I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1325 
To require that certain Federal job training and career education programs 
give a priority to programs that provide an industry recognized and 
nationally portable credential. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2011 
Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana (for himself, Mr. PLATTS, and Mr. BOREN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and 
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require that certain Federal job training and career edu-
cation programs give a priority to programs that provide 
an industry recognized and nationally portable credential. 
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 ‘‘American Manufac-
turing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration 
Achievement Works Act’’ or the ‘‘AMERICA Works Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED AND NATIONALLY PORT-
ABLE CREDENTIALS FOR JOB TRAINING PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998.— 
(1) GENERAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AC-
TIVITIES.—Section 134(d)(4)(F) of the Workforce 
Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)(4)(F)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) PRIORITY FOR PROGRAMS THAT 
PROVIDE AN INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED AND 
NATIONALLY PORTABLE CREDENTIAL.—In 
selecting and approving training services, 
or programs of training services, under 
this section, a one-stop operator and em-
ployees of a one-stop center referred to in 
subsection (c) shall give priority consider-
ation to services and programs (approved 
by the appropriate State agency and local 
board in conjunction with section 122) that 
lead to a credential that is in high demand 
in the local area served and listed in the 
registry described in section 3(b) of the 
AMERICA Works Act.’’. 
(2) YOUTH ACTIVITIES.—Section 129(c)(1)(C) 
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2854(c)(1)(C)) is amended— 
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(A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through 
(iv) as clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; 
and 
(B) by inserting after clause (i) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(ii) training (with priority consider-
ation given to programs that lead to a cre-
dential that is in high demand in the local 
area served and listed in the registry de-
scribed in section 3(b) of the AMERICA 
Works Act, if the local board determines 
that such programs are available and ap-
propriate);’’. 
(b) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.— 
(1) STATE PLAN.—Section 122(c)(1)(B) of the 
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)) is amended 
by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting 
the following: ‘‘and, with respect to programs of 
study leading to an industry-recognized credential or 
certificate, will give priority consideration to pro-
grams of study that— 
‘‘(i) lead to an appropriate (as deter-
mined by the eligible agency) skills creden-
tial (which may be a certificate) that is in 
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high demand in the area served and listed 
in the registry described in section 3(b) of 
the AMERICA Works Act; and 
‘‘(ii) may provide a basis for addi-
tional credentials, certificates, or degrees;’’. 
(2) USE OF LOCAL FUNDS.—Section 134(b) of 
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2354(b)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (12)(B), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(13) describe the career and technical edu-
cation activities supporting the attainment of indus-
try-recognized credentials or certificates, and how 
the eligible recipient, in selecting such activities, 
gave priority consideration to activities supporting 
high-demand registry skill credentials described in 
section 122(c)(1)(B)(i).’’. 
(3) 
TECH-PREP
PROGRAMS.—Section 
203(c)(2)(E) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
2373(c)(2)(E)) is amended by striking ‘‘industry- 
recognized credential, a certificate,’’ and inserting 
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‘‘industry-recognized credential or certificate (such 
as a high-demand registry skill credential described 
in section 122(c)(1)(B)(i)),’’. 
(c) TRAINING PROGRAMS UNDER TAA.—Section 
236(a)(5) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 
2296(a)(5)) is amended by inserting after the sentence 
that follows subparagraph (H)(ii) the following: ‘‘In ap-
proving training programs under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall give priority consideration to programs that 
lead to a credential that is in high demand in the local 
area (defined for purposes of title I of the Workforce In-
vestment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)) served 
by the corresponding one-stop delivery system under that 
title for the training programs, and that is listed in the 
registry described in section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works 
Act.’’. 
SEC. 3. SKILL CREDENTIAL REGISTRY. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED PROVISION.—The term ‘‘covered 
provision’’ means any of sections 129 and 134 of the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854, 
2864), section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)), and section 236 of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296). 
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(2) INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED.—The term ‘‘indus-
try-recognized’’, used with respect to a credential, 
means a credential that— 
(A) is sought or accepted by companies 
within the industry sector involved as recog-
nized, preferred, or required for recruitment, 
screening, or hiring; and 
(B) is endorsed by a nationally recognized 
trade association or organization representing a 
significant part of the industry sector. 
(3) NATIONALLY PORTABLE.—The term ‘‘na-
tionally portable’’, used with respect to a credential, 
means a credential that is sought or accepted by 
companies within the industry sector involved, across 
multiple States, as recognized, preferred, or required 
for recruitment, screening, or hiring. 
(4) WORKFORCE
INVESTMENT
ACTIVITIES.— 
The term ‘‘workforce investment activities’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Work-
force Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801). 
(b) REGISTRY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Labor (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall create a registry of skill creden-
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