‘‘(2) DURATION.—A demonstration project shall 
be conducted under this subsection for not less than 
3 years. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—An appli-
cant seeking a grant under this subsection for a 
demonstration project shall submit to the Secretary 
an application for the grant, that includes the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) A demonstration that the State in 
which the project is to be conducted has in ef-
fect policies or laws that permit certain allied 
health and behavioral health care credentials to 
be awarded to people with certain arrest or con-
viction records (which policies or laws shall in-
clude appeals processes and other opportunities 
to demonstrate rehabilitation to obtain creden-
tials, licensure, and approval to work in the 
proposed health careers), and a plan described 
in the application which will use a career path-
way to assist participants with such a record in 
acquiring credentials, licensing, and employ-
ment in the specified careers. 
‘‘(B) A discussion of how the project or fu-
ture strategic hiring decisions will demonstrate 
the experience and expertise of the project in 
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working with job seekers who have arrest or 
conviction records or employers with experience 
working with people with arrest or conviction 
records. 
‘‘(C) A demonstration that the applicant 
has experience working with low-income popu-
lations, or a description of the plan of the appli-
cant to work with a partner organization that 
has the experience. 
‘‘(D) An identification of promising inno-
vations or best practices that can be used to 
provide the training. 
‘‘(E) A proof of concept or demonstration 
that the applicant has done sufficient research 
on workforce shortage or in-demand jobs for 
which people with certain types of arrest or 
conviction records can be hired. 
‘‘(F) A plan for recruiting students who 
are eligible individuals into the project. 
‘‘(G) A plan for providing post-employment 
support and ongoing training as part of a ca-
reer pathway under the project. 
‘‘(4) PREFERENCES IN CONSIDERING APPLICA-
TIONS.—In considering applications for a grant 
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under this subsection, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to— 
‘‘(A) applications submitted by applicants 
who have completed a demonstration project 
funded under this section, if an evaluation of 
the project, which was funded by the Secretary, 
found the project to have positive outcomes in 
the categories of— 
‘‘(i) graduation and credential attain-
ment; 
‘‘(ii) job placement and retention; and 
‘‘(iii) evidence of addressing the work-
er shortage or in-demand jobs described in 
the original application for funding for the 
completed demonstration project; and 
‘‘(B) applications which have an emergency 
cash fund to assist project participants finan-
cially in emergency situations. 
‘‘(5) SUPPORT TO BE PROVIDED.— 
‘‘(A) REQUIRED SUPPORT.—A project for 
which a grant is made under this subsection 
shall include access to legal assistance for 
project participants for the purpose of address-
ing arrest or conviction records and associated 
workforce barriers. 
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‘‘(B) ALLOWED SUPPORT.—The goods and 
services provided under a project for which a 
grant is made under this subsection may in-
clude the following: 
‘‘(i) A reserve fund for financial as-
sistance to project participants in emer-
gency situations. 
‘‘(ii) Assistance with programs and 
activities, 
including 
legal 
assistance, 
deemed necessary to address arrest or con-
viction records as an employment barrier. 
‘‘(6) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
shall provide technical assistance— 
‘‘(A) to assist eligible entities in applying 
for grants under this subsection; 
‘‘(B) that is tailored to meet the needs of 
grantees at each stage of the administration of 
projects for which grants are made under this 
subsection; and 
‘‘(C) that is tailored to meet the specific 
needs of eligible entities in carrying out the 
projects. 
‘‘(7) EVALUATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, 
by grant, contract, or interagency agreement, 
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conduct rigorous and well-designed evaluations 
of the demonstration projects for which a grant 
is made under this subsection, which shall in-
clude identification of successful activities for 
creating opportunities for developing and sus-
taining, particularly with respect to low-income 
individuals with arrest or conviction records, a 
health professions workforce that has accessible 
entry points, that meets high standards for edu-
cation, training, certification, and professional 
development, and that provides increased wages 
and affordable benefits, including health care 
coverage, that are responsive to the needs of the 
workforce. 
‘‘(B) RULE
OF
INTERPRETATION.—Eval-
uations conducted pursuant to this paragraph 
may include a randomized controlled trial, but 
this paragraph shall not be interpreted to re-
quire an evaluation to include such a trial. 
‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi-
ble entity’ means any of the following entities 
that demonstrates in an application submitted 
under this subsection that the entity has the ca-
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