I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7349 
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 
MARCH 31, 2022 
Ms. STEFANIK (for herself, Mr. ALLEN, Mrs. STEEL, and Ms. LETLOW) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor 
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 the ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(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 assess-
ments that— 
‘‘(I) are a valid and reliable 
method of collecting information; and 
‘‘(II) measure the prior knowl-
edge, skills, competencies, and experi-
ences of an individual for the purpose 
of— 
‘‘(aa) 
awarding 
postsec-
ondary credit toward a recog-
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nized postsecondary credential 
aligned with in-demand industry 
sectors and occupations in the 
State; 
‘‘(bb) awarding a recognized 
postsecondary credential that is 
used by employers in the State 
for recruitment, hiring, retention, 
or advancement purposes; 
‘‘(cc) developing individual 
employment plans that incor-
porate 
the 
prior 
knowledge, 
skills, competencies, and experi-
ences of an individual to identify 
skills related to an in-demand in-
dustry sector or occupation and 
any upskilling needed to secure 
employment in such sector or oc-
cupation; and 
‘‘(dd) 
helping 
individuals 
communicate their prior knowl-
edge, skills, competencies, and 
experiences to prospective em-
ployers through skills-based pro-
files or portfolios; and 
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‘‘(viii) disseminating to local areas in-
formation relating to the assessments iden-
tified or developed pursuant to clause (vii), 
including— 
‘‘(I) 
any 
recognized 
postsec-
ondary credential awarded through 
such an assessment; 
‘‘(II) the industry organizations, 
employers, training providers, and in-
stitutions of higher education located 
within the State that recognize the 
prior knowledge, skills, competencies, 
and experiences of an individual vali-
dated by such assessments; and 
‘‘(III) how such assessments may 
be provided to, and accessed by, indi-
viduals through the one-stop delivery 
system.’’. 
(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 the ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
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(2) in clause (xiv), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xv) identifying and providing to em-
ployers information relating to best prac-
tices on the use of assessments, including 
such assessments developed or identified by 
the 
State 
pursuant 
to 
paragraph 
(2)(B)(vii); 
‘‘(xvi) providing technical assistance 
to employers seeking to use such assess-
ments for hiring, promotion, or upskilling 
of employees; and 
‘‘(xvii) supporting employers in the 
State seeking to implement a practice of 
hiring individuals based on their prior 
knowledge, skills, competencies, and expe-
riences as an alternative to relying on post-
secondary degree requirements in the hir-
ing process.’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZED LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAIN-
ING ACTIVITIES.—Section 134(c)(2)(A)(iii) of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174(c)(2)(A)(iii) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(iii) initial assessment of skill levels 
(including literacy, numeracy, and English 
language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities 
(including skills gaps), and supportive 
service needs, and a determination (consid-
ering factors including prior work experi-
ence, military service, life experience, or 
education history, and in-demand industry 
sectors and occupations in the local area) 
of whether such an individual would ben-
efit from an assessment identified by the 
State pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B)(vii) 
to measure the individual’s prior knowl-
edge, skills, competencies, and experiences 
to accelerate the individual in obtaining 
employment that leads to economic self- 
sufficiency or career advancement;’’. 
(d) PERMISSIBLE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAIN-
ING ACTIVITIES.—Section 134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (xi), by striking the ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xiii) assessments for individuals 
upon initial assessment of skills (pursuant 
to subsection (c)(2)(A)(iii)) or completion 
of training services or other learning expe-
riences; and 
‘‘(xiv) providing technical assistance 
or other support to employers seeking to 
use such assessments for hiring, pro-
motion, or upskilling of employees.’’. 
Æ 
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