I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3554 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a pilot 
program to award grants to units of general local government and 
community-based organizations to create jobs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 
Ms. WILSON of Florida (for herself, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. KAPTUR, and Ms. 
FUDGE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
to create a pilot program to award grants to units of 
general local government and community-based organiza-
tions to create jobs, 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 ‘‘Jobs Now Act of 
2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANTS TO UNITS OF GENERAL LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT. 
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended by 
adding after section 172 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 173. PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 181(e), from the amounts appropriated under sub-
section (h), the Secretary shall carry out a 2-year pilot 
program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to units 
of general local government or community-based organiza-
tions to retain, employ, or train employees providing a 
public service for a unit of general local government. 
‘‘(b) UNIT OF GENERAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT DE-
FINED.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘unit of 
general local government’ means any general purpose po-
litical subdivision of a State, or the United States Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the freely associated states 
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau, that has 
the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general 
corporate and police powers. 
‘‘(c) USES OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIRED USES.— 
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), a unit of general local government 
or community-based organization shall use not 
less than 50 percent of the grant funds received 
under this section to— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a unit, retain em-
ployees of such unit who are providing a 
public service for the unit and who would 
otherwise be laid off as a consequence of 
budget cuts; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an organization, 
retain employees of the organization who 
are providing a public service for the unit 
in which the organization is located and 
who would otherwise be laid off as a con-
sequence of budget cuts. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—In a case in which 50 
percent of a grant amount received under this 
section would exceed the amount needed for a 
unit or organization to retain the employees de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), the unit or organi-
zation may use only the amount needed to re-
tain such employees for such purpose. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
USES.—After using grant 
funds received under this section in accordance with 
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paragraph (1), a unit of general local government or 
community-based organization may use any remain-
ing grant funds provided under this section to— 
‘‘(A) in the case of a unit of general local 
government— 
‘‘(i) employ individuals in new posi-
tions providing a public service for the 
unit; or 
‘‘(ii) train individuals for new public 
service positions for the unit; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a community-based or-
ganization— 
‘‘(i) employ individuals in new posi-
tions that would provide a public service 
for the unit in which the organization is lo-
cated or services in the private sector; or 
‘‘(ii) train individuals for any such po-
sitions. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY
FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.—The 
Secretary shall encourage each unit of general local gov-
ernment and each community-based organization receiving 
a grant under this section to use such grant funds to re-
tain, employ, or train— 
‘‘(1) veterans; 
‘‘(2) individuals with disabilities; 
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‘‘(3) individuals who are receiving unemploy-
ment benefits; or 
‘‘(4) dislocated workers. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITY FOR CERTAIN UNITS AND ORGANIZA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) UNITS.—In awarding grants to units of 
general local government under this section, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to units of general local 
government with high unemployment, foreclosure, 
and poverty rates as compared to other units of gen-
eral local government applying to receive a grant 
under this section. 
‘‘(2) ORGANIZATIONS.—In awarding grants to 
units of general local government under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to community-based 
organizations located in units of general local gov-
ernment with high unemployment, foreclosure, and 
poverty rates as compared to other units of general 
local government applying to receive a grant under 
this section. 
‘‘(f) APPLICATION.—Each unit of general local gov-
ernment or community-based organization desiring to re-
ceive a grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require. 
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‘‘(g) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the first 
appropriation of funds under subsection (h), the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress, a report on— 
‘‘(1) the number and percentage of individuals 
hired or trained, and the number and percentage of 
employees of units retained, as a result of a grant 
under this section; and 
‘‘(2) best practices in carrying out a grant pro-
gram to hire, train, or retain employees of units of 
general local government. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry 
out this section for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.’’. 
Æ 
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