1.This Act may be cited as
the Youth Corps Act of
2012
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Nationally, there are an estimated
3,500,000 to 5,000,000 youth, ages 16 through 24, out-of-school and
out-of-work, with an additional 500,000 young people dropping out of school
each year. At present, the unemployment rate for youth ages 16 through 24 is
approximately 20 percent. For such youth who are in low-income or minority
communities, or are youth with disabilities, this rate is even higher.
(2)Youth Service and Conservation Corps,
descended from the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, have been
preparing disadvantaged and disconnected youth for careers in resource
conservation, environmental restoration, land management, building renovation
and weatherization, education, human services, health care, homeland security,
and disaster relief for nearly 3 decades. To date, more than 600,000 young
people have found a new start through a Youth Service and Conservation
Corps.
(3)Today, over 150
Youth Service and Conservation Corps are working in 50 States and the District
of Columbia, and employing a research-driven strategy, called the Youth Corps
model, to reengage and provide educational and economic opportunity to over
30,000 young people each year.
(4)Due to the many
benefits and positive outcomes, not only for program participants but also for
the communities in which they serve, the Youth Corps model is a proven strategy
for re-engaging disconnected youth, while improving communities and the
environment and building the workforce of tomorrow.
3.
(a)Subtitle D of title I
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section
174 (29 U.S.C. 2919) the following new section:
173B.
(a)The
purpose of this section is to utilize service, environmental stewardship, and
the Youth Corps model to educate and train the next generation of workers to
enable them to find meaningful employment in the economy of the 21st century,
and instill in them a sense of civic engagement and environmental
stewardship.
(b)In
this section:
(1)The term eligible entity means a public or
private nonprofit agency or organization (including a consortium of such
agencies or organizations), including—
(A)a community-based
organization;
(B)a faith-based
organization;
(C)a community
action agency;
(D)a community
development corporation;
(E)an entity
carrying out activities under this title, such as a local board;
(F)an Indian tribe
or other agency primarily serving Indians;
(G)a public or
private institution of higher education;
(H)a State or unit
of general local government; or
(I)a State or local
youth service or conservation corps.
(2)Notwithstanding section 101, the term eligible
youth means an individual eligible to participate in a Youth Corps
program in accordance with subsection (d).
(3)The terms Indian and Indian tribe
have the meanings given the terms in section 166(b).
(4)The
term participant has the meaning given the term in section 101,
but includes a recipient of services under paragraph (5)(F).
(5)The term Youth Corps model means a model for a
youth education and training program for which an eligible entity—
(A)provides eligible
youth with stipended or paid work experience, and basic and technical skills
training leading, at a minimum, to an outcome consisting of—
(i)enrollment in
postsecondary education or training;
(ii)attainment of an
industry-recognized certification or credential;
(iii)meaningful
employment in the economy of the 21st century; or
(iv)military
service;
(B)provides eligible
youth with opportunities for educational advancement, including the attainment
of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, or other
State-recognized credential;
(C)engages eligible
youth to work, in teams or crews under the leadership of adult mentors and
trainers, on service and conservation projects designed to improve the
communities in which the youth live and the environment;
(D)works with youth-
and family-serving systems, such as child welfare and justice systems, to
provide and coordinate supportive services for education and training program
participants;
(E)works with
program partners in the local workforce investment system, institutions of
higher education, or other community-based organizations to develop pathways to
subsequent enrollment in education or training, attainment of an
industry-recognized certification or credential, meaningful employment, or
service as described in subparagraph (A); and
(F)provides 12
months of followup services and tracking for the program graduates.
(c)
(1)The Secretary is authorized to make grants to eligible
entities for the purpose of carrying out Youth Corps programs approved under
this section.
(2)The Secretary is authorized to make the grants for terms
of up to 3 years in length, and is authorized to renew the grants.
