I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2721 
To provide subsidized employment for unemployed, low-income adults, provide 
summer employment and year-round employment opportunities for low- 
income youth, and carry out work-related and educational strategies 
and activities of demonstrated effectiveness, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2013 
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. HUFFMAN, and Mr. 
HINOJOSA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide subsidized employment for unemployed, low-in-
come adults, provide summer employment and year- 
round employment opportunities for low-income youth, 
and carry out work-related and educational strategies 
and activities of demonstrated effectiveness, 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 ‘‘Pathways Back to 
Work Act of 2013’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PATHWAYS BACK TO WORK 
FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States an account, which shall be 
known as the Pathways Back to Work Fund (referred to 
in this Act as ‘‘the Fund’’), consisting of the amounts as 
are paid to the Fund under subsection (b). 
(b) PAYMENT INTO THE FUND.—Out of any amounts 
in the general fund of the Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated, there is appropriated $12,500,000,000, which 
shall be paid to the Fund, to be used by the Secretary 
of Labor to carry out this Act. 
(c) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—The amounts appro-
priated under this Act shall be available for obligation by 
the Secretary of Labor through December 31, 2014, and 
shall be available for expenditure by recipients of grants 
and subgrants under this Act through September 30, 
2015. 
SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Using the amounts available 
through the Fund under section 2(b), the Secretary of 
Labor shall, subject to subsection (b)— 
(1) allot $8,000,000,000 in accordance with 
section 4 to provide subsidized employment to unem-
ployed, low-income adults; 
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(2) allot $2,500,000,000 in accordance with 
section 5 to provide summer employment and year- 
round employment opportunities to low-income 
youth; and 
(3) use $2,000,000,000 in accordance with sec-
tion 6 to award grants on a competitive basis to 
local entities to carry out work-based training and 
other work-related and educational strategies and 
activities of demonstrated effectiveness to unem-
ployed, low-income adults and low-income youth to 
provide the skills and assistance needed to obtain 
employment. 
(b) RESERVATION.—The Secretary of Labor may re-
serve not more than 1 percent of the amounts available 
through the Fund under each of paragraphs (1) through 
(3) of subsection (a) to pay for the costs of technical as-
sistance, evaluations, and Federal administration of this 
Act. 
SEC. 4. SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED, 
LOW-INCOME ADULTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) ALLOTMENTS.—From the funds available 
under section 3(a)(1), the Secretary of Labor shall 
make an allotment under subsection (b) to each 
State that has a State plan approved under sub-
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section (c) and to each outlying area and recipient 
under section 166(c) of the Workforce Investment 
Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2911(c)) that meets the re-
quirements of this section, for the purpose of pro-
viding subsidized employment opportunities to unem-
ployed, low-income adults. 
(2) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Labor, in coordination with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall issue guidance regarding 
the implementation of this section. Such guidance 
shall, consistent with this section, include procedures 
for the submission and approval of State and local 
plans and the allotment and allocation of funds, in-
cluding reallotment and reallocation of such funds, 
that promote the expeditious and effective implemen-
tation of the activities authorized under this section. 
(b) STATE ALLOTMENTS.— 
(1) RESERVATIONS FOR OUTLYING AREAS AND 
TRIBES.—Of the funds described in subsection 
(a)(1), the Secretary shall reserve— 
(A) not more than 1⁄4 of 1 percent to pro-
vide assistance to outlying areas to provide sub-
sidized employment to unemployed, low-income 
adults; and 
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(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of the for-
mula described in paragraph (2)— 
(A) AREA
OF
SUBSTANTIAL
UNEMPLOY-
MENT.—The term ‘‘area of substantial unem-
ployment’’ means any contiguous area that has 
a population of at least 10,000, and that has an 
average rate of unemployment of at least 6.5 
percent for the most recent 12 months, as de-
termined by the Secretary. 
(B) DISADVANTAGED ADULT OR YOUTH.— 
The term ‘‘disadvantaged adult or youth’’ 
means an individual who is age 16 or older 
(subject to section 132(b)(1)(B)(v)(I) of the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2862(b)(1)(B)(v)(I))) who received an income, 
or is a member of a family that received a total 
family income, that, in relation to family size, 
does not exceed the higher of— 
(i) the poverty line; or 
(ii) 70 percent of the lower living 
standard income level. 
