Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvement and Inner City Job Creation Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Neighborhood Infrastructure 
Improvement and Inner City Job Creation Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

    The Secretary of Labor (in this Act referred to as the 
``Secretary'') shall provide grants to eligible administrative entities 
described in section 3(a) for the purpose of establishing and carrying 
out programs that provide employment opportunities to unemployed 
individuals through payments for labor and related costs associated 
with the repair and renovation of essential community facilities.

SEC. 3. ELIGIBLE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITIES.

    (a) In General.--An administrative entity shall be eligible to 
receive a grant under section 2 if the entity is--
            (1) a private industry council (described under section 102 
        of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1512)),
            (2) a unit of general local government,
            (3) a nonprofit private organization, or
            (4) in the case of a grant involving a Native American 
        Indian tribe or Alaska Native Village, a grantee designated 
        under subsection (c) or (d) of section 401 of the Job Training 
        Partnership Act, or a consortium of such grantees and the 
        State,
that serves 1 or more eligible jurisdictions described under subsection 
(b).
    (b) Eligible Jurisdiction.--An eligible jurisdiction described 
under this subsection is an area which has a poverty rate in excess of 
30 percent and which is--
            (1) a unit of general local government which has a 
        population of 50,000 or more individuals; or
            (2) a Native American Indian tribe, band, or group located 
        on a Federal or State reservation, the Oklahoma Indians, and 
        any Alaska Native village or group as defined in the Alaska 
        Native Claims Settlement Act, having a governing body.
    (c) Priority.--In selecting administrative entities described in 
subsection (a) to receive a grant under section 2, priority shall be 
given to administrative entities that give assurances to the Secretary 
in the application submitted under section 4 that such entities will 
give priority to individuals who are low-skilled workers in selecting 
individuals to participate in programs established and carried out by 
such entities under section 5(a).

SEC. 4. APPLICATION.

    The Secretary may not make a grant under section 2 to an eligible 
administrative entity unless the entity submits to the Secretary an 
application in such form and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.

SEC. 5. USE OF AMOUNTS.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
Secretary may not make a grant under section 2 to an eligible 
administrative entity unless the entity agrees that it will use all 
amounts received from such grant to establish and carry out a program 
to provide wages and related employment benefits to eligible 
individuals described in subsections (a) and (b) of section 6 for the 
purpose of employing such individuals to repair and renovate essential 
community facilities that are located within the eligible jurisdiction 
that the entity serves, including--
            (1) painting bridges;
            (2) repairing and renovating public buildings and other 
        community facilities, including public libraries;
            (3) repairing and renovating public housing units;
            (4) repairing water systems and water development projects;
            (5) erecting or replacing traffic control signs and 
        removing road sign obstructions;
            (6) replacing school crossing, intersection, and other road 
        surface markings;
            (7) repairing roads and streets;
            (8) repairing and renovating parks and playgrounds;
            (9) installing and repairing drainage pipes and catch 
        basins in areas subject to flooding;
            (10) installing graded ramps for individuals with 
        disabilities; and
            (11) weatherizing community facilities and carrying out 
        other energy conservation activities.
    (b) Administrative Costs.--Not more than 25 percent of amounts 
received from a grant under section 2 for any fiscal year may be used 
for the cost of administration and the acquisition of supplies, tools, 
and other equipment.

SEC. 6. ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--An individual shall be eligible to participate in 
a program described in section 5(a) only if the individual--
            (1) is an unemployed individual at the time of enrollment 
        in such program;
            (2) has been unemployed, at a minimum, for the duration of 
        the 15-week period immediately preceding the date of such 
        enrollment; and
            (3) has made a good-faith attempt to obtain employment 
        during such 15-week period.
    (b) Additional Requirement for Secondary School-Age Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--In addition to meeting the requirements 
        described in subsection (a), a secondary school-age individual 
        shall be eligible to participate in a program described in 
        section 5(a) only if the individual has not attended a 
        secondary school for any part of the 6-month period immediately 
        preceding the date of enrollment in such program.
            (2) Secondary school-age individual defined.--For purposes 
        of paragraph (1), the term ``secondary school-age individual'' 
        means an individual who has attained the age of 16 but has not 
        attained the age of 20.
    (c) Priority.--In selecting individuals described in subsections 
(a) and (b) to participate in a program described in section 5(a), 
priority shall be given to the individuals who, at the time of 
selection to the program, have exhausted or are otherwise not eligible 
for unemployment insurance benefits, particularly those individuals who 
have been unemployed for the longest periods of time preceding the date 
of their selection to the program.

SEC. 7. NONDISCRIMINATION.

    No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the 
benefits of, subjected to discrimination under, or denied employment in 
the administration of or in connection with any program described in 
section 5(a) because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, 
age, disability, or political affiliation or belief.

SEC. 8. LABOR STANDARDS.

    The labor standards described under section 143 of the Job Training 
Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1553) shall apply for purposes of a program 
established under section 5(a).

SEC. 9. MAINTENANCE OF EXPENDITURES.

    The Secretary may not make a grant under section 2 to an eligible 
administrative entity unless the entity agrees that it will maintain 
its aggregate expenditures from all other sources for employing 
individuals to repair and renovate essential community facilities at or 
above the average level of such expenditures in the 2 fiscal years 
preceding the date on which the entity submits an application under 
section 4 to the Secretary.

SEC. 10. REPORT.

    The Secretary may not make a grant under section 2 to an eligible 
administrative entity unless the entity agrees that it will submit, for 
any fiscal year in which the entity receives a grant under such 
section, a report to the Secretary describing the use of such grant and 
any other information the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out section 2 $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 1996 and such sums as may 
be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.
    (b) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated under 
subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

Summary: Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvement and Inner City Job Creation Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to eligible administrative entities for programs to provide employment opportunities to unemployed individuals through payments for labor and related costs associated with repair and renovation of essential community facilities.  Makes an area eligible for such a program if it has a poverty rate above 30 percent and is:  (1) a local government with a population of 50,000 or more; or (2) a Native American Indian tribe, band or group located on a Federal or State reservation, the Oklahoma Indians, and any Alaska Native village or group, having a governing body. 
Gives grant priority to administrative entities that assure giving priority to low-skilled workers as program participants.  Requires eligible participants to have been unemployed for at least 15 weeks and have sought employment during that period. Makes secondary school-age individuals (16 to 20 years old) eligible only if they have not attended a secondary school at any time during the previous six months. Gives priority to individuals who have exhausted or are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, particularly those who have been unemployed for the longest periods. 
Authorizes appropriations.