(3)An entity that receives a grant under this
subsection—
(A)shall use the
funds made available through the grant to carry out a Youth Corps program that
utilizes the Youth Corps model to provide to the participants, prior to
graduation from the program—
(i)education, which
may include—
(I)basic instruction
and remedial education;
(II)language
instruction for individuals with limited English proficiency;
(III)secondary
education services and activities, including dropout prevention, tutoring, and
other activities, that—
- (aa)are designed to
lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized
equivalent, or other State-recognized credential (including a credential for
meeting recognized alternative standards for individuals with disabilities);
and
- (bb)are delivered in
conjunction with project-based service-learning to the maximum degree
practicable; and
(IV)preparation for
and access to postsecondary education opportunities, including counseling and
assistance with applying for student financial aid;
(ii)work readiness
training, which may include—
(I)development of
basic skills, such as—
- (aa)arriving on time
to work;
- (bb)being prepared
to work;
- (cc)following
directions;
- (dd)working
independently;
- (ee)working with
others;
- (ff)working safely;
and
- (gg)demonstrating a
commitment to produce high-quality work;
(II)development of
job-specific occupational skills and on-the-job training;
(III)stipended or
paid work experience that provides participants with insights into the
professional work environment;
(IV)activities
designed to lead to—
- (aa)the attainment
of an industry-recognized certification or credential; or
- (bb)meaningful
employment in the economy of the 21st century;
(V)career counseling
and job search assistance; and
(VI)provision of a
job developer to cultivate relationships with local employers to hire program
graduates;
(iii)supportive
services, which may include—
(I)needs-related
payments;
(II)health care,
including mental health care such as drug and alcohol abuse counseling;
(III)child care;
and
(IV)transportation;
(iv)provision of
wages, stipends, or benefits;
(v)development and
monitoring of individual education and career plans;
(vi)service and
conservation projects, designed to develop civic engagement and environmental
stewardship;
(vii)supervision and
training on those projects; and
(viii)adult
mentoring;
(B)shall use the
funds made available through the grant, in carrying out the Youth Corps
program, to provide followup services and tracking for program graduates;
and
(C)may use the funds
made available through the grant for—
(i)ongoing training
and technical assistance that is related to the development, implementation,
and sustainability of the program; and
(ii)payment of
administrative expenses.
(4)
(A)In order to be qualified to receive a grant for a program
under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
(B)The Secretary shall require that the application
contain, at a minimum—
(i)a
request for the grant, specifying the amount of the grant requested and the
proposed uses for the grant funds;
(ii)a description of
the applicant and a statement of its qualifications, including a description of
the applicant's—
(I)past experience
with youth education and training programs; and
(II)relationships
with local boards, one-stop operators and one-stop partners, local labor
organizations, entities carrying out registered apprenticeship and
pre-apprenticeship programs, employers, institutions of higher education, and
other community-based organizations who are proposed as members of the program
partnership;
(iii)a description
of the educational and work readiness training activities (including paid work
opportunities), secondary education, preparation for and access to
postsecondary education and training opportunities, and other services that
will be provided to participants, and how those activities, opportunities, and
services will prepare eligible youth for an outcome described in subsection
(b)(5)(A), and instill in them a sense of civic engagement and environmental
stewardship;
(iv)a description of
the proposed service and conservation projects to be undertaken under the
grant, how the project activities will improve the affected community or
environment, and the anticipated schedule for carrying out such
activities;
(v)a
description of the manner in which eligible youth will be recruited and
selected as participants, including a description of any coordination with
local boards, one-stop operators and one-stop partners, community-based
organizations, faith-based organizations, State educational agencies (as
defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7801)) or local educational agencies (including agencies of Indian
tribes), public assistance agencies, local courts, probation and parole
offices, the justice system, agencies serving homeless youth, foster care
agencies, the Armed Forces, and other appropriate public and private
agencies;
(vi)a description of
how the proposed program will be coordinated with other Federal, State, and
local activities and activities conducted by Indian tribes, such as local
workforce investment activities, career and technical education programs,
programs of adult education and literary activities, activities conducted by
public schools, activities conducted by community colleges, national and
community service programs, and other non-school-based education or training
provided with funds available under this title;
(vii)a description
of results to be achieved with respect to performance indicators described in
subsection (e);
(viii)a detailed
budget and a description of the system of fiscal controls, and auditing and
accountability procedures, that will be used to ensure fiscal soundness for the
proposed program; and
(ix)a description of
the commitments of any additional resources (in addition to the grant funds) by
the applicant or any program partners.
