[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 922 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 922

    To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the 
 Secretary of Labor to provide grants for Urban Jobs Programs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2011

Mrs. Gillibrand introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the 
 Secretary of Labor to provide grants for Urban Jobs Programs, 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 ``Urban Jobs Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) One-third of minority youth are unemployed.
            (2) The labor force participation rate for persons without 
        a high school diploma is 20 percentage points lower than the 
        labor force participation rate for high school graduates.
            (3) Nationally, approximately 70 percent of all students 
        graduate from high school, but African-American and Hispanic 
        students have a 55 percent or lower chance of graduating from 
        high school.
            (4) High school dropouts from the class of 2004 will cost 
        the Nation more than $325,000,000,000 in lost wages, taxes, and 
        productivity over their lifetimes.
            (5) Only 52 percent of students in the 50 largest cities in 
        the United States graduate from high school. That rate is below 
        the national high school graduation rate of 70 percent, and 
        also falls short of the average high school graduation rate of 
        60 percent for urban districts across the Nation.
            (6) Over a lifetime, a high school dropout earns, on 
        average, about $260,000 less than a high school graduate, and 
        about $1,000,000 less than a college graduate.
            (7) Approximately 75 percent of State prison inmates and 59 
        percent of Federal prison inmates have not completed high 
        school. Increasing the high school completion rate by 1 percent 
        for all men ages 20 to 60 would save the United States 
        $1,400,000,000 annually in reduced costs associated with crime.
            (8) According to a recent study, a 10-percent increase in 
        the male high school graduation rate would reduce arrest rates 
        for murder and assault by about 20 percent, motor vehicle theft 
        by 13 percent, and arson by 8 percent.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to provide adequate 
resources for national nonprofit organizations to prevent and reduce 
the disproportionate incarceration of eligible youth, especially 
minority youth, and to prepare eligible youth for entry into 
employment, or education leading to employment, that places 
participants on a path to economic self-sufficiency and provides 
opportunities for advancement, by providing a comprehensive set of 
services that includes job training, education, and support services.

SEC. 3. URBAN JOBS PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment 
Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 173A (29 U.S.C. 
2918a) the following:

