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108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1965
To provide for the creation of private-sector-led Community Workforce
Partnerships, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 25, 2003
Mr. Bayh introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the creation of private-sector-led Community Workforce
Partnerships, and for other purposes.
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 ``Community Workforce Development and
Modernization Partnership Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION.
(a) In General.--From amounts made available to carry out this Act,
the Secretary of Labor (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''),
in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of
Education, shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible
entities described in subsection (b) to assist each entity to--
(1) help workers improve those job skills that are
necessary for employment by businesses in the industry with
respect to which the entity was established;
(2) help dislocated workers find employment; and
(3) upgrade the operating and competitive capacities of
businesses that are members of the entity.
(b) Eligible Entities.--An eligible entity described in this
subsection is a consortium (either established prior to the date of
enactment of this Act or established specifically to carry out programs
under this Act) that--
(1) shall include--
(A) 2 or more businesses (or nonprofit
organizations representing businesses) that are facing
similar workforce development or business modernization
challenges;
(B) labor organizations, if the businesses
described in subparagraph (A) employ workers who are
covered by collective bargaining agreements; and
(C) 1 or more businesses (or nonprofit
organizations that represent businesses) with resources
or expertise that can be brought to bear on the
workforce development and business modernization
challenges referred to in subparagraph (A); and
(2) may include--
(A) State governments and units of local
government;
(B) educational institutions;
(C) labor organizations; or
(D) nonprofit organizations.
(c) Common Geographic Region.--To the maximum extent practicable,
the organizations that are members of an eligible entity described in
subsection (b) shall be located within a single geographic region of
the United States.
(d) Priority Consideration.--In awarding grants under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall give priority consideration to--
(1) eligible entities that serve dislocated workers or
workers who are threatened with becoming totally or partially
separated from employment;
(2) eligible entities that include businesses with fewer
than 250 employees; or
(3) eligible entities from a geographic region in the
United States that has been adversely impacted by the movement
of manufacturing operations or businesses to other regions or
countries, due to corporate restructuring, technological
advances, Federal law, international trade, or another factor,
as determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES.
(a) Use of Grant Amounts.--Each eligible entity that receives a
grant under section 2 shall use the amount made available through the
grant to carry out a program that provides--
(1) workforce development activities to improve the job
skills of individuals who have, are seeking, or have been
dislocated from, employment with a business that is a member of
that eligible entity, or with a business that is in the
industry of a business that is a member of that eligible
entity;
(2) business modernization activities; or
(3) activities that are--
(A) workforce investment activities (including such
activities carried out through one-stop delivery
systems) carried out under subtitle B of title I of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 2811 et
seq.); or
(B) activities described in section 25 of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278k).
(b) Activities Included.--
(1) Workforce development activities.--The workforce
development activities referred to in subsection (a)(1) may
include activities that--
(A) develop skill standards and provide training,
including--
(i) assessing the training and job skill
needs of the industry involved;
(ii) developing a sequence of skill
standards that are benchmarked to advanced
industry practices;
(iii) developing curricula and training
methods;
(iv) purchasing, leasing, or receiving
donations of training equipment;
(v) identifying and developing the skills
of training providers;
(vi) developing apprenticeship programs;
and
(vii) developing training programs for
dislocated workers;
(B) assist workers in finding new employment; or
(C) provide supportive services to workers who--
(i) are participating in a program carried
out by the entity under this Act; and
(ii) are unable to obtain the supportive
services through another program providing the
services.
(2) Business modernization activities.--The business
modernization activities referred to in subsection (a)(2) may
include activities that upgrade technical or organizational
capabilities in conjunction with improving the job skills of
workers in a business that is a member of that entity.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
To be eligible to receive a grant under section 2, an entity shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably
require.
SEC. 5. SEED GRANTS AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.
(a) Seed Grants.--The Secretary shall provide technical assistance
and award financial assistance (not to exceed $150,000 per award) on
such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate--
(1) to businesses, nonprofit organizations representing
businesses, and labor organizations, for the purpose of
establishing an eligible entity; and
(2) to entities described in paragraph (1) and established
eligible entities, for the purpose of preparing such
application materials as may be required under section 4.
(b) Outreach and Promotional Activities.--The Secretary may
undertake such outreach and promotional activities as the Secretary
determines will best carry out the objectives of this Act.
(c) Limitations on Expenditures.--The Secretary may not use more
than 10 percent of the amount authorized to be appropriated under
section 8 to carry out this section.
SEC. 6. LIMITATIONS ON FUNDING.
(a) Requirement of Matching Funds.--The Secretary may not award a
grant under this Act to an eligible entity unless such entity agrees
that the entity will make available non-Federal contributions toward
the costs of carrying out activities funded by that grant in an amount
that is not less than $2 for each $1 of Federal funds made available
through the grant.
(b) In-Kind Contributions.--The Secretary--
(1) shall, in awarding grants under this Act, give priority
consideration to those entities whose members offer in-kind
contributions; and
(2) may not consider any in-kind contribution in lieu of or
as any part of the contributions required under subsection (a).
(c) Senior Management Training and Development.--An eligible entity
may not use any amount made available through a grant awarded under
this Act for training and development activities for senior management,
unless that entity certifies to the Secretary that expenditures for the
activities are--
(1) an integral part of a comprehensive modernization plan;
or
(2) dedicated to team building or employee involvement
programs.
(d) Performance Measures.--Each eligible entity shall, in carrying
out the activities described in section 3, provide for development of,
and tracking of performance according to, performance outcome measures.
(e) Administrative Costs.--Each eligible entity may use not more
than 10 percent of the amount made available to that entity through a
grant awarded under this Act to pay for administrative costs.
(f) Maximum Amount of Grant.--No eligible entity may receive--
(1) a grant under this Act in an amount of more than
$1,000,000 for any fiscal year; or
(2) grants under this Act in any amount for more than 3
fiscal years.
(g) Support for Existing Operations.--
(1) In general.--In making grants under this Act, the
Secretary may use a portion equal to not more than 50 percent
of the funds appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal
year, to support the existing training and modernization
operations of existing eligible entities.
(2) Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant to an
existing eligible entity for existing training and
modernization operations only if the entity--
(A) currently offers (as of the date of the award
of the grant) a combination of training, modernization,
and business assistance services; and
(B) has demonstrated success in accomplishing the
objectives of activities described in section 3.
(3) Application.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to support
for the expansion of training and modernization operations of
existing eligible entities.
(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Existing training and modernization activity.--
The term ``existing training and modernization
activity'' means a training and modernization activity
carried out prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
(B) Existing eligible entity.--The term ``existing
eligible entity'' means an eligible entity that was
established prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 7. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE STUDY.
(a) Study.--Beginning 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study
concerning the activities carried out under this Act. In conducting the
study, the Comptroller General shall assess the effectiveness of the
activities and suggest improvements to the grant program established
under this Act, including recommending whether the program should be
administered by the Department of Labor or by another agency or an
alternative entity.
(b) Report.--Not later than 3 years and 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall prepare and submit to Congress a report containing the results of
the study.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(3) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(4) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
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