I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5641 
To amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 in order to improve career and technical education, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 6, 2016 
Mrs. DAVIS of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Edu-
cation Act of 2006 in order to improve career and tech-
nical education, 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 ‘‘Equity in Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi-
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sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to a 
section or other provision of the Carl D. Perkins Career 
and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 
et seq.). 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
Section 2 (20 U.S.C. 2301) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
‘‘The purpose of this Act is to support the develop-
ment of and access to high-quality career and technical 
education programs of study that successfully prepare stu-
dents for college and careers, thereby ensuring the global 
competitiveness of the United States and the economic 
self-sufficiency of the citizens of the United States.’’. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (15) through 
(28) and (29) through (34) as paragraphs (16) 
through (29) and (31) through (36), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(15) EQUITY
GAP.—The term ‘equity gap’ 
means the gaps in participation and performance on 
the core indicators of performance described in sec-
tion 113(b)(2) for career and technical education 
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programs 
of 
study, 
as 
described 
in 
section 
122(c)(1)(A), between student groups based on gen-
der, race, and each of the special populations de-
scribed in paragraph (31), as compared to all stu-
dents served by the eligible agency or eligible recipi-
ent under this Act.’’; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (29), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(30) SELF-SUFFICIENCY.—The term ‘self-suf-
ficiency’ means a wage that enables a household to 
meet the costs of the basic needs in the local area 
of the household and to build sufficient savings for 
the future.’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (33), as redesignated by para-
graph (1), by striking ‘‘and instructional aids and 
devices.’’ and inserting ‘‘instructional aids and de-
vices, transportation, child care, dependent care, tui-
tion, books, supplies, and other services necessary to 
enable an individual to participate in career and 
technical education activities.’’. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 9 (20 U.S.C. 2307) is amended by striking 
‘‘2007 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2017 through 
2021’’. 
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SEC. 6. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION. 
Subparagraph (B) of section 112(a)(2) (20 U.S.C. 
2322(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) not less than $100,000 shall be re-
served to provide technical assistance and pro-
fessional development to local educational agen-
cies on effective strategies for closing equity 
gaps; and’’. 
SEC. 7. ACCOUNTABILITY. 
Section 113 (20 U.S.C. 2323) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (3)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i)(II), by inserting ‘‘clos-
ing equity gaps and’’ after ‘‘progress to-
ward’’; and 
(ii) in clause (vi)(II), by inserting 
‘‘close equity gaps and’’ after ‘‘levels of 
performance’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (i)(II), by inserting 
‘‘closing 
equity 
gaps 
and’’ 
after 
‘‘progress toward’’; and 
(II) in clause (v)(II), by inserting 
‘‘close equity gaps and’’ after ‘‘levels 
of performance’’; and 
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(ii) in subparagraph (C)— 
(I) in clause (i)— 
(aa) by striking ‘‘regarding 
the progress’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘regarding— 
‘‘(I) the progress’’; 
(bb) by striking ‘‘indicators 
of performance.’’ and inserting 
‘‘indicators of performance; and’’; 
and 
(cc) by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(II) how the eligible recipient 
has used funds to provide programs 
and support services to close the eq-
uity gaps identified under clause 
(ii)(II).’’; and 
(II) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) in subclause (I), by 
striking ‘‘for the subgroups of 
students’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
‘‘by gender, by race, and for each 
of the special populations de-
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scribed in section 3(31); and’’; 
and 
(bb) in subclause (II), by 
striking ‘‘disparities or gaps in 
performance’’ and inserting ‘‘eq-
uity gaps’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semi-
colon; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(B) as subparagraph (C); and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(A) the following: 
‘‘(B) the progress of the State in closing 
equity gaps and how the eligible agency has 
used funds to provide programs and services for 
eligible recipients to close such equity gaps; 
and’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘for the categories’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘; and’’ and inserting ‘‘by gender, 
race, and for each of the special popu-
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lations described in section 3(31); and’’; 
and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘disparities or gaps in performance be-
tween any such category of students and 
the performance of all students served by 
the eligible agency under this Act’’ and in-
serting ‘‘equity gaps between any category 
of students described in subparagraph 
(A)’’. 
SEC. 8. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
Section 114(d) (20 U.S.C. 2324(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(B)— 
(A) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(B) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause 
(vii); and 
(C) by inserting after clause (v) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(vi) individuals with expertise on the 
development of programs that have been 
effective in closing equity gaps; and’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)— 
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(A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and have 
been successful in closing equity gaps’’ after 
‘‘under this Act’’; and 
(B) in the matter preceding subclause (I) 
of clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘, disaggregated as 
described in section 113(b)(4)(C)(ii)(I) and’’ 
before ‘‘including analyses’’; 
(3) in the matter preceding subclause (I) of 
paragraph (4)(A)(i), by inserting ‘‘closing equity 
gaps and’’ before ‘‘addressing’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘for pro-
viding’’ and inserting ‘‘for closing equity gaps by 
providing high-quality’’. 
SEC. 9. STATE ADMINISTRATION. 
Section 121(a) (20 U.S.C. 2341(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) conducting an equity gap analysis.’’. 
SEC. 10. STATE PLAN. 
Section 122(c) (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
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(A) in subparagraph (K), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (L), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(M) how funds will be used to support 
State technical assistance and professional de-
velopment to close the equity gaps identified in 
section 121(a)(5);’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)(E), by inserting ‘‘close eq-
uity gaps and’’ after ‘‘and skills needed to’’; and 
(3) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) 
of paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘for special popu-
lations’’ and inserting ‘‘for closing equity gaps’’. 
SEC. 11. STATE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT. 
Section 123 (20 U.S.C. 2343) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, or fails to show im-
provement on closing any equity gap iden-
tified under section 113(c)(2)(B) for the 
preceding fiscal year,’’ after ‘‘upon State 
adjusted level of performance’’; and 
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘or close equity 
gaps,’’ after ‘‘adjusted level of perform-
ance,’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) by inserting ‘‘, or in 
closing equity gaps,’’ after ‘‘levels 
of performance’’; and 
(bb) by striking ‘‘or’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(II) in clause (iii), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(III) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(iv) fails to show improvement on 
closing equity gaps for the populations 
identified in section 113(c)(2)(A) for 3 
consecutive years.’’; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(B) as subparagraph (C); and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(A) the following: 
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‘‘(B) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible agency 
shall use funds made available under section 
112(c) for the purposes described in section 
124(b)(10) when the eligible agency— 
‘‘(i) fails to show improvement in clos-
ing equity gaps within the first program 
year of implementation of its improvement 
plan described in paragraph (1); or 
‘‘(ii) fails to show improvement on 
closing equity gaps for the populations 
identified in section 113(c)(2)(A) for 3 
consecutive years.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘con-
duct an equity gap analysis to’’ after ‘‘shall’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, or failed to show 
improvement on the closing of equity gaps 
identified in section 113(b)(4)(C)(ii)(II),’’ 
after ‘‘upon local adjusted level of perform-
ance’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(with special consid-
eration to performance gaps identified 
under section 113(b)(4)(C)(ii)(II))’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
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(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) by inserting ‘‘in closing 
equity gaps or’’ after ‘‘any im-
provement’’; and 
(bb) by striking ‘‘or’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(II) in clause (iii), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(III) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(iv) fails to show improvement on 
closing equity gaps for the populations 
identified in section 113(b)(4)(C)(ii)(I) for 
3 consecutive years.’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—An el-
igible entity shall require an eligible recipient 
receiving an allocation under this title to use 
not less than 10 percent of the funds made 
available to the eligible recipient under section 
131 or 132 to meet the purposes described in 
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