I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2574 
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to create a pilot program 
to award grants to units of general local government and community- 
based organizations to create jobs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2011 
Ms. WILSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to create 
a pilot program to award grants to units of general 
local government and community-based organizations to 
create jobs, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Jobs Now Act of 
2011’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:20 Jul 19, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2574.IH
H2574
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO UNITS OF GENERAL LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT. 
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment Act 
of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2911 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 173A (29 U.S.C. 2918a) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 173B. PILOT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts 
appropriated under subsection (h), the Secretary shall 
carry out a 2-year pilot program to award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to units of general local government or 
community-based organizations to retain, employ, or train 
employees providing a public service for a unit of general 
local government. 
‘‘(b) UNIT OF GENERAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT DE-
FINED.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘unit of 
general local government’ means any general purpose po-
litical subdivision of a State, or the United States Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, the freely associated states 
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau, that has 
the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general 
corporate and police powers. 
‘‘(c) USES OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIRED USES.— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:20 Jul 19, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2574.IH
H2574
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), a unit of general local government 
or community-based organization shall use not 
less than 50 percent of the grant funds received 
under this section to— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a unit, retain em-
ployees of such unit who are providing a 
public service for the unit and who would 
otherwise be laid off as a consequence of 
budget cuts; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an organization, 
retain employees of the organization who 
are providing a public service for the unit 
in which the organization is located and 
who would otherwise be laid off as a con-
sequence of budget cuts. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—In a case in which 50 
percent of a grant amount received under this 
section would exceed the amount needed for a 
unit or organization to retain the employees de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), the unit or organi-
zation may use only the amount needed to re-
tain such employees for such purpose. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZED
USES.—After using grant 
funds received under this section in accordance with 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:20 Jul 19, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2574.IH
H2574
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
paragraph (1), a unit of general local government or 
community-based organization may use any remain-
ing grant funds provided under this section to— 
‘‘(A) in the case of a unit of general local 
government— 
‘‘(i) employ individuals in new posi-
tions providing a public service for the 
unit; or 
‘‘(ii) train individuals for new public 
service positions for the unit; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a community-based or-
ganization— 
‘‘(i) employ individuals in new posi-
tions that would provide a public service 
for the unit in which the organization is lo-
cated or services in the private sector; or 
‘‘(ii) train individuals for any such po-
sitions. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY
FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.—The 
Secretary shall encourage each unit of general local gov-
ernment and each community-based organization receiving 
a grant under this section to use such grant funds to re-
tain, employ, or train— 
‘‘(1) veterans; 
‘‘(2) individuals with disabilities; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:20 Jul 19, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2574.IH
H2574
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
‘‘(g) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the first 
appropriation of funds under subsection (h), the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress, a report on— 
‘‘(1) the number and percentage of individuals 
hired or trained, and the number and percentage of 
employees of units retained, as a result of a grant 
under this section; and 
‘‘(2) best practices in carrying out a grant pro-
gram to hire, train, or retain employees of units of 
general local government. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry 
out this section for fiscal years 2012 and 2013.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:20 Jul 19, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2574.IH
H2574
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS