I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4072 
To require that certain Federal job training and career education programs 
give priority to programs that provide a national industry-recognized 
and portable credential. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 16, 2009 
Mr. MINNICK
(for himself, Mr. KRATOVIL, Mr. BRIGHT, and Mrs. 
HALVORSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor, 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require that certain Federal job training and career edu-
cation programs give priority to programs that provide 
a national industry-recognized and 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 
Act’’ or the ‘‘AMERICA Works Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND PORTABLE CRE-
DENTIALS FOR JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS. 
(a) WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT.— 
(1) GENERAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AC-
TIVITIES.—Section 134 of the Workforce Investment 
Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) PRIORITY FOR PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE A NA-
TIONAL INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL.—In select-
ing and approving training programs or services under 
this section, a State, a local board, and a one-stop delivery 
system shall give priority approval to programs that pro-
vide a national industry-recognized and portable creden-
tial, certificate, or degree.’’. 
(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 by redesignating clauses 
(ii) through (iv) as clauses (iii) through (v), respec-
tively, and inserting after clause (i) the following: 
‘‘(ii) to the extent available and ap-
propriate, a national industry-recognized 
credential, certificate, or degree;’’. 
(b) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.—Section 
3(5)(A)(ii) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘that is nationally recognized and portable and 
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which may provide a basis for additional credentials, cer-
tificates, or degrees’’ after ‘‘an industry-recognized cre-
dential’’. 
(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 seek to approve programs that provide a na-
tional industry-recognized and portable credential, certifi-
cate, or degree.’’. 
Æ 
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