[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 268 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 268

  To provide funding for a Green Job Corps program, YouthBuild Build 
Green Grants, and Green-Collar Youth Opportunity Grants, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 15, 2009

  Mrs. Murray (for herself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide funding for a Green Job Corps program, YouthBuild Build 
Green Grants, and Green-Collar Youth Opportunity Grants, 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 ``Green-Collar Youth Jobs, Education, 
and Training Stimulus Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDING.

    Congress finds that there is a serious and growing need for 
employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth 
(including young adults), as demonstrated by statistics from the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics stating that, in December 2008--
            (1) the unemployment rate increased to 7.2 percent, as 
        compared to 4.9 percent in December 2007;
            (2) the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds rose to 
        20.8 percent, as compared to 16.9 percent in December 2007; and
            (3) the unemployment rate for African-American 16- to 19-
        year-olds increased to 33.7 percent, as compared to 28 percent 
        in December 2007.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to increase knowledge of the importance of building a 
        green economy;
            (2) to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy 
        usage;
            (3) to strengthen the protection of the environment;
            (4) to decrease carbon emissions; and
            (5) to increase the number of well-trained youth workers 
        who can obtain well-paying jobs in a range of green-collar 
        industries and other viable industries.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Green-collar industries.--In this section, the term 
        ``green-collar industries'' means industries throughout the 
        economy of the United States--
                    (A) that promote energy efficiency, energy 
                conservation, and environmental protection, including 
                promoting renewable energy and clean technology;
                    (B) that offer jobs with substantial pay and 
                benefits; and
                    (C) that are industries in which there is likely to 
                be continued demand for workers.
            (2) Local board, low-income individual, secretary.--The 
        terms ``local board'', ``low-income individual'', and 
        ``Secretary'' have the meanings given the terms in section 101 
        of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801).
            (3) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term 
        ``registered apprenticeship program'' means an industry skills 
        training program at the postsecondary level that combines 
        technical and theoretical training through structured on-the-
        job learning with related instruction (in a classroom or 
        through distance learning) while an individual is employed, 
        working under the direction of qualified personnel or a mentor, 
        and earning incremental wage increases aligned to enhanced job 
        proficiency, resulting in the acquisition of a nationally 
        recognized and portable certificate, under a plan approved by 
        the Office of Apprenticeship or a State agency recognized by 
        the Department of Labor.

SEC. 5. GREEN JOB CORPS PROGRAM.

    (a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            (1) to encourage youth participating in the Job Corps to 
        become informed energy- and environmentally-conscious 
        consumers;
            (2) to enable the youth to acquire and expand skills 
        related to green-collar industries; and
            (3) to address Job Corps construction needs and energy 
        costs and to make Job Corps centers more energy efficient, 
        including retrofitting facilities and restoring campuses.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``enrollee'', 
``graduate'', and ``Job Corps Center'' have the meanings given the 
terms in section 142 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2882).
    (c) General Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to reserve not 
more than $500,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act to 
provide work experiences and training described in subsection (d) in 
green-collar industries. The Secretary shall provide the work 
experiences and training, in conjunction with activities described in 
section 148 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2888), 
under subtitle C of title I of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2881 et seq.) 
(except that subsections (c) and (d) of section 159 of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2899) shall not apply to such experiences and training).
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Skill development program activities.--The Secretary 
        shall expand Job Corps skill development program activities by 
        updating occupational training programs (including making 
        changes in curriculum and equipment), including development of 
        necessary academic skills in green-collar industries (including 
        construction, facilities maintenance, and advanced 
        manufacturing).
            (2) Paid work opportunities.--As part of Job Corps career 
        training, the Secretary shall provide paid work opportunities, 
        in green-collar industries, primarily located at Job Corps 
        centers, in order to address Job Corps construction needs and 
        make those centers more energy efficient, including 
        retrofitting facilities and restoring campuses. In carrying out 
        this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to projects 
        that help conserve, develop, or manage public natural resources 
        or public recreational areas, or support the public interest.
            (3) Consumer and leadership activities.--As part of the Job 
        Corps life skills program, the Secretary shall offer consumer 
        and leadership activities, to create a corps of intelligent and 
        informed energy- and environmentally-conscious consumers, 
        including activities that educate Job Corps members about how 
        they can contribute to minimize the effects of climate change 
        and become future leaders in their local communities who 
        preserve and strengthen energy- and environmentally-conscious 
        practices.
    (e) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Indicator.--For purposes of the Green Job Corps program 
        carried out under this section, the indicators of performance 
        shall be--
                    (A) entry of graduates who participated in work 
                experiences described in subsection (d)(2) into 
                unsubsidized employment in a green-collar industry;
                    (B) average wages received by such graduates upon 
                entry into such employment; and
                    (C) number of such graduates who obtain an 
                occupational or education-related credential.
            (2) Assessment.--The Secretary shall prepare an assessment 
        of the Green Job Corps program that--
                    (A) describes the use of funds made available under 
                this section to carry out the program and the progress 
                achieved through that program; and
                    (B) provides information on the performance of the 
                program on the indicators of performance.
            (3) Report.--The Secretary shall include the assessment 
        described in paragraph (2) in the corresponding annual report 
        described in subsection (c) of section 159 of such Act (29 
        U.S.C. 2899), in lieu of submitting any of the information 
        described in subsection (c) or (d) of that section 159 with 
        respect to the Green Job Corps program.

