I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2611 
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare individuals 
with multiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce by providing 
such individuals with support services, job training, and education, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 21, 2011 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. LUJA´N, Mr. POLIS, Mr. BACA, and Mr. 
PIERLUISI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare 
individuals with multiple barriers to employment to enter 
the workforce by providing such individuals with support 
services, job training, and education, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Promoting Partner-
ships to Transform Opportunities Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
It is the purpose of this Act to provide resources to 
nonprofit organizations and minority-serving institutions 
to prepare individuals with multiple barriers to employ-
ment, especially underrepresented minorities, to enter the 
workforce by providing support services, job training, and 
education. 
SEC. 3. UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS. 
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment Act 
of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 166 (29 
U.S.C. 2911), the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 166B. UNREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 
support employment and training activities for individuals 
with multiple barriers to employment in order— 
‘‘(1) to develop more fully the academic, occu-
pational, and literacy skills of such individuals; 
‘‘(2) to make such individuals more competitive 
in the workforce; and 
‘‘(3) to promote the economic and social devel-
opment of minority communities in accordance with 
the goals and values of such communities. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 
‘‘(1) MINORITY-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The 
term ‘minority-serving institution’ means— 
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‘‘(A) a historically Black college or univer-
sity; 
‘‘(B) a Hispanic-serving Institution; 
‘‘(C) a Tribal College or University; or 
‘‘(D) a Predominantly Black Institution. 
‘‘(2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI-
VERSITY.—The term ‘historically Black college or 
university’ has the meaning given the term ‘part B 
institution’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 
‘‘(3) 
HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The 
term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 502 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 
‘‘(4) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘nonprofit organization’ means a nonprofit organiza-
tion that focuses on preparing individuals with mul-
tiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce 
by providing such individuals with support services, 
job training, and education. 
‘‘(5) PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION.— 
The term ‘Predominantly Black Institution’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 318 (20 U.S.C. 
1059e). 
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‘‘(6) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The 
term ‘Tribal College or University’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 316 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c). 
‘‘(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall, 
on a competitive basis, make grants to, or enter into con-
tracts or cooperative agreements with, nonprofit organiza-
tions in partnership with one or more minority-serving in-
stitutions to carry out the authorized activities described 
in subsection (d). 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—A nonprofit organi-
zation in partnership with one or more minority-serving 
institutions receiving a grant, contract, or agreement 
under subsection (c) shall use such funds to serve individ-
uals with multiple barriers to employment by carrying out 
the following activities: 
‘‘(1) Education services, including postsec-
ondary education, English as a second language 
courses, General Education Development prepara-
tion, financial literacy workshops, access to informa-
tion technology workshops and courses, Generational 
Diversity Awareness programs, and health and 
wellness programs. 
‘‘(2) Activities that increase access to workforce 
services, including on-the-job training, internships, 
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skills training, job placement, financial literacy, and 
personal development. 
‘‘(3) Additional support services, including 
health and nutrition services, housing assistance, 
transportation, child care, and clothing. 
‘‘(e) PROGRAM PLAN.—In order to receive a grant 
or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement under 
this subsection (c), a nonprofit organization in partnership 
with one or more minority-serving institutions shall submit 
to the Secretary a program plan that describes a strategy 
for meeting the needs of individuals with multiple barriers 
to employment in the area served by such organization. 
Such plan shall— 
‘‘(1) be consistent with the purpose of this sec-
tion; 
‘‘(2) identify the population to be served; 
‘‘(3) identify the education and employment 
needs of the population to be served and the manner 
in which the activities to be provided will strengthen 
the ability of the individuals served to obtain or re-
tain unsubsidized employment; 
‘‘(4) describe the activities to be provided and 
the manner in which such activities are to be inte-
grated with other appropriate activities; and 
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‘‘(5) describe, after the organization submitting 
the plan consults with the Secretary, the perform-
ance measures to be used to assess the performance 
of nonprofit organizations in carrying out the activi-
ties assisted under this section. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 
2012 through 2016.’’. 
Æ 
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