I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6247 
To establish a competitive grant program at the U.S. Department of Edu-
cation to support the development, production, and distribution of public 
media programming designed to prepare Americans for in-demand occu-
pations that address the needs of State and local economies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 12, 2020 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself and Mr. MEUSER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish a competitive grant program at the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education to support the development, produc-
tion, and distribution of public media programming de-
signed to prepare Americans for in-demand occupations 
that address the needs of State and local economies. 
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 ‘‘Partnerships for Amer-
ican Jobs Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) The terms ‘‘career pathway’’, ‘‘State 
board’’, and ‘‘local board’’ have the meanings given 
the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
(2) The term ‘‘digital media programming’’ 
means video and audio programming that may be 
delivered through a variety of media platforms, in-
cluding broadcast television and radio, the internet, 
mobile devices, and other platforms. 
(3) The term ‘‘in-demand industry sector or oc-
cupation’’ has the meaning given in section 3 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102). 
(4) The term ‘‘institutions of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(5) The terms ‘‘local educational agency’’ and 
‘‘State educational agency’’ have the meanings given 
such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(6) The terms ‘‘public broadcast station’’ and 
‘‘public telecommunications entity’’ have the mean-
ings given such terms in section 397 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 397). 
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(7) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Education. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to support the development 
and distribution of digital media programming that— 
(1) promotes middle school, high school, and 
postsecondary student entrance into in-demand occu-
pations; 
(2) promotes student entrance into career path-
way programs that provide such preparation; and 
(3) assists in meeting the needs of State and 
local economies through increased workers in in-de-
mand industry sectors or occupations. 
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, may award com-
petitive grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 
agreements with, eligible entities described in subsection 
(c) to enable such entities— 
(1) to develop, produce, and distribute edu-
cational and promotional digital media programming 
that is designed— 
(A) to illustrate the value of career path-
ways in in-demand industry sectors and occupa-
tions; 
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(B) to encourage secondary and postsec-
ondary graduation and demonstrate successful 
student outcomes; 
(C) to inform young Americans, particu-
larly those who live in communities not cur-
rently served by career pathway programs, of a 
full range of secondary or postsecondary edu-
cation options which align with the skill needs 
of industries in the economy of the State or a 
locality as specified in subparagraph (D); and 
(D) to address the economic needs of a 
State as specified in the unified State plan that 
such State established under section 102 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3112) or locality as specified in a local 
plan established under section 108 of such Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3123) through encouragement of 
students and workers to enter professions and 
occupations related to in-demand industries or 
occupations; 
(2) to facilitate the development, directly or 
through contracts with producers of educational tele-
vision and audio programming, of educational pro-
gramming for middle school, high school, and post-
secondary learners, and accompanying support mate-
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rials and services that promote the effective use of 
such programming; 
(3) to facilitate the development of program-
ming, digital content, and support materials, for 
parents, educators, specialized instructional support 
personnel, and employers, that is designed for dis-
tribution over the broadcast channels of television 
and radio public broadcast stations and the internet; 
and 
(4) to contract with entities (such as public 
telecommunications entities) to disseminate and dis-
tribute programming developed under this Act to the 
widest possible audience through the most appro-
priate distribution technologies, including broadcast 
and online platforms. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—In awarding grants, contracts, 
or cooperative agreements under this section, the Sec-
retary shall ensure that eligible entities make program-
ming widely available, with support materials as appro-
priate, to local educational agencies, institutions of higher 
education, workforce development systems, and employers 
in relevant industries. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant, contract or cooperative agreement under this sec-
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tion an entity shall be a public telecommunications entity 
that is able to demonstrate each of the following: 
(1) A capacity to contract for the development 
and national distribution of educational and pro-
motional video, audio, and other media programming 
that is accessible by middle school, high school, and 
postsecondary learners. 
(2) A capacity to distribute programming, dig-
ital content, and support materials, for parents, edu-
cators, specialized instructional support personnel, 
and employers, that is designed for distribution over 
the broadcast channels of television and radio public 
broadcast stations and the internet. 
(3) A capacity, consistent with the entity’s mis-
sion and nonprofit nature, to negotiate the contracts 
described in paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsection 
(a) in a manner that returns to the entity an appro-
priate share of any ancillary income from sales of 
any program-related products. 
(4) A capacity to localize programming and ma-
terials to meet specific State and local needs and to 
provide educational outreach at the local level. 
SEC. 5. COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES. 
(a) CONSULTATION WITH THE SECRETARY.—An eli-
gible entity receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative 
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agreement under this Act shall consult with the Sec-
retary— 
(1) to maximize the utilization of educational 
programming by secondary and postsecondary learn-
ers, and make such programming widely available to 
federally funded programs serving such populations; 
and 
(2) to coordinate activities with Federal, State, 
and local programs that support workforce develop-
ment and career and technical education, including 
programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (29 U.S.C. 2301 
et seq.), the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), 
and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). 
(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER ENTITIES.—To the 
extent feasible, an eligible entity receiving a grant, con-
tract, or cooperative agreement shall also coordinate its 
activity under such award with the activities of one or 
more of the following entities: 
(1) Employers. 
(2) Workforce development professionals and 
agencies. 
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(3) Educators. 
(4) Labor organizations. 
(5) Joint labor-management partnerships. 
(6) State educational agencies and local edu-
cational agencies. 
(7) State boards and local boards. 
(8) Institutions of higher education. 
(9) Business councils. 
SEC. 6. APPLICATIONS. 
An eligible entity desiring to receive a grant, contract, 
or cooperative agreement under this Act shall submit to 
the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Labor 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. This application must include— 
(1) the full scale and content of the program-
ming to be produced; 
(2) the population and geographic area to be 
targeted by the programming; 
(3) the economic need of the State or locality 
that the programming is designed to meet through 
increased participation in in-demand industries and 
occupations; and 
(4) the initiatives to be undertaken by the eligi-
ble entity to develop public-private partnerships to 
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secure non-Federal support for the development, dis-
tribution, and broadcast of the programming. 
SEC. 7. REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS. 
(a) BIENNIAL REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—An eli-
gible entity receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under this Act shall prepare and submit to the 
Secretary a biennial report that contains such information 
as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, the report 
shall describe the activities undertaken with funds received 
under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, in-
cluding each of the following: 
(1) The programming that has been developed, 
directly or indirectly, by the eligible entity. 
(2) The target population for this program-
ming. 
(3) The economic needs of the State or locality 
(as identified in the application of the eligible entity 
under section 6(3)) that this programming was at-
tempting to meet through the encouragement of new 
workers in in-demand sectors and occupations. 
(4) The degree to which the number of workers 
working in such in-demand sectors and occupations 
has increased since the programming was distrib-
uted. 
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