become eligible for a 
new period of employment under the pro-
gram if the individual is unemployed not 
less than 4 weeks after the conclusion of 
the individual’s previous employment pe-
riod under the program. 
(iv) INAPPLICABILITY.—This subpara-
graph shall not apply during a period of 
economic recession or for individuals with 
barriers to employment. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(5) WRAPAROUND SERVICES.—Any wraparound 
services (such as screening, matching, and job prep-
aration services, and transportation, childcare, and 
counseling) provided with funds under this Act shall 
be minimal and may only be used— 
(A) for the individuals with barriers to em-
ployment and who shall be made aware of simi-
lar opportunities available through local, State, 
or Federal social welfare programs; and 
(B) with an evidence-based approach re-
garding the impact and importance of such 
services to the job placement of the individual, 
as determined by the Secretary of Labor. 
(6) OUTREACH.— 
(A) GRANTEES.—Each grantee shall make 
available, on a publicly available website of the 
grantee, information on program opportunities 
for potential employees and employers. 
(B) WEBSITE.—The Secretary of Labor 
shall create a publicly available website to pro-
vide information connecting prospective employ-
ees with program administrators. 
SEC. 5. JOBS GUARANTEE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
makes grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than 
5 local entities to assist such entities in carrying out a 
jobs guarantee program as described in subsection (b). 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A local entity that receives a 
grant under subsection (a) shall use the grant to carry 
out a program that provides jobs that— 
(1) are available to all individuals who— 
(A) are 18 years of age or older; and 
(B) reside in the area served under the 
program, except that participants in the pro-
gram may be disciplined, released, or suspended 
from further participation in jobs under the 
program if they are found to be negligent, or 
generally disruptive to the workplace involved 
under procedures established by the Secretary 
of Labor that provide for an opportunity for a 
review of such determinations; 
(2) are, with respect to individual participants, 
included as part of an established bargaining unit 
and covered by any applicable collective bargaining 
agreement in effect if similarly situated employees 
part of such unit and represented by an exclusive 
bargaining representative; 
(3) are available for the duration of the pilot 
program; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(4) provide a wage of not less than the greater 
of— 
(A) the hourly wage provided for under the 
provisions of S. 1242 (115th Congress), as in-
troduced; 
(B) the prevailing wage in the area in-
volved for a similar job as required by chapter 
67 of title 41, United States Code, and other 
related laws; or 
(C) the applicable wage under an applica-
ble collective bargaining agreement as provided 
for under subparagraph (B); 
(5) provide for coverage of the worker under a 
health insurance program that is comparable to that 
offered to Federal employees under the Federal Em-
ployee Health Benefits Program; and 
(6) provide, at a minimum— 
(A) paid family leave consistent with the 
provisions of S. 337 (111th Congress), as intro-
duced, and applicable State law; and 
(B) paid sick leave consistent with the pro-
vision of S. 1152 (115th Congress), as intro-
duced, and applicable State law. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 6. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) STATE APPLICATIONS.—To receive an allocation 
under this Act a State shall submit to the Secretary of 
Labor, a plan at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require, 
which shall include a description of how the State will use 
the allocation— 
(1) to use funds to carry out the program in 
areas in the State proportionate to the rates of job-
lessness, underemployment, and poverty in such 
areas, as determined by the Secretary; and 
(2) to target individuals with barriers to em-
ployment. 
(b) LOCAL APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under 
this Act, a local entity shall submit to the Secretary 
of Labor, a plan, at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, which shall include a demonstration of the 
local entity’s ability to meet the purposes described 
in section 2. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
Act to local entities, the Secretary of Labor shall 
give priority to local entities that will use the grant 
to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(A) serve areas that are facing acute chal-
lenges, including persistent racial unemploy-
ment gap, drug addiction epidemics, or high 
mortality rates, as determined by the Secretary 
of Labor; and 
(B) carry out programs that provide par-
ticipating individuals with general equivalency 
diplomas, recognized postsecondary credentials, 
and paid apprenticeships. 
(c) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of 
Labor may reserve a portion of the funds appropriated 
under this Act to provide technical assistance to local enti-
ties that seek to apply for a grant under this Act. In pro-
viding such technical assistance, the Secretary shall give 
priority to local entities that the Secretary determines 
have the greatest need for such assistance. 
SEC. 7. EVALUATION AND EXPANSION, AND REPORT. 
(a) EVALUATION AND EXPANSION.—Not later than 
18 months after the date on which the first grant or allo-
cation is awarded under this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary of Labor shall— 
(1) develop a strategy (which shall include an-
nual, representative, and random surveys of employ-
ees and employers under the programs)— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(A) to determine whether the programs 
under this Act are accomplishing the purposes 
described in section 2; and 
(B) to improve the programs to better ac-
complish such purposes; and 
(2) expand the programs under this Act until a 
determination is made that equal rates of joblessness 
in all regions and among all demographic groups 
have been achieved. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
first grant is awarded under this Act, and annually there-
after, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to Congress a 
report that includes the information described in sub-
section (a) for the purpose of providing Congress with an 
informed opportunity to update this Act and to effectively 
achieve the purposes described in section 2. 
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘career and technical education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 
(2) GRANTEE.—The term ‘‘grantee’’ means a 
State that receives an allocation under section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3(a)(1) or a local entity that receives a grant under 
section 3(a)(2). 
(3) INDIVIDUAL WITH A BARRIER TO EMPLOY-
MENT.—The term ‘‘individual with a barrier to em-
ployment’’ means a member of one or more of the 
following populations: 
(A) Displaced homemakers. 
(B) Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native 
Hawaiians, as such terms are defined in section 
166 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act. 
(C) Individuals with disabilities, including 
youth who are individuals with disabilities. 
(D) Older individuals. 
(E) Ex-offenders. 
(F) Homeless individuals (as defined in 
section 41403(6) of the Violence Against 
Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e–2(6))), 
or homeless children and youths (as defined in 
section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2))). 
(G) Individuals who are English language 
learners, individuals who have low levels of lit-
eracy or who have not more than a high school 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
diploma or the equivalent, and individuals fac-
ing substantial cultural barriers. 
(H) Individuals within 2 years of exhaust-
ing lifetime eligibility under part A of title IV 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.). 
(I) Single parents (including single preg-
nant women). 
(J) Long-term unemployed individuals. 
(K) Such other groups as the Secretary of 
Labor determines to have barriers to employ-
ment. 
(4) LOCAL ENTITY.—The term ‘‘local entity’’ 
means a unit of general local government or a non-
profit or other organization serving such a unit. 
(5) PERIOD
OF
ECONOMIC
RECESSION.—The 
term ‘‘period of economic recession’’ means not less 
than a consecutive 3-month period of decline in na-
tional payroll employment, which shall be determined 
to have ended on the date on which the national 
payroll employment reaches the level reported by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 
Labor in the highest month of national payroll em-
ployment prior to such period of decline. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(6) WIOA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘in-demand in-
dustry sector or occupation’’, ‘‘poverty line’’, ‘‘recog-
nized postsecondary credential’’, ‘‘State’’, and ‘‘unit 
of general local government’’ have the meanings 
given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Inno-
vation and Opportunity Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:30 Jul 28, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6485.IH
H6485
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS