I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 91
To provide grants to States for the purpose of providing workplace services
to small businesses.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 5, 1993
Mr. KILDEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
A BILL
To provide grants to States for the purpose of providing
workplace services to small businesses.
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 ‘‘Workplace Education
and High Performance Workforce Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to assist small businesses in establishing
workplace education programs to improve the pro-
ductivity of such businesses;
(2) to assist small businesses in introducing
new technologies and the reorganization of work;
and
(3) to assist institutions of higher education
and other suitable education providers in providing
workplace services to small businesses.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions
apply:
(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
meaning given such term in section 1201(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).
(2) NEW
TECHNOLOGIES.—The term ‘‘new
technologies’’ means equipment, processes, and tech-
niques that have not previously been utilized by a
business that will improve the productivity of such
business.
(3) REORGANIZATION
OF
WORK.—The term
‘‘reorganization of work’’ means the processes and
techniques for directing the work of employees that
have not previously been utilized by a business that
will improve the productivity of such business.
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Labor.
(5) SMALL BUSINESS.—The term ‘‘small busi-
ness’’ means an independently incorporated, for-
profit business that employs 500 or fewer full-time
employees.
(6) 
WORKFORCE
SPECIALIST.—The 
term
‘‘workforce specialist’’ means an individual with ex-
perience in improving the productivity of businesses
through such methods as total quality management,
statistical process control, the development of work
teams and quality circles, reduction of management
layers and oversight and enhancing the responsibility
of front-line workers, introduction of just-in-time or
computer integrated production, and increased gen-
eral or job-specific training.
(7) 
WORKPLACE
EDUCATION.—The 
term
‘‘workplace education’’ means employer-sponsored
instruction provided to employees which—
(A) shall include instruction in reading,
writing, mathematics, or English as a second
language; and
(B) may include instruction in problem
solving, interpersonal communications, team-
work, and other work-related basic skills.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) TITLE I.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
1994 through 1998 to carry out title I.
(2) TITLE II.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1994,
$60,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and $100,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 1996 through 1998, to
carry out title II.
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts authorized to be appro-
priated under subsection (a) shall remain available until
expended.
TITLE 
I—OFFICE 
OF 
WORK-
PLACE EDUCATION AND HIGH
PERFORMANCE WORK
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT.
The Secretary of Labor shall establish in the Employ-
ment and Training Administration an Office of Workplace
Education and High Performance Work (in this Act re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Federal office’’).
SEC. 102 DIRECTOR.
The Federal office shall be headed by a Director (in
this title referred to as the ‘‘Director’’), who shall be paid
at a rate equal to level 5 of the Executive Schedule.
SEC. 103. DUTIES.
The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall—
and other private organizations to provide infor-
mation and technical assistance to small busi-
nesses regarding workplace education, new tech-
nologies, and the reorganization of work.
SEC. 104. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Not later than September 30, 1994, and at the end
of each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit
to the President and the Congress a report containing—
(1) a compilation of the information contained
in the State reports received by the Secretary under
section 207; and
(2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
grant program authorized under section 201(a).
TITLE 
II—WORKPLACE 
EDU-
CATION 
AND 
WORKFORCE
GRANT PROGRAM
SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION.
(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, from
amounts appropriated pursuant to section 4(a)(2), provide
grants to States for the purpose of establishing programs
to improve the productivity of small businesses in such
States.
(b) PERIOD OF GRANTS.—A grant received under
subsection (a) may extend for a period of not more than
5 fiscal years. The payments under such grant shall be
subject to annual approval by the Secretary and subject
to the availability of appropriations for each fiscal year.
SEC. 202. APPLICATION.
The Secretary may provide a grant to a State under
section 201(a) only if such State submits to the Secretary
an application which contains—
(1) a plan containing the number of workforce
service districts to be established by the State office
in accordance with section 203(b)(2); and
(2) such other information as the Secretary
may reasonably require.
SEC. 203. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—A State shall
use amounts received from a grant under section 201(a)
to establish a program to improve the productivity of small
businesses in such State.
(b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—In conducting the pro-
gram established under subsection (a), the State shall
meet the following requirements:
(1) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
STATE
OFFICE
OF
WORKPLACE EDUCATION AND HIGH PERFORMANCE
WORK.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the State shall establish a State of-
fice of workplace education and high perform-
ance work (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘State
office’’) in 1 of the following entities:
(i) A State agency that has respon-
sibility for education, training, or economic
development policy.
(ii) An institution of higher education
located in such State.
(B) EXCEPTION.—In the case of a State
that has established an entity comparable to the
State office described in subparagraph (A),
such State may, upon the approval of the Sec-
retary, designate such entity as the State office
for purposes of such subparagraph.
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKPLACE SERVICE
DISTRICTS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the State office shall establish work-
place service districts throughout the State—
(i) each of which contains at least 1
institution of higher education which has
existing workplace education programs (or
will establish such programs not later than
the date on which the State in which such
institution is located will receive amounts
from a grant under section 201(a)), to pro-
vide small businesses with access to work-
place services; and
(ii) which are of a sufficient number
in order to allow ease of access by small
businesses located in the State to utilize
the services provided at such institutions of
higher education.
(B) 
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
establishing
workplace service districts, the State office
shall—
(i) if the amount of the grant received
by the State under section 201(a) is great-
er than an amount equal to $100,000 mul-
tiplied by the number of such districts pro-
posed to be established by the State in its
application, hire and place at least 1
workforce specialist who meets the stand-
ards established by the Secretary under
section 103(2), including necessary support
staff, at an institution of higher education
in each district; and
(ii) if the amount of the grant re-
ceived by the State under section 201(a) is
less than an amount equal to $100,000
multiplied by the number of such districts
proposed to be established by the State in
its application, place at least 1 such
workforce specialist, including necessary
support staff, at an institution of higher
education in each district that the State of-
fice determines to be appropriate.
(3) DUTIES
OF
WORKFORCE
SPECIALISTS.—
Each workforce specialist hired by a State office and
placed at an institution of higher education under
paragraph (2)(B) shall—
(A) serve as a local point of contact for
small businesses interested in workplace serv-
ices;
(B) provide workplace services to individ-
ual small businesses by analyzing the needs of
such businesses for the purpose of—
(i) designing workplace education pro-
grams that will improve the productivity of
such businesses; and
(ii) introducing new technologies and
the reorganization of work at such busi-
nesses;
(C) refer small businesses to other suitable
education providers for the purpose of providing
workplace services to such businesses, provided
that each such business shall reimburse such
provider in an amount equal to at least 75 per-
cent of the cost of the services attributable to
such business, including instructional time, ma-
terials, and facilities;
(D) 
assist 
in 
negotiating 
financial,
logistical, and other arrangements between
small businesses and other suitable education
providers;
(E) provide technical assistance and train-
ing to the staff of suitable education providers
described in subparagraph (C) for the purpose
of providing workplace services to small busi-
nesses;
(F) encourage other small businesses and
labor groups to provide such services; and
(G) provide small businesses with general
information on workplace services.
(4) COOPERATION WITH WORKFORCE SPECIAL-
ISTS.—The State office shall encourage local edu-
cational agencies and other local agencies, small
businesses, labor organizations, community-based or-
ganizations, and other private organizations to co-
operate with workforce specialists described in para-
graph (3).
(5) OVERSIGHT
OF
WORKFORCE
SPECIAL-
ISTS.—The State office shall monitor and supervise
the activities of each workforce specialist described
in paragraph (3).
(6) WORKPLACE SERVICE INFORMATION.—The
State office shall produce and disseminate informa-
tion to the entities described in paragraph (4) and
the general public on workplace services, including
the need for and means of implementing workplace
education programs, the introduction of new tech-
nologies, and the reorganization of work.
(7) SOURCES OF EXPERTISE AND TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The State office shall—
(A) identify Federal, State, and local
sources of expertise and technical assistance
that can assist small businesses in implement-
ing workplace education programs, the intro-
duction of new technologies, and the reorganiza-
tion of work; and
(B) develop cooperative and collaborative
relationships with such sources of expertise.
(8) RESEARCH
AND
DEMONSTRATION
PRO-
GRAMS.—The State office shall conduct research and
demonstration programs to promote the understand-
ing and acceptance of workplace education and en-
courage the use of and improvement of state-of-the-
art workplace services.
(9) STATEWIDE OR REGIONAL TRAINING PRO-
GRAMS.—The State office shall, in conjunction with
the Federal office and workforce specialists, conduct
Statewide or regional training programs for teachers
and administrators at institutions of higher edu-
cation, small businesses, labor organizations, com-
munity-based organizations, and other individuals
and entities that are engaged, or wish to become en-
gaged, in the provision of workplace services.
(10) SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—(i) Subject to clause
(ii), the State office shall provide grants to
small businesses for the purpose of improving
the productivity of such businesses.
(ii) The State office shall use not more
than 15 percent of amounts received from a
grant under section 201(a) to provide grants
under clause (i).
(B) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant
under subparagraph (A)(i), a small business
shall submit an application to the State office
at such time, in such form, and containing such
information as the office may reasonably re-
quire.
(C) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants made under
subparagraph (A)(i) may be used by a small
business only to—
(i) carry out workplace education pro-
grams at such business;
(ii) introduce new technologies at such
business; and
(iii) provide for the reorganization of
work at such business.
(D) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The State office
may not make grants under subparagraph
(A)(i) to any small business in an amount equal
to or more than $25,000.
(E) ALLOCATION.—The State office shall
provide at least 60 percent of amounts used to
provide grants under subparagraph (A)(i) to
small businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
(11) EVALUATIONS.—At the end of each fiscal
year in which the Secretary makes payments to a
State under a grant under section 201(a), the State
office in such State shall conduct a quantitative eval-
uation of the effectiveness of the program estab-
lished under subsection (a) in improving corporate
productivity through workplace education, the intro-
duction of new technologies, and the reorganization
of work.
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Of the amount re-
ceived by a State from a grant under section 201(a) for
any fiscal year, not more than 10 percent of such amount
may be used to pay the administrative costs of the pro-
gram established under subsection (a).
SEC. 204. MATCHING FUNDS.
The Secretary may not make a grant to a State under
section 201(a) unless such State agrees to provide non-
Federal funds for the purpose of conducting the program
under section 203(b) in an amount equal to not less than
20 percent of the Federal funds provided to the State in
each of the first two fiscal years that it receives amounts
from a grant, and not less than 30 percent of the Federal
funds that the State receives from such grant in each sub-
sequent fiscal year.
SEC. 205. ALLOCATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In providing grants under section
201(a), the Secretary shall award grants in a greater
amount to States with larger populations, as determined
by the Secretary.
(b) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not provide
grants under section 201(a) in a fiscal year to any State
in an amount totaling more than 10 percent of amounts
appropriated pursuant to section 4(a)(2) for that fiscal
year.
SEC. 206. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.
The Secretary may not make a grant to a State under
section 201(a) unless such State agrees to maintain its
aggregate expenditures for programs to improve the pro-
ductivity of small businesses in such State at or above the
average level of such expenditures in the fiscal year pre-
ceding the fiscal year for which the State is applying to
receive the grant.
SEC. 207. STATE REPORTS.
The Secretary may not make a grant to a State under
section 201(a) unless such State agrees to submit to the
Secretary, in each fiscal year in which the Secretary makes
payments under such grant to such State, a report con-
taining—
(1) a description of the program established by
such State under section 203(a), including a sum-
mary of the evaluation of such program conducted
under section 203(b)(11);
(2) the number of small businesses receiving as-
sistance under such program; and
(3) any other information as the Secretary may
reasonably require.