I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2489
To provide effective training and education programs for displaced home-
makers, single parents, and individuals entering nontraditional employ-
ment.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 12, 2001
Ms. HART (for herself, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr.
OWENS, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. SANCHEZ, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mrs. TAUSCHER,
Mrs. MORELLA, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. HORN, Ms. BROWN of
Florida, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. WATERS, Mr. WATKINS
of Oklahoma, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. PAYNE,
Ms. HARMAN, and Mr. SANDERS) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To provide effective training and education programs for
displaced homemakers, single parents, and individuals
entering nontraditional employment.
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 ‘‘Homemaker Employ-
ment Assistance and Lifeskills Act.’’
SEC. 2. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS.
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide
assistance to States for preparatory services, education
and training programs, support service assistance, and re-
ferral services to displaced homemakers, single parents,
and individuals pursuing nontraditional occupations. Such
assistance will create workforce pathways for individuals
in transition and help meet the employment needs of a
high skilled, information technology economy.
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) A high quality, productive, and diverse
workforce is necessary to compete in the global econ-
omy.
(2) There are approximately 15,000,000 dis-
placed homemakers and single parents in the United
States for whom the pathway to employment and
economic independence requires education and train-
ing services.
(3) The education and training needs of dis-
placed homemakers, single parents, and individuals
pursuing nontraditional occupations are not suffi-
ciently met through existing systems.
(4) Displaced homemakers and single parents
represent an untapped resource to enter unfilled po-
sitions in the information technology sector.
(5) Employment in information technology and
nontraditional careers offers wages and advancement
opportunities to help families achieve economic inde-
pendence.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Except as otherwise specified in this Act, as used in
this Act:
(1) COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATION.—The
term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a pub-
lic or private nonprofit organization of demonstrated
effectiveness that—
(A) is representative of a community or
significant segments of a community; and
(B) provides educational or related services
to individuals in the community.
(2) DISPLACED HOMEMAKER.—The term ‘‘dis-
placed homemaker’’ means an individual who has
been providing unpaid services to family members in
the home and who—
(A) has been dependent on the income of
another family member but is no longer sup-
ported by that income; and
(B) is unemployed or underemployed and
is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or up-
grading employment.
(3) ELIGIBLE STATE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible State agency’’ means a State board designated
or created as the State agency responsible for the
administration of vocational and technical education
in the State.
(4) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible
recipient’’ means a community-based organization, a
local educational agency, a postsecondary vocational
institution, or other entities that have demonstrated
ability to meet the education and training needs of
displaced homemakers and single parents.
(5) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given
such term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(6) 
NONTRADITIONAL
EMPLOYMENT.—The
term ‘‘nontraditional employment,’’ refers to occupa-
tions or fields of work for which individuals from
one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the in-
dividuals employed in each such occupation or field
of work.
(7) PREPARATORY SERVICES.—The term ‘‘pre-
paratory services’’ means services, programs, or ac-
tivities designed to assist individuals who are not en-
rolled in education or training programs in the selec-
tion of, or preparation for participation in, an appro-
priate education or training program, such as—
(A) services, programs, or activities related
to outreach in the recruitment of potential stu-
dents;
(B) career counseling and personal coun-
seling;
(C) vocational assessment and testing; and
(D) other appropriate services, programs,
or activities.
(8) POSTSECONDARY
VOCATIONAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘postsecondary vocation institu-
tion’’ has the same meaning given such term in sec-
tion 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1002(c)).
(9) SECONDARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in
section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(10) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’
means the Secretary of Education.
(11) SINGLE PARENT.—The term ‘‘single par-
ent’’ means an individual who is unmarried and—
(A) has a minor child or children for which
the parent has either custody or joint custody;
or
(B) is pregnant.
(12) SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.—The term ‘‘sup-
portive services’’ means services such as transpor-
tation, child care, dependent care, and needs based
payment, that are necessary to enable an individual
to participate in education and training activities.
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide
grants to States to enable such States to develop or en-
hance programs described in section 6.
SEC. 5. ALLOCATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall allot funds to
the States under this Act based on the ratio of the popu-
lation between the ages of 16 and 64 of each State to
the total population between the ages of 16 and 64 in all
of the States.
(b) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds provided
under this Act shall be used to supplement not supplant
other Federal, State, and local public funds expended to
provide services to displaced homemakers, single parents,
and students pursuing nontraditional occupations.
SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible State agency shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a plan for a five-year
period, together with such annual revisions as the eligible
State agency determines to be necessary.
(b) REVISIONS; REVIEW; AND ACCOUNTABILITY.—
Each eligible State agency shall—
(1) submit such annual revisions of the plan to
the Secretary as the eligible State agency determines
to be necessary;
(2) after the second year of the 5-year State
plan, conduct a review of activities assisted under
this Act and submit any revisions of the State plan
that the eligible State agency determines necessary
to the Secretary; and
(3) submit an annual report of data compiled in
accordance with paragraph (7) of subsection (d).