``SEC. 173B. URBAN JOBS PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide, through 
competitive grants, needed resources for the following objectives:
            ``(1) To establish a feeder system for youth ages 18 
        through 24, who are out-of-school youth or are or have been 
        subject to the criminal justice process, in urban communities, 
        into employment, or education leading to employment, through 
        national intermediaries that have demonstrated effectiveness in 
        conducting outreach to, and serving, eligible youth through a 
        national network of community-based affiliates.
            ``(2) To provide a holistic approach for preparing eligible 
        youth in urban communities for entry into employment, or 
        education leading to employment, through a comprehensive set of 
        services.
            ``(3) To prevent and reduce the disproportionate 
        incarceration of eligible youth in urban communities, including 
        minority youth.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Community-based affiliate.--The term `community-based 
        affiliate' means a community-based organization that is an 
        affiliate of a national intermediary.
            ``(2) Eligible youth.--The term `eligible youth' means 
        individuals ages 18 through 24 who--
                    ``(A) are not enrolled in secondary or post-
                secondary school; or
                    ``(B) are or have been subject to any stage of the 
                criminal justice process.
            ``(3) National intermediary.--The term `national 
        intermediary' means a national private nonprofit community-
        based organization that--
                    ``(A) has an affiliate network comprised of 
                community-based organizations in at least 50 or more 
                urban communities;
                    ``(B) has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness 
                in conducting outreach to eligible youth and providing 
                workforce investment activities to such youth; and
                    ``(C) has operated in 25 States continuously for 
                more than 20 years.
            ``(4) Recidivism.--The term `recidivism' means a tendency 
        to return to criminal behavior.
            ``(5) Unsubsidized job.--The term `unsubsidized job' means 
        an employment position with an employer--
                    ``(A) that pays the wages for the position; and
                    ``(B) that does not receive public funds for the 
                creation and maintenance of the employment position.
            ``(6) Urban jobs program.--The term `Urban Jobs Program' 
        means an Urban Jobs Program funded under subsection (c).
    ``(c) Urban Jobs Program Grants.--
            ``(1) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to make grants, 
        on a competitive basis, to national intermediaries for the 
        purpose of carrying out Urban Jobs Programs that provide a 
        comprehensive set of services to eligible youth in urban 
        communities to provide such youth with a pathway to employment, 
        or education leading to employment.
            ``(2) Application.--
                    ``(A) Form and procedure.--To be eligible to 
                receive a grant under this subsection, a national 
                intermediary shall submit an application at such time, 
                in such manner, and accompanied by such information as 
                the Secretary may require.
                    ``(B) Minimum requirements.--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 proposed 
                        uses of the grant funds;
                            ``(ii) a description of how the national 
                        intermediary will meet, for participants in the 
                        Urban Jobs Program, goals consisting of--
                                    ``(I) increased long-term 
                                employment in unsubsidized jobs;
                                    ``(II) reduced recidivism;
                                    ``(III) increased attainment of the 
                                recognized equivalent of a high school 
                                diploma;
                                    ``(IV) improved literacy and 
                                numeracy; and
                                    ``(V) increased attainment of 
                                industry-recognized certificates or 
                                credentials, or preparation for entry 
                                into an institution of higher education 
                                without need for further remediation;
                            ``(iii) a description of underlying 
                        supports for the program, including--
                                    ``(I) engaged community partners;
                                    ``(II) staff expertise in youth 
                                development; and
                                    ``(III) demonstrated understanding 
                                of youth characteristics;
                            ``(iv) a description of how the program 
                        will enable program participants to achieve 
                        outcomes consisting of--
                                    ``(I) creation of caring 
                                relationships with peers and staff;
                                    ``(II) creation of goals (such as 
                                the attainment described in clause 
                                (ii)(III), attainment of employment, 
                                admission to or completion of a degree 
                                at an institution of higher education, 
                                attainment of industry-recognized 
                                certificates or credentials, or 
                                preparation for entry into an 
                                institution of higher education without 
                                need for further remediation);
                                    ``(III) participation in 
                                opportunities to contribute to the 
                                community through service or 
                                volunteerism;
                                    ``(IV) development of 21st century 
                                workplace skills, including critical 
                                thinking and collaboration;
                                    ``(V) development of a sense of 
                                responsibility for one's future;
                                    ``(VI) development of plans or 
                                strategies to meet one's goals;
                                    ``(VII) reduction of risk-taking 
                                behaviors;
                                    ``(VIII) achievement of improved 
                                educational outcomes (such as numeracy, 
                                literacy, or the attainment described 
                                in clause (ii)(II));
                                    ``(IX) achievement of improved 
                                employment outcomes; and
                                    ``(X) reduction of recidivism; and
                            ``(v) a description of activities to be 
                        provided through the Urban Jobs Program that 
                        lead to the attainment of industry-recognized 
                        certificates or credentials described in 
                        paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Eligible activities.--A national intermediary that 
        receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made 
        available through the grant to carry out an Urban Jobs Program, 
        which shall include the following comprehensive set of 
        services:
                    ``(A) Case management, through an individual 
                responsible for helping participants navigate the Urban 
                Jobs Program activities.
                    ``(B) Educational services, including skill 
                assessment, reading and math remediation, educational 
                enrichment, services involving preparation for and 
                opportunities for attainment of the recognized 
                equivalent of a high school diploma, services that 
                connect to career pathways such as opportunities for 
                attainment of industry-recognized certificates or 
                credentials or for preparation for entry into an 
                institution of higher education without the need for 
                further remediation, and postsecondary education.
                    ``(C) Employment and job readiness activities, 
                including mentoring, community service opportunities, 
                internships, on-the-job training, occupational skills 
                training, personal development, and unsubsidized jobs.
                    ``(D) Support services, health and nutrition 
                service referral, substance abuse counseling and 
                treatment, and provision of housing assistance, 
                interpersonal and basic living skills, and 
                transportation, child care, clothing, and other 
                assistance as needed.
            ``(4) Limitation.--Not more than 2 percent of the funds 
        appropriated for any fiscal year under section 174(d) may be 
        used for expenses associated with carrying out this subsection.
    ``(d) Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than August 1 following each 
        program year for which amounts are made available to carry out 
        this section, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the 
        Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
        and Pensions of the Senate, a report that details the progress 
        made under this section in establishing Urban Jobs Programs 
        through national intermediaries.
            ``(2) Inapplicability of section 172.--The program shall 
        not be subject to evaluations required under section 172.
    ``(e) National Jobs Council Advisory Committee.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor shall 
        establish a committee to be known as the National Jobs Council 
        Advisory Committee (referred to in this subsection as the 
        `Committee').
            ``(2) Membership.--The Committee shall be comprised of 11 
        members, appointed by the Secretary, consisting of--
                    ``(A) 3 individuals from the private sector, who 
                are senior human resources or diversity employees with 
                national or regional responsibilities, and who have 
                experience in oversight that includes hiring, employee 
                training, or overseeing employee relations;
                    ``(B) 5 representatives of employers in high-
                impact, high-growth industries, as defined by the 
                Secretary;
                    ``(C) 1 national intermediary staff member; and
                    ``(D) 2 representatives from the Department of 
                Labor.
            ``(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--Members shall be 
        appointed for the life of the Committee. Any vacancy in the 
        Committee shall not affect the powers of the Committee, but 
        shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment 
        was made.
            ``(4) Duties.--
                    ``(A) Analysis.--The Committee shall analyze, and 
                prepare recommendations for the Secretary concerning--
                            ``(i) the design and operation of the 
                        program carried out under this section;
                            ``(ii) long-term strategic priorities for 
                        the program; and
                            ``(iii) the formulation and application of 
                        guidelines related to activities carried out 
                        under the program.
                    ``(B) Reports.--The Committee shall prepare and 
                submit to the Secretary periodic reports containing the 
                recommendations described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(5) Personnel.--
                    ``(A) Travel expenses.--The members of the 
                Committee shall not receive compensation for the 
                performance of services for the Committee, but shall be 
                allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
                subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of 
                agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
                United States Code, while away from their homes or 
                regular places of business in the performance of 
                services for the Committee. Notwithstanding section 
                1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may 
                accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of 
                members of the Committee.
                    ``(B) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal 
                Government employee may be detailed to the Committee 
                without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without 
                interruption or loss of civil service status or 
                privilege.
            ``(6) Permanent committee.--Section 14 of the Federal 
        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
        Committee.
    ``(f) Sense of Congress Regarding Local Advisory Committees.--It is 
the sense of Congress that--
            ``(1) a community-based affiliate receiving funding under 
        this section should establish a local jobs council advisory 
        committee to aid in establishing support from the local 
        community for and guiding the local implementation of the 
        program; and
            ``(2) not less than \1/3\ of the members the committee 
        should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in 
        the locality.''.
    (b) Funding.--Section 174 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(29 U.S.C. 2919) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Urban Jobs Programs.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out section 173B--
            ``(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
            ``(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
            ``(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
            ``(5) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended--
            (1) by inserting a period at the end of the item relating 
        to section 173A; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 173A 
        the following:

``Sec. 173B. Urban jobs programs.''.
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