(C) EXCESS NUMBER.—The term ‘‘excess 
number’’ means, used with respect to unem-
ployed individuals in a State, the higher of— 
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(i) the number that represents the 
number of unemployed individuals in ex-
cess of 4.5 percent of the civilian labor 
force in the State; or 
(ii) the number that represents the 
number of unemployed individuals in ex-
cess of 4.5 percent of the civilian labor 
force in areas of substantial unemployment 
in such State. 
(4) REALLOTMENT.—If the Governor of a State 
does not submit a State plan by the date specified 
in subsection (c)(2)(B), or a State does not receive 
approval of a State plan, the amount the State 
would have been eligible to receive pursuant to the 
formula under paragraph (2) shall be transferred 
within the Fund and added to the amounts available 
for competitive grants under section 3(a)(3). 
(c) STATE PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For a State to be eligible to 
receive an allotment of funds under subsection (b), 
the Governor of the State shall submit to the Sec-
retary of Labor a State plan in such form and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. At a minimum, such plan shall include— 
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(A) a description of the strategies and ac-
tivities to be carried out by the State, in coordi-
nation with employers in the State, to provide 
subsidized employment opportunities to unem-
ployed, low-income adults, including strategies 
relating to the level and duration of subsidies 
consistent with subsection (e)(2); 
(B) a description of the requirements the 
State will apply relating to the eligibility of un-
employed, low-income adults, consistent with 
section 8, for subsidized employment opportuni-
ties, which requirements may include criteria to 
target assistance to particular categories of 
such adults, such as individuals with disabilities 
or individuals who have exhausted all rights to 
unemployment compensation; 
(C) a description of how the funds allotted 
to provide subsidized employment opportunities 
will be administered in the State and (if admin-
istered by entities described in subsection 
(d)(1)(A)) in local areas, in accordance with 
subsection (d); 
(D) a description of the performance out-
comes to be achieved by the State through the 
activities carried out under this section and the 
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processes the State will use to track perform-
ance, consistent with guidance provided by the 
Secretary of Labor regarding such outcomes 
and processes and with section 7(b); 
(E) a description of the coordination of ac-
tivities to be carried out with the funds pro-
vided under this section with activities under 
title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), the program of block 
grants to States for temporary assistance for 
needy families established under part A of title 
IV of the Social Security Act (referred to in 
this Act as the ‘‘TANF program’’; 42 U.S.C. 
601 et seq.) and other appropriate Federal and 
State programs that may assist unemployed, 
low-income adults in obtaining and retaining 
employment; 
(F) a description of the timelines for im-
plementation of the activities described in sub-
paragraph (A), and the number of unemployed, 
low-income adults expected to be placed in sub-
sidized employment by calendar quarter; 
(G) assurances that the State will report 
such information as the Secretary of Labor may 
require relating to fiscal, performance, and 
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other matters as the Secretary determines is 
necessary to effectively monitor the activities 
carried out under this section; and 
(H) assurances that the State will ensure 
compliance with the requirements, restrictions, 
labor standards, and other provisions described 
in section 7(a). 
(2) SUBMISSION
AND
APPROVAL
OF
STATE 
PLAN.— 
(A) SUBMISSION
WITH
OTHER
PLANS.— 
The State plan described in paragraph (1) may 
be submitted in conjunction with the State plan 
modification or other request for funds by the 
State required under section 5, and may be 
submitted as a modification to a State plan 
that has been approved under section 112 of 
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
U.S.C. 2822). 
(B) SUBMISSION AND APPROVAL.— 
(i) SUBMISSION.—The Governor shall 
submit the State plan described in para-
graph (1) to the Secretary of Labor not 
later than 75 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act and the Secretary of 
Labor shall make a determination regard-
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ing the approval or disapproval of such 
plan not later than 45 days after the sub-
mission of such plan. If the plan is dis-
approved, the Secretary of Labor may pro-
vide a reasonable period of time in which 
the plan may be amended and resubmitted 
for approval. 
(ii) APPROVAL.—The Secretary of 
Labor shall approve a State plan that the 
Secretary determines is consistent with the 
requirements of this section and reasonably 
appropriate and adequate to carry out the 
objectives of this section. If the plan is ap-
proved, the Secretary shall allot funds to 
the State under subsection (b) within 30 
days after such approval. 
(3) MODIFICATIONS
TO
STATE
PLAN.—The 
Governor may submit a modification to a State plan 
under this subsection, consistent with the require-
ments of this section. 
(d) ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE STATE.— 
(1) OPTION.—The State may administer the 
funds for activities under this section through— 
(A) the State and local entities responsible 
for the administration of the formula program 
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