[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1929 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1929

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to carry out pilot projects 
   to reduce dependency and increase work effort in the supplemental 
                     nutrition assistance program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2013

 Ms. DelBene introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to carry out pilot projects 
   to reduce dependency and increase work effort in the supplemental 
                     nutrition assistance program.

    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 ``Enhancing Employment and Training 
Through Education Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECTS TO REDUCE DEPENDENCY AND INCREASE WORK EFFORT IN 
              THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Pilot Projects To Reduce Dependency and Increase Work Effort 
in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out, under 
        such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers to be 
        appropriate, pilot projects to identify best practices for 
        employment and training programs under this Act to raise the 
        number of work registrants who obtain unsubsidized employment, 
        increase their earned income, and reduce their reliance on 
        public assistance, including but not limited to the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program.
            ``(2) Selection criteria.--Pilot projects shall be selected 
        based on criteria the Secretary establishes, that shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) enhancing existing employment and training 
                programs in the State;
                    ``(B) agreeing to participate in the evaluation 
                described in paragraph (3), including making available 
                data on participants' employment activities and post-
                participation employment, earnings, and public benefit 
                receipt;
                    ``(C) collaborating with the State workforce board 
                and other job training programs in the State and local 
                area;
                    ``(D) the extent to which the pilot project's 
                components can be easily replicated by other States or 
                political subdivisions; and
                    ``(E) such additional criteria that ensure that the 
                pilot projects--
                            ``(i) target a variety of populations of 
                        work registrants, including childless adults, 
                        parents, and individuals with low skills or 
                        limited work experience;
                            ``(ii) are selected from a range of 
                        existing employment and training programs 
                        including programs that provide--
                                    ``(I) section 20 workfare;
                                    ``(II) skills development for work 
                                registrants with limited employment 
                                history;
                                    ``(III) post-employment support 
                                services necessary for maintaining 
                                employment; and
                                    ``(IV) education leading to a 
                                recognized postsecondary credential, 
                                registered apprenticeship, or secondary 
                                school diploma or its equivalent;
                            ``(iii) are located in a range of 
                        geographic areas, including rural, urban, and 
                        Indian reservations; and
                            ``(iv) include participants who are exempt 
                        and not exempt under section (6)(d)(2).
            ``(3) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall provide for an 
        independent evaluation of projects selected under this 
        subsection to measure the impact of the pilot projects on the 
        ability of each pilot project target population to find and 
        retain employment that leads to increased household income and 
        reduced dependency, compared to what would have occurred in the 
        absence of the pilot project.
            ``(4) Report to congress.--By September 30, 2017, the 
        Secretary shall submit, to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
        Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report that includes a 
        description of--
                    ``(A) the results of each pilot project, including 
                an evaluation of the impact of the project on the 
                employment, income, and public benefit receipt of the 
                targeted population of work registrants;
                    ``(B) the Federal, State, and other costs of each 
                pilot project;
                    ``(C) the planned dissemination of the reports' 
                findings with State agencies; and
                    ``(D) the steps and funding necessary to 
                incorporate components of pilot projects that 
                demonstrate increased employment and earnings into 
                State employment and training programs.
            ``(5) Funding.--From amounts made available under section 
        18(a)(1), the Secretary shall make $10,000,000 available for 
        each of the fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016 to carry out this 
        subsection. Such amounts shall remain available until expended.
            ``(6) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) Funds provided under this subsection for 
                pilot projects shall be used only for--
                            ``(i) pilot projects that comply with the 
                        provisions of this Act;
                            ``(ii) the costs and administration of the 
                        pilot projects;
                            ``(iii) the costs incurred in providing 
                        information and data to the independent 
                        evaluation under paragraph (3); and
                            ``(iv) the costs of the evaluation under 
                        paragraph (3).
                    ``(B) Funds made available under this subsection 
                may not be used to supplant non-Federal funds used for 
                existing employment and training activities.''.
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