Title: WE Work Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Women's Equality Workforce Oversight Act or the WE Work Act
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to determine which federal agencies have the greatest impact on women's participation in the workforce and evaluate the impact of those agencies.
Such agencies shall include, at a minimum:
The study shall examine, among other things, each agency's policies and procedures for improving the participation of women in the workforce and shall also include an analysis of specific barriers to such participation.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5565 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5565

   To require a study of Federal agencies to determine which Federal 
   agencies have the greatest impact on women's participation in the 
                               workforce.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2018

Mrs. Lawrence (for herself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Moore, Ms. Lee, Mr. Gomez, 
 Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Titus, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New 
  York, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Bass, Mr. 
Brown of Maryland, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, 
   Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
   Johnson of Texas, and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
                           Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require a study of Federal agencies to determine which Federal 
   agencies have the greatest impact on women's participation in the 
                               workforce.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Equality Workforce Oversight 
Act'' or the ``WE Work Act''.

SEC. 2. G.A.O. STUDY.

    (a) Study Required.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall conduct a study of Federal agencies 
to determine which agencies have the greatest impact on women's 
participation in the workforce, and evaluate the impact of these 
agencies.
    (b) Suggested Agencies.--Such agencies shall include, at a 
minimum--
            (1) the Department of Labor, specifically the Women's 
        Bureau at such Department;
            (2) the Department of Transportation;
            (3) the Small Business Administration, including the Office 
        of Women's Business Ownership; and
            (4) any apprenticeship program that receives funding from a 
        Federal agency.

SEC. 3. CONTENTS OF STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The study required by section 2 shall review and 
evaluate the following factors, for those agencies that the Comptroller 
General has identified as having the greatest impact on women's 
participation in the workforce, including the following:
            (1) Policies and procedures.--The study shall examine--
                    (A) each agency's policies and procedures related 
                to improving women's participation in the workforce, 
                including efforts related to fair compensation, 
                benefits, such as paid leave and workplace supports for 
                pregnancy and families, participation in non-
                traditional and higher-paying jobs, enforcement of 
                workplace rights, and prevention of sexual and other 
                harassment;
                    (B) each agency's compliance with its statutory and 
                regulatory requirements on these matters;
                    (C) any policy changes in the agency within the 
                study period, and the reasoning for such changes; and
                    (D) any procedural changes to the agency's 
                reporting and participation within the agency.
            (2) Impact.--The study shall also examine--
                    (A) the number of women who received technical 
                assistance, grants, loans, contracts, and other 
                services from the agency in each fiscal year, and the 
                number of such individuals who received these services 
                in the prior five fiscal years;
                    (B) the number of organizations who received such 
                outreach, services, and other engagement with the 
                agency;
                    (C) the extent of the agency's outreach and public 
                education efforts for women, including the publication 
                of reports and statistics, public announcement of 
                enforcement actions, and regional outreach engaging 
                local stakeholders;
            (3) Appropriations and staff.--The study shall consider--
                    (A) any reductions to appropriations and 
                obligations for each agency and the actual and 
                projected impact of these reductions; and
                    (B) any staff reductions in each agency, including 
                attrition, vacancies, and positions eliminated and the 
                impact of these changes.
    (b) Analysis.--The study shall also include an analysis of the 
specific barriers to women's participation in the workforce, including 
an assessment of further opportunities to reduce those barriers.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    A report containing the results of the study and analysis shall be 
transmitted annually to the Committees on Oversight and Government 
Reform and Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committees on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and 
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate.
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