Reengage the Workforce Act

Bill: 118-s-3518
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2023-12-14
Policy area: Education
Latest action: action_date: 2023-12-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-12-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Reengage the Workforce Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Department of Education, to make competitive grants to eligible entities for carrying out in-person or virtual programs to provide specified services to eligible secondary school dropouts.</p><p><em>Eligible entity</em> refers to a partnership between or among (1) a local educational agency, a unit of general local government, a nonprofit intermediary, or a consortium of any of these entities; and (2) a community-based organization, an institution of higher education, or a local or state board (or a combination of these entities).</p><p><em>Eligible secondary school dropout </em>refers to an individual who is not younger than 16 years of age and who is not enrolled in a secondary school or high school equivalency program.</p><p>A program funded with a grant must provide specified services to eligible secondary school dropouts. These services include assistance in reentering a secondary school or entering an in-person or virtual high school equivalency program, flexible secondary school credit recovery to accelerate the time to receive a high school diploma, life and career workshops, and supportive services (e.g., transportation, child care, and housing).</p><p>Labor must give preference to eligible entities that will use the grant to carry out programs in low-income communities or that will implement evidence-based practices in providing these services.</p><p>Labor must annually report to Congress about this grant programs.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3518 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 14, 2023 Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to make grants to eligible entities to assist certain individuals in reentering a secondary school or a high school equivalency program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reengage the Workforce Act . 2. Secondary school dropout reengagement grant program (a) Grants authorized From the amounts made available to carry out this section, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out in-person or virtual programs to provide eligible secondary school dropouts each of the services described in subsection (b). (b) Uses of funds A program funded with a grant under this section shall provide each of the following services to eligible secondary school dropouts: (1) Assistance in reentering a secondary school or entering an in-person or virtual high school equivalency program. (2) Flexible secondary school credit recovery to accelerate the time to receipt of a high school diploma, which may include waiving seat time barriers, allowing virtual credit recovery programming, providing prior learning assessments, accepting alternative credits from internships, community service, or independent study, or providing assessment tests (or pre-employment tests) or GED ready tests (or high school equivalency program tests). (3) Life and career workshops, including— (A) career planning and career exploration; (B) assistance in enrolling in a program of training or education at an institution of higher education that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential; (C) résumé support services; (D) interview assistance; and (E) work-based learning such as registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, practi­cums, internships, and on-the-job training. (4) Supportive services, such as transportation, child care, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments, that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in activities described in paragraphs (1) through (3). (c) Application (1) In general To receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Contents An application under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) a description of the program that will be funded under the grant; and (B) in the case of an application that supports an existing program (as of the date of application), the number of individuals who are enrolled in the program as of such date, in the aggregate and disaggregated by race, gender, age, and disability status. (d) Preference In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that will use the grant to carry out programs described subsection (b)— (1) in low-income communities; or (2) that will implement evidence-based practices, as determined by the Secretary, in providing the services offered through the programs. (e) Report Not later than 1 year after the date on which the first grant is awarded under subsection (a) and annually thereafter for 10 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section, which shall include the following: (1) The percentage of the grant funds awarded during the most recent fiscal year, which are used to improve the education of eligible secondary school dropouts and prepare such individuals for the workforce. (2) The percentage of the grant funds awarded during the most recent fiscal year, which are used to provide the supportive services described in subsection (b)(4) to eligible secondary school dropouts. (3) The number and types of programs funded under this section in the most recent academic year. (4) (A) For each milestone described in subparagraph (B), the number of individuals who, during the period beginning on the date on which such first grant is awarded and ending on the last day of the most recent full academic year, met the milestone, in the aggregate and disaggregated by program and by race, gender, age, and disability status of the individuals. (B) The milestones described in this subparagraph are the following: (i) Enrolled in a program funded under this section. (ii) Enrolled in, and completed, a program funded under this section. (iii) After enrollment in a program funded under this section, enrolled in a program of training or education at an institution of higher education that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential. (iv) After completion of a program funded under this section, obtained employment in a relevant field. (5) Any additional data needed to determine the impact of programs funded under this section on workforce readiness, as determined by the Secretary. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) ESEA terms The terms high school , local educational agency , and secondary school have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ). (2) WIOA terms The terms career planning , community-based organization , local board , poverty line , recognized postsecondary credential , State board , and unit of general local government have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3102 ). (3) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means a partnership between or among— (A) (i) a local educational agency; (ii) a unit of general local government; (iii) a nonprofit intermediary (such as a local educational agency or other educational organization); or (iv) a consortium of any of the entities described in clauses (i) through (iii); and (B) one or more of the following: (i) A community-based organization. (ii) An institution of higher education. (iii) A local board or State board. (4) Eligible secondary school dropout The term eligible secondary school dropout means an individual who is— (A) not younger than 16 years of age; and (B) not enrolled in a secondary school or high school equivalency program. (5) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1002 ). (6) Low-income community The term low-income community means any census block group in which 30 percent or more of the population are individuals with an annual household equal to, or less than, the greater of— (A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median income of the area in which the household is located, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (B) an amount equal to 200 percent of the poverty line. (7) Registered apprenticeship The term registered apprenticeship means an apprenticeship registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act ); 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq. ). (8) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Labor. (g) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,520,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2034.