[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2611 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2611

 To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare individuals 
    with multiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce by 
  providing such individuals with support services, job training, and 
                   education, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2011

  Mr. Grijalva (for himself, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Polis, Mr. Baca, and Mr. 
  Pierluisi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to prepare individuals 
    with multiple barriers to employment to enter the workforce by 
  providing such individuals with support services, job training, and 
                   education, 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 ``Promoting Partnerships to Transform 
Opportunities Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to provide resources to nonprofit 
organizations and minority-serving institutions to prepare individuals 
with multiple barriers to employment, especially underrepresented 
minorities, to enter the workforce by providing support services, job 
training, and education.

SEC. 3. UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS.

    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:

``SEC. 166B. UNREPRESENTED MINORITY PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--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 
        minority communities in accordance with the goals and values of 
        such communities.
    ``(b) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            ``(1) Minority-serving institution.--The term `minority-
        serving 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) 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).
            ``(3) Hispanic-serving institution.--The 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).
            ``(4) Nonprofit organization.--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 (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) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall, on a competitive 
basis, make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 
agreements with, nonprofit organizations in partnership with one or 
more minority-serving institutions to carry out the authorized 
activities described in subsection (d).
    ``(d) Authorized Activities.--A nonprofit organization in 
partnership with one or more minority-serving institutions receiving a 
grant, contract, or agreement under subsection (c) shall use such funds 
to serve individuals with multiple barriers to employment by carrying 
out the following activities:
            ``(1) Education services, including postsecondary 
        education, English as a second language courses, General 
        Education 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, and personal 
        development.
            ``(3) Additional support services, including health and 
        nutrition services, housing assistance, transportation, child 
        care, and clothing.
    ``(e) Program Plan.--In order to receive a grant or enter into a 
contract or cooperative agreement under this subsection (c), a 
nonprofit organization in partnership with one or more minority-serving 
institutions 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 organization submitting the plan 
        consults with the Secretary, the performance measures to be 
        used to assess the performance of nonprofit organizations in 
        carrying out the activities assisted under this section.
    ``(f) 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 2012 through 2016.''.
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