(c) PLAN DEVELOPMENT.—The eligible State agency
may develop the State plan in consultation with experts,
students in displaced homemaker, single parent, and non-
traditional training programs, and any other individual
the State considers necessary.
(d) PLAN CONTENTS.—The State plan shall include
information that—
(1) describes the preparatory services and voca-
tional and technical education activities to be as-
sisted that are designed to assist single parents, dis-
placed homemakers, and students pursuing non-
traditional training and employment;
(2) describes the process for soliciting competi-
tive applications and the criteria that will be used by
the eligible State agency in awarding eligible recipi-
ents funds under this Act;
(3) describes how comprehensive professional
development will be provided;
(4) describes how the eligible State agency
will—
(A) annually evaluate the effectiveness of
such programs; and
(B) coordinate such programs to ensure
non-duplication with other existing Federal pro-
grams;
(5) provides assurances that the eligible State
agency will comply with the requirements of this Act
and the provisions of the State plan, including the
provision of a financial audit of funds received under
this Act which may be included as part of an audit
of other Federal or State programs;
(6) provides assurances that none of the funds
expended under this Act will be used to acquire
equipment (including computer software) in any in-
stance in which such acquisition results in a direct
financial benefit to any organization representing
the interests of the purchasing entity, the employees
of the purchasing entity, or any affiliate of such an
organization;
(7) describes how the eligible State agency will
measure and report the progress of the students who
are served pursuant to this Act, including—
(A) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s participation in and completion of a vo-
cational and technical education program;
(B) student participation in and comple-
tion of vocational and technical education pro-
grams that lead to nontraditional training and
employment;
(C) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s attainment of a secondary school di-
ploma or its recognized equivalent;
(D) single parent and displaced home-
maker’s placement in postsecondary education
or advanced training, placement in military
service, or placement in employment;
(E) student placement in nontraditional
employment; and
(8) describes how the eligible State agency will
provide eligible recipients with technical assistance;
(9) describes the methods proposed for the joint
planning and coordination of programs carried out
under this Act with other Federal programs.
(e) PLAN OPTION.—The eligible State agency may
fulfill the requirements of subsection (d) by submitting a
plan under section 123 of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational
and Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2343).
(f) PLAN APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall consider
a plan or revision of a State plan approved, unless the
Secretary determines, within 120 days of submission, that
the State plan, or revision, respectively, does not meet the
requirements of this section.
SEC. 7. PROGRAMS FOR SINGLE PARENTS, DISPLACED
HOMEMAKERS, AND NONTRADITIONAL EM-
PLOYMENT.
Except as provided in section 8(a), each State may
use funds provided under section 9 only to—
(1) provide, subsidize, reimburse, or pay for
preparatory services, necessary educational materials
(including books and supplies), career guidance and
counseling services, support services, or special serv-
ices;
(2) provide information to displaced home-
makers, single parents, and students interested in
pursuing nontraditional occupations, to inform such
individuals of vocational education and training pro-
grams, related support services, and counseling;
(3) provide programs, services, counseling, and
activities to prepare displaced homemakers and sin-
gle parents to attain marketable skills for employ-
ment that will lead to economic self-sufficiency;
(4) provide programs, services, counseling, and
activities that will provide displaced homemakers
and single parents with the skills to enter informa-
tion technology and nontraditional careers;
(5) provide programs, services, counseling, and
activities to increase opportunities for students to
enter and pursue education and training in nontradi-
tional careers, including information technology and
other high skill careers;
(6) provide programs, services, counseling, and
activities to ensure a fair and respectful learning en-
vironment for all vocational students, particularly
those preparing for nontraditional employment; and
(7) develop replicable model programs that in-
crease participation and completion rates of individ-
uals in nontraditional employment.
SEC. 8. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
(a) RESERVATION FOR STATE ACTIVITIES.—From
the amounts allocated under section 5, not more than 5
percent shall be reserved for State administration.
(b) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Each eligible State
agency receiving funds made available under section 5(a),
shall match, from non-Federal sources and on a dollar-
for-dollar basis, the funds received under section 9.
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—Any State desiring to partici-
pate in a program authorized by this Act shall assign not
less than one individual within the appropriate agency es-
tablished to administer vocational education programs
within the State to assist in fulfilling the purposes of this
Act by—
(1) administering the program of vocational
education described in section 7;
(2) gathering, analyzing, and disseminating
data on the adequacy and effectiveness of vocational
education programs in the State as described in sec-
tion 6;
(3) developing the State plan described in sec-
tion 6;
(4) providing technical assistance and profes-
sional development in expanding vocational opportu-
nities for students pursuing nontraditional occupa-
tions and single parents, and displaced homemakers;
(5) managing the distribution of funds pursu-
ant to section 6;
(6) monitoring the use of funds distributed to
recipients under such programs; and
(7) evaluating the effectiveness of programs and
activities supported by such funds.
(d) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.—The administrator as-
signed under subsection (c) shall—
(1) on a competitive basis, provide grants to eli-
gible recipients; and
(2) ensure that each grant is for a program
that is of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be ef-
fective.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums
as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal
years.
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