SEC. 6. YOUTHBUILD BUILD GREEN GRANTS.

    (a) General Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to reserve 
$300,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act to provide to 
eligible youth education, work experiences (including service), and 
training, in green-collar industries, especially concerning the 
weatherization and energy retrofitting of homes of low-income 
individuals. The Secretary shall provide the services described in this 
subsection in conjunction with activities described in section 173A(c) 
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2918a(c)), under the 
YouthBuild program set forth in section 173A of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
2918a) (except that paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of subsection (c), and 
subsection (d), of such section shall not apply to such services).
    (b) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to award from the reserved 
funds, on a competitive basis, YouthBuild Build Green grants to 
entities that are recipients of YouthBuild grants under section 173A of 
such Act.
    (c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to entities who--
            (1) demonstrate the ability to leverage additional 
        resources, which may include materials, personnel, and 
        supplies, from other public and private sources; and
            (2) demonstrate the ability to build a foundation of 
        public-private partnerships in a green-collar industry, related 
        to construction, for future projects carried out by the 
        entities.
    (e) Eligible Youth.--To be eligible to participate in the program 
carried out under this section, a youth shall meet the requirements of 
section 173A(e)(1) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2918a(e)(1)).
    (f) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Skills development and training.--An entity that 
        receives a grant under this section shall use not less than 90 
        percent of the funds made available through the grant to 
        provide to participants in the program carried out under this 
        section a combination of classroom education and job skills 
        development, through onsite training and work experiences 
        (including construction or rehabilitation of facilities) in a 
        construction trade that makes efficient use of green 
        technologies. Such education and skills development shall be 
        designed to prepare the participants for jobs in green-collar 
        industries in their communities and States.
            (2) Supervision and training.--The entity may use not more 
        than 10 percent of the grant funds for supervision and training 
        costs related to the activities described in paragraph (1).
    (g) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Indicators.--For purposes of the program carried out 
        under this section, the indicators of performance shall be--
                    (A) entry of individuals who completed their 
                participation in the program and who participated in 
                activities described in subsection (f)(1) into 
                registered apprenticeship programs in a construction 
                trade in a green-collar industry or a related trade; 
                and
                    (B) entry of such individuals, who participated in 
                such activities, into unsubsidized employment in a 
                green-collar industry.
            (2) Assessment.--The Secretary shall prepare an assessment 
        of the program that--
                    (A) describes the use of funds made available under 
                this section to carry out the program and the progress 
                achieved through that program; and
                    (B) provides information on the performance of the 
                program on the indicators of performance.
            (3) Report.--The Secretary shall annually submit to 
        Congress a report containing the assessment described in 
        paragraph (2).

