[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1121 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1121

                To encourage online workforce training.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2015

 Ms. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                To encourage online workforce training.

    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 ``Online Job Training Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. ONLINE WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS.

    Section 169 of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3224) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Online Workforce Training Program.--
            ``(1) National online workforce training grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--From the amount appropriated 
                under subparagraph (G), the Secretary shall award 
                National Online Workforce Training Grants on a 
                competitive basis to eligible entities to enable such 
                entities to carry out workforce training programs using 
                distance-learning technologies, such as the Internet. 
                An entity may leverage such grant with other Federal, 
                State, local, and private resources, in order to expand 
                the participation of businesses, employees, and other 
                individuals in such training programs.
                    ``(B) Eligible entity defined.--For purposes of 
                this subsection, the term `eligible entity' means an 
                educational institution, community-based organization, 
                nonprofit organization, State board or local board, or 
                unit of general local government, which provides online 
                workforce training.
                    ``(C) Priority.--Priority in awarding grants under 
                this paragraph shall be given to eligible entities 
                that--
                            ``(i) have demonstrated experience in 
                        implementing and operating online workforce 
                        training and education programs;
                            ``(ii) have demonstrated experience 
                        coordinating activities, where appropriate, 
                        with the workforce investment system; and
                            ``(iii) conduct training for occupations 
                        with national or local shortages.
                    ``(D) Data collection.--Each eligible entity 
                receiving a grant under this paragraph shall collect 
                and report information on--
                            ``(i) the number of participants in the 
                        workforce training program funded under this 
                        paragraph;
                            ``(ii) the services received by the 
                        participants;
                            ``(iii) program completion rates;
                            ``(iv) factors determined as significantly 
                        interfering with program participation or 
                        completion;
                            ``(v) the rate of job placement; and
                            ``(vi) other information as determined as 
                        needed by the Secretary.
                    ``(E) Outreach.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
                grant under this paragraph shall conduct outreach 
                activities to disseminate information to workforce 
                investment boards, local governments, educational 
                institutions, and other workforce training 
                organizations about--
                            ``(i) the workforce training program funded 
                        under this paragraph; and
                            ``(ii) the results of such, and the best 
                        practices with respect to workforce training 
                        identified as a result of, program.
                    ``(F) Performance levels.--The Secretary shall 
                establish indicators of performance that will be used 
                to evaluate the performance of eligible entities under 
                this paragraph in carrying out the activities required 
                under this paragraph. Prior to awarding a grant under 
                this paragraph to an eligible entity, the Secretary 
                shall negotiate and reach agreement with the entity 
                regarding the levels of performance expected to be 
                achieved by the entity on the indicators of 
                performance.
                    ``(G) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
                out this paragraph $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2016 
                through 2026.
            ``(2) Online training program clearinghouse.--
                    ``(A) Description of grant.--From the amounts 
                appropriated under subparagraph (D), the Secretary 
                shall award one grant to an eligible institution of 
                higher education to provide the services described in 
                this paragraph.
                    ``(B) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a 
                grant under this paragraph, an institution of higher 
                education shall--
                            ``(i) have demonstrated the ability to 
                        disseminate research on best practices for 
                        implementing workforce investment activities; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) be a national leader in producing 
                        cutting-edge research on technology related to 
                        workforce development systems under this title.
                    ``(C) Services.--The postsecondary educational 
                institution that receives a grant under this paragraph 
                shall use such grant--
                            ``(i) to provide technical assistance to 
                        entities that receive grants under paragraph 
                        (1);
                            ``(ii) to collect and nationally 
                        disseminate the data gathered by entities that 
                        receive grants under paragraph (1); and
                            ``(iii) to disseminate best practices 
                        identified by the Secretary.
                    ``(D) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
                out this subsection $1,000,000 for fiscal years 2016 
                through 2026.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by section 2 shall take effect as if enacted as 
part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
seq.).
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