(5)For an applicant to be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, the applicant and the applicant's proposed program shall meet
such selection criteria as the Secretary shall establish under this section,
which shall include criteria relating to—
(A)the
qualifications or potential capabilities of an applicant;
(B)an applicant's
potential for developing and implementing a successful education and training
program utilizing the Youth Corps model;
(C)the need for an
applicant's proposed program, as determined by the degree of economic distress
of the community from which participants would be recruited (measured by
indicators such as poverty, youth unemployment, and the number of individuals
who have dropped out of secondary school);
(D)the need for the
applicant’s proposed service and conservation projects by the affected
community or environmental area;
(E)the ability of an
applicant to provide the education, training, and other services described in
paragraph (3) that are necessary to prepare participants for an outcome
described in subsection (b)(5)(A);
(F)the extent of an
applicant's ability to coordinate and partner with local boards, one-stop
operators and one-stop partners, local labor organizations, entities carrying
out registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, employers,
institutions of higher education, and other community-based organizations who
are proposed as members of the program partnership to provide participants with
an outcome described in subsection (b)(5)(A);
(G)the extent of the
applicant's coordination of activities with entities carrying out public
education, criminal justice, housing and community development, national and
community service, postsecondary education, or other systems that relate to the
goals of the proposed program;
(H)the extent of the
commitment of additional resources (in addition to the grant funds) to the
proposed program by the applicant or any program partners; and
(I)such other
factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for purposes of carrying
out the proposed program in an effective and efficient manner.
(d)Additional
program requirements
(1)
(A)Notwithstanding section 101, for purposes of this section
an individual shall be eligible to participate in a Youth Corps program only if
such individual is—
(i)(I)not less than age 16
and not more than age 24, on the date of enrollment; and
(II)- (aa)a low-income
individual, a youth in foster care (including youth aging out of foster care),
a formerly incarcerated or court-involved youth, a child of an incarcerated
parent, a youth who is an individual with a disability, or a migrant youth;
or
- (bb)a school dropout; or
(ii)eligible to
participate under subparagraph (B).
(B)Exception for
individuals not meeting income or educational need
requirementsNot more than 25 percent of the individuals selected
to be participants in such program may be individuals who do not meet the
requirements of subclause (II) or (III) of subparagraph (A)(i).
(C)For
purposes of Federal law, participants in a Youth Corps program under this
section shall be considered participants of the program rather than employees
of the program.
(2)An eligible individual selected for participation in a
Youth Corps program under this section shall be offered full-time participation
in the program for a period of not less than 6 months and not more than 24
months.
(e)Recipients of grants for programs under subsection (c)
shall report annually to the Secretary concerning the following performance
indicators:
(1)Program
enrollment rates.
(2)Program
attendance rates.
(3)Attainment of a
diploma, equivalent, or credential described in subsection
(c)(3)(A)(i)(III).
(4)Rates of program
completion, including early release for meaningful employment in the economy of
the 21st century.
(5)Rates of outcomes
described in subsection (b)(5)(A) for program graduates.
(6)Wages of program
graduates.
(7)Post-program
employment retention rates.
(8)Such other
performance indicators as may be reasonably required by the Secretary.
(f)Management and
technical assistance
(1)The Secretary may enter into contracts or cooperative
agreements with or make grants to 1 or more entities to provide assistance to
the Secretary in the management, supervision, and coordination of the program
carried out under this section.
(2)
(A)Contracts,
cooperative agreements, and grantsThe Secretary shall enter into
contracts or cooperative agreements with or make grants to 1 or more qualified
national nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated record of experience with
and achievement in developing and implementing the Youth Corps model, in order
to provide training, information, and technical assistance to recipients of
grants under subsection (c).
(B)Of the amounts available under section 174(d) to carry out
this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 5 percent to carry
out subparagraph (A).
(3)
(A)Contracts,
cooperative agreements, and grantsThe Secretary shall enter into
contracts or cooperative agreements with or make grants to 1 or more qualified
national nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated record of experience with
and achievement in developing and implementing the Youth Corps model, for the
purpose of conducting data collection and evaluation.
(B)Of the amounts available under section 174(d) to carry out
this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 1 percent to carry
out subparagraph (A).
(4)For each fiscal year, the Secretary may use not
more than 3 percent of the amounts available under section 174(d) to award
grants to 1 or more qualified national nonprofit organizations to pay for the
Federal share of the cost of providing capacity building activities for
recipients of grants under subsection
(c).
.
(b)The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 173A the following:
Sec. 173B. Youth Corps
programs.
.
4.Authorization of
appropriationsSection 174 of
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2919) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
(d)Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 173B such sums as may be
necessary for each of fiscal years 2013 through
2018.
.