I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6704 
To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant program for States 
to improve or establish a credential repository, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 11, 2023 
Mrs. MCBATH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant pro-
gram for States to improve or establish a credential 
repository, 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 ‘‘Credential Repository 
and Transparency in States Act’’ or the ‘‘CReatES Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance to 
States for the collection, development, analysis, and shar-
ing of information on— 
(1) all of the credentials offered in each State; 
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(i) the number of credentials offered 
in the State; and 
(ii) the number of training providers 
in the State. 
(4) TIMING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
Secretary receives an application submitted under 
subsection (b), the Secretary shall make a deter-
mination as to whether the State that submitted 
such application will receive a grant under this Act. 
(5) LIMIT.—The Secretary may only award one 
grant to a State. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant, 
a State shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary shall require, including— 
(1) information on how the State will establish, 
expand, or improve a credential repository that satis-
fies requirements under subsection (d); 
(2) information on the data policy a State will 
establish under subsection (c)(1)(B); 
(3) a description of any products, tools, serv-
ices, or resources that a State develops pursuant to 
subsection (c)(1)(E); 
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(4) an assurance that the credential repository 
will be interoperable with other State credential re-
positories; and 
(5) an assurance that the State will establish 
and maintain the credential repository in accordance 
with the requirements under subsection (d). 
(c) USES OF FUNDS.— 
(1) MANDATORY
USE.—A State awarded a 
grant under this Act shall— 
(A) establish a credential repository, as de-
scribed in subsection (d), through a process 
that includes input from the public; 
(B) establish a data policy for such reposi-
tory that addresses how the State will ensure 
that the repository meets the requirements de-
scribed in subsection (d); 
(C) assist training providers in the State 
in the collection of information on the primary 
indicators of performance described in section 
116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)) for 
each covered program; 
(D) provide guidance to education, job, 
and career counselors in the State on how to 
use the credential repository; and 
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(E) develop or facilitate access to products, 
tools, services, and other resources, using the 
information and linked, open, and interoperable 
data contained in the credential repository, that 
benefit workers, employers, educators, coun-
selors, policymakers, and others. 
(2) AUTHORIZED USE.—If a State carries out 
all of the activities under paragraph (1), the State 
may use any excess grant funds to publicize the re-
pository of the State to individuals in the State. 
(d) CREDENTIAL REPOSITORY.—A State that re-
ceives a grant under this Act shall establish a publicly ac-
cessible credential repository that— 
(1) identifies— 
(A) each credential offered in the State; 
and 
(B) each training provider in the State; 
(2) includes information on— 
(A) with respect to each training provider 
in the State— 
(i) process and outcome quality indi-
cators of such training provider for each 
covered program offered by such training 
provider; and 
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(ii) each credential for which such 
training provider offers a covered program; 
(B) with respect to each covered program 
offered in the State— 
(i) the competencies and skills an in-
dividual develops by completing such cov-
ered program; and 
(ii) the cost of enrollment for an indi-
vidual to enroll in such program; 
(C) with respect to each credential offered 
in the State— 
(i) the training providers that offer 
such credential; 
(ii) any assessment that an individual 
is required to take to earn such credential; 
(iii) the cost to an individual of each 
such assessment; 
(iv) any postsecondary credit or equiv-
alent transfer value recommendations of 
such credential, such as the recommenda-
tions provided by the American Council on 
Education’s National Guide, guidance from 
a statewide education coordinating entity, 
or recommendations or guidance from a 
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comparably similar entity, as available and 
appropriate; 
(v) the career pathway or program of 
study that such credential is a part, as ap-
plicable; 
(vi) the outcomes associated with such 
credential, including— 
(I) the earning and employment 
status of individuals after earning 
such credential; 
(II) the completion and pass 
rates of individuals in each career 
pathway or program of study for 
which the individual earned such cre-
dential; and 
(III) other calculations, including 
the return on investment, as deter-
mined by the State, for an individual 
after earning such credential; 
(vii) the job skills an individual devel-
ops in earning such credential; and 
(viii) the industries and occupations 
for which such credential prepares an indi-
vidual; 
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(3) aligns with, complements, and enhances eli-
gibility lists or criteria for training providers, such 
as the eligibility criteria established under section 
122(a) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(b)), or a program or pathway 
approval process required by the Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 
(U.S.C.) or chapter 33 of title 38, United States 
Code (otherwise known as the Post 9/11 Education 
Assistance Program); 
(4) is updated on a continuous basis to ensure 
the accuracy and recency of the information and 
data in the repository; 
(5) uses data formats that— 
(A) are transparent, linked, open, and 
interoperable with other State credential reposi-
tories; 
(B) are aligned with widely recognized and 
adopted standards, which may include the use 
of credential transparency description language 
specifications; and 
(C) allow for open access to the data in the 
repository across State and national borders 
and industry sectors for guidance counseling, 
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career navigation, and other comparably similar 
activities; 
(6) has functions to search, discover, compare, 
and analyze each credential, covered program, and 
training provider in the State; and 
(7) includes any other information as deter-
mined by the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education. 
(e) PRIVACY PROTECTIONS.—In carrying out the ac-
tivities under this Act, a State shall not collect or include 
in the repository any personally identifiable information. 
(f) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and on an annual 
basis thereafter, a State that receives a grant under 
this Act shall submit to the Secretary a report at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require, including 
information on the improvement or development and 
implementation of the credential repository in such 
State. 
(2) REDUCED BURDEN.—The Secretary, in co-
ordination with the Secretary of Education, and in 
consultation with the States receiving a grant under 
this Act, shall implement processes to reduce the 
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burden of reporting information required to be re-
ported under this Act. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) COVERED
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘covered 
program’’ means a program that is offered to indi-
viduals to earn a credential. 
(2) 
CREDENTIAL.—The 
term 
‘‘credential’’ 
means an education or occupational qualification or 
achievement used to indicate suitability for a future 
educational opportunity or career opportunity, in-
cluding diplomas, digital badges, certificates, certifi-
cations, a recognized postsecondary credential, occu-
pational or professional licenses, microcredentials, 
and degrees of all types and levels. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’, unless 
otherwise specified in this Act, means the Secretary 
of Labor. 
(4) TRAINING PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘training 
provider’’ means an entity that offers a covered pro-
gram. 
(5) WIOA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘career path-
way’’, ‘‘recognized postsecondary credential’’, and 
‘‘State’’ have the meanings given such terms in sec-
tion 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3113). 
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SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
Act for fiscal year 2025. 
(b) REMAIN AVAILABLE.—The funds appropriated 
under this section shall remain available until September 
30, 2027. 
Æ 
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