113 S2269 IS: Promoting Partnerships to Transform Opportunities Act
U.S. Senate
2014-04-29
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.
This Act may be cited as the
Promoting Partnerships to Transform
Opportunities Act
.
2.
It is the purpose of this Act to provide
resources to eligible institutions to
prepare individuals with multiple barriers to employment, including
underrepresented minorities, to enter the workforce by providing support
services, job training, and education.
3.
Programs for individuals with multiple barriers to employment
Subtitle D
of title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended by inserting
after section 166 (29 U.S.C. 2911) the following new section:
166A.
Programs for individuals with multiple barriers to employment
(a)
The purpose of this section is to support
employment and training activities for individuals with multiple
barriers to
employment in order—
(1)
to develop more
fully the academic, occupational, and literacy skills of such
individuals;
(2)
to make such
individuals more competitive in the workforce; and
(3)
to promote the
economic and social development of the communities, including
minority communities, of those individuals in
accordance with the
goals and values of the communities described in this paragraph.
(b)
As
used in this section:
(1)
The term eligible institution
means—
(A)
a historically
Black college or university;
(B)
a Hispanic-serving
Institution;
(C)
a Tribal College
or University; or
(D)
a Predominantly
Black Institution.(2)Hispanic-serving
institutionThe term Hispanic-serving institution
has the meaning given the term in section 502 of the Higher
Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a).
(3)
Historically
Black College or university
The term historically Black
college or university has the meaning given the term part B
institution in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1061).
(4)
The term
nonprofit organization means a nonprofit organization that focuses
on preparing individuals with multiple barriers to employment to
enter the
workforce by providing such individuals with support services, job
training,
and education.
(5)
Predominantly
Black Institution
The term Predominantly Black
Institution has the meaning given the term in section 318 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059e).
(6)
Tribal College
or University
The term Tribal College or University
has the meaning given the term in section 316 of the Higher
Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).
(c)
The Secretary shall, on a competitive basis, make
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with,
eligible institutions
to
carry out the authorized activities described in
subsection (d). Such an eligible institution may carry out the activities directly, or through a partnership with
a nonprofit organization.
(d)
An eligible institution
receiving a grant, contract, or agreement under
subsection (c) shall use such funds to
serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment by carrying
out one or more of the
following activities:
(1)
Education
services, including postsecondary education, English as a second
language
courses, General Educational Development preparation, financial
literacy
workshops, access to information technology workshops and courses,
Generational
Diversity Awareness programs, and health and wellness programs.
(2)
Activities that
increase access to workforce services, including on-the-job
training,
internships, skills training, job placement, financial literacy
training,
and personal
development.
(3)
Additional support
services, including health and nutrition services, housing
assistance,
transportation, child care, and clothing.
(e)
In order to receive a grant or enter into a contract or
cooperative agreement under subsection (c), an eligible institution
shall
submit to the
Secretary a program plan that describes a strategy for meeting the
needs of
individuals with multiple barriers to employment in the area served
by such
organization. Such plan shall—
(1)
be consistent with
the purpose of this section;
(2)
identify the
population to be served;
(3)
identify the
education and employment needs of the population to be served and
the manner in
which the activities to be provided will strengthen the ability of
the
individuals served to obtain or retain unsubsidized employment;
(4)
describe the
activities to be provided and the manner in which such activities
are to be
integrated with other appropriate activities; and
(5)
describe, after
the eligible institution consults with the Secretary,
the
performance measures to be used to assess the performance of
the eligible institution, and any nonprofit organization that carries out
authorized activities assisted under this
section, in carrying out the activities.(f)In making grants or entering into contracts or cooperative agreements under subsection (c), the
Secretary shall give priority to an eligible institution that—(1)proposes to carry out the authorized activities through a partnership described in subsection (c);
or
(2)demonstrates that the institution is unable to carry out the activities through such a partnership
because the institution is not within a reasonable distance (as determined
by the Secretary) of a nonprofit organization.
(g)
Authorization of
appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as may be necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal
years 2015
through
2019.
.