Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Expanding Training Opportunities Act of 2012

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)in the United States, hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs are unfilled because workers lack the skills or credentials required for employment in those positions; (2)innovative education programs, such as the Right Skills Now pilot program in Minnesota, are essential to rapidly re-training the American workforce to match a changing economy, both now and in the future; (3)the promotion of nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials will be a key component in the re-education of the American workforce; and (4)with unemployment rates at record levels, it is critical to ensure that unemployed workers have the opportunity to learn new skills and pursue educational opportunities while maintaining their eligibility for unemployment benefits.

Approved training

(a)

In general

Section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 3304) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(g)

Approved training

(1)

In general

For purposes of subsection (a)(8), the term training shall include any of the educational or job training programs described in paragraph (2), with the programs described in such paragraph to be deemed approved by the State agency. (2)

Educational or job training programs

For purposes of paragraph (1), the programs described in this paragraph are— (A)a job training program authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 for which an individual has been determined to be eligible to participate; or (B)for purposes of an individual who has been identified as likely to exhaust regular compensation, any coursework necessary to attain a recognized postsecondary credential, provided that such credential can be attained by the individual prior to the end of the individual's benefit year or the end of such period as is determined appropriate by the State agency, whichever is greater. (3)

Recognized postsecondary credential

For purposes of this subsection, the term recognized postsecondary credential means a credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

(b)

Extended compensation

Section 202(a) of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended by inserting at the end the following new paragraph:

(8)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2), a State agency may elect to approve programs described in subsection (g)(2) of section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for purposes of training included under subsection (a)(8) of such section.

(c)

Emergency unemployment compensation

Section 4001(d)(2) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110–252; 26 U.S.C. 3304 note) is amended— (1)in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end; and (2)by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:

(C)that a State agency may elect to approve programs described in subsection (g)(2) of section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for purposes of training included under subsection (a)(8) of such section; and

(d)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall take effect 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Notification to unemployed individuals

(a)

In general

To the extent feasible and practicable, the State agency shall provide that applications for regular compensation include information regarding the availability of such compensation during periods in which an individual is engaged in training that has been approved by the State agency, as described in section 3304(a)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 3304(a)(8)). (b)

Definitions

For purposes of this section, the terms regular compensation and State agency have the same meanings as in section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970.