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’’. 
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— 
(A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through 
(iv) as clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; 
and 
(B) inserting after clause (i) the following: 
‘‘(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 
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 
‘‘industry-recognized credential or certificate (such 
as a high-demand registry skill credential described 
in section 122(c)(1)(B)(i)),’’. 
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) and section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D. Per-
kins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 
(20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)). 
(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-
tials (which may be certificates), for purposes of en-
abling programs that lead to such a credential to re-
ceive priority under a covered provision. 
(2) REGISTRY.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) list the credential in the registry if the 
credential is required by Federal or State law 
for an occupation (such as a credential required
by a State law regarding qualifications for a 
health care occupation); 
(B) list the credential in the registry if the 
credential is a credential from the Manufac-
turing Institute-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills 
Certification System; and 
(C) list the credential, and list an updated 
credential, in the registry if the credential in-
volved is an industry-recognized, nationally 
portable credential that is consistent with the 
Secretary’s established industry competency 
models and is consistently updated through 
third party validation to reflect changing indus-
try competencies. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to require an entity with responsibility 
for selecting or approving an education, training, or work-
force investment activities program with regard to a cov-
ered provision, to select a program with a credential listed 
in the registry described in subsection (b).
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, take 
effect 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 
2010. 
Attest: 
Clerk.