[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4824 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4824

     To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish a 
 scholarship program for dislocated workers or unemployed individuals 
              transitioning into manufacturing employment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 2014

  Mr. Enyart 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 establish a 
 scholarship program for dislocated workers or unemployed individuals 
              transitioning into manufacturing employment.

    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 ``Workers Opportunity and Retraining 
Competitive Grant Program Act of 2014'' or the ``WORC Grant Program Act 
of 2014''.

SEC. 2. MANUFACTURING WORKER TRANSITION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 
2916) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Manufacturing Worker Transition Scholarship Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        manufacturing worker scholarship program to award States 
        competitive grants to be used to provide scholarships to 
        dislocated workers or unemployed individuals through State and 
        local boards to support worker's endeavors to transition into 
        manufacturing positions.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--
                    ``(A) Worker eligibility.--To be eligible for the 
                scholarship program established under this subsection, 
                dislocated workers or unemployed individuals shall be 
                enrolled in a qualifying manufacturing training course 
                designed to provide skills for employment in 
                manufacturing.
                    ``(B) Program eligibility.--State or local boards 
                participating in the scholarship program established 
                under this subsection shall--
                            ``(i) have formal agreements or 
                        partnerships with qualifying manufacturing 
                        training course providers; and
                            ``(ii) have commitments from local 
                        employers, community leaders, and State or 
                        local economic development initiatives to 
                        mentor dislocated workers or unemployed 
                        individuals in order to aid their transition 
                        into manufacturing industries.
            ``(3) Activities.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Activities to be carried out 
                under the scholarship program established under this 
                subsection shall be coordinated by State or local 
                boards, including transferring scholarship awards to 
                qualifying manufacturing training course providers on 
                behalf of the dislocated workers or unemployed 
                individuals receiving scholarships.
                    ``(B) State and local board discretion.--For 
                purposes of scholarship awards distributed by a State 
                or local board, such board shall define the term 
                `manufacturing'.
                    ``(C) Repayment upon eligibility violations.--If a 
                dislocated worker or unemployed individual does not 
                complete the qualifying manufacturing training course 
                or substitutes non-manufacturing courses for 
                manufacturing courses, the amount of the awarded 
                scholarship shall be repaid to the State or local 
                board.
            ``(4) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Monetary award limit.--Scholarship funding 
                for any dislocated worker or unemployed individual may 
                not exceed $2,000 per year.
                    ``(B) Eligibility limit.--Scholarship funding for 
                any dislocated worker or unemployed individual may not 
                exceed 2 years.
                    ``(C) Scholarship use limit.--A scholarship awarded 
                under this subsection may only be used for payment 
                towards qualifying manufacturing training courses.
                    ``(D) Supportive services limit.--A scholarship 
                awarded under this subsection may not be used for 
                supportive services.
            ``(5) Qualifying manufacturing training course defined.--
        The term `qualifying manufacturing training course'--
                    ``(A) means any course or job training activity 
                that is offered by a postsecondary educational 
                institution, area vocational education school, or other 
                eligible provider that--
                            ``(i) provides knowledge and skills related 
                        to manufacturing in emerging industries or 
                        industries where there are jobs available in 
                        the community, as determined by a State or 
                        local board; and
                            ``(ii) offers credits or other credentials 
                        to enrollees for completion of the program; and
                    ``(B) may include internships or apprenticeships 
                that provide credit or other credentials for completion 
                of the program.''.
                                 <all>