SEC. 7. GREEN-COLLAR YOUTH OPPORTUNITY GRANTS.

    (a) Definition.--The term ``community college'' means a 2-year 
institution of higher education, as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
    (b) General Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to reserve 
$200,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this Act for work 
experiences and training in green-collar industries for eligible youth. 
The Secretary shall provide the work experiences and training in 
conjunction with activities described in section 169(b) of the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2914(b)), under the Youth 
Opportunity Grants program described in section 169 of that Act (29 
U.S.C. 2914) (except that subsections (a)(3), (b)(2), (d), (e)(2), (f), 
and (g) of such section shall not apply to such work experiences and 
training).
    (c) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to award from the reserved 
funds, on a competitive basis, Green-Collar Youth Opportunity Grants to 
eligible organizations.
    (d) Eligible Organizations.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, an organization shall be a local board described 
        in section 169(c) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
        U.S.C. 2914(c)) an entity described in section 169(d) of such 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 2914(d)), or an entity acting of behalf of an 
        eligible strategic partnership.
            (2) Eligible strategic partnership.--
                    (A) In general.--For purposes of this subsection, 
                an eligible strategic partnership shall be composed of 
                at least 1 representative of a local board serving a 
                community, and of each of the 8 types of organizations 
                described in subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Types of organizations.--The types of 
                organizations referred to in subparagraph (A) are 
                businesses, unions, labor-management partnerships, 
                schools (including community colleges), public agencies 
                including law enforcement, nonprofit community 
                organizations, economic development entities, and 
                philanthropic organizations, that are actively engaged 
                in providing learning, mentoring, and work 
                opportunities to eligible youth.
            (3) Fiscal and administrative agent.--The strategic 
        partnership shall designate an entity, which shall be a member 
        of the partnership, as the strategic partnership's fiscal and 
        administrative entity for the implementation of activities 
        under the grant.
    (e) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an organization shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.
    (f) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to organizations located in communities described 
in subsection (c) or (d)(2) of section 169 of the Workforce Investment 
Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2914).
    (g) Eligible Youth.--To be eligible to participate in a program 
carried out under this section, a youth shall--
            (1) be not less than age 14 and not more than age 24;
            (2) reside in a community described in subsection (c) or 
        (d)(2) of section 169 of such Act; and
            (3) have multiple barriers to education and career success, 
        as specified by the Secretary.
    (h) Use of Funds.--An organization that receives a grant under this 
section may use the funds made available through the grant to provide 
programs of work experiences and training in green-collar industries 
that include education and paid work experiences. The work experiences 
shall involve retrofitting buildings (including facilities of small 
businesses) to achieve energy savings, or enhancing, creating, or 
preserving public space, within the communities served. In providing 
the programs, the organization may provide any of the activities 
described in subsection (b)(1) of that section 169.
    (i) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Indicators.--For purposes of the program carried out 
        under this section, the indicators of performance shall be--
                    (A) acquisition of a high school diploma or its 
                generally recognized equivalent by individuals who 
                completed their participation in the program and who 
                participated in training described in subsection (b);
                    (B) entry of such individuals, who participated in 
                work experiences described in subsection (b), into 
                postsecondary education linked to the green economy, 
                including registered apprenticeship programs in a 
                green-collar industry; and
                    (C) entry of such individuals, who participated in 
                work experiences described in subsection (b), into 
                unsubsidized employment in a green-collar industry.
            (2) Assessment.--The Secretary shall prepare an assessment 
        of the program that--
                    (A) describes the use of funds made available under 
                this section to carry out the program and the progress 
                achieved through that program; and
                    (B) provides information on the performance of the 
                program, including on the indicators of performance.
            (3) Report.--The Secretary shall annually submit to 
        Congress a report containing the assessment described in 
        paragraph (2).

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 
activities described in this Act $1,000,000,000, which shall be 
available for the period of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010.
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