[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3258 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3258

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish a 
 scholarship program for dislocated workers or unemployed individuals 
              transitioning into manufacturing employment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2015

  Mr. Norcross (for himself, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Garamendi, and Mrs. 
   Bustos) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 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 2015'' or the ``WORC Grant Program Act 
of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MANUFACTURING WORKER TRANSITION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Amendment.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 2916) is amended by adding after section 
171 the following new section:

``SEC. 171A. MANUFACTURING WORKER TRANSITION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    ``(a) 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.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--
            ``(1) Worker eligibility.--To be eligible for the 
        scholarship program established under this section, dislocated 
        workers or unemployed individuals shall be enrolled in a 
        qualifying manufacturing training course designed to provide 
        skills for employment in manufacturing.
            ``(2) Program eligibility.--State or local boards 
        participating in the scholarship program established under this 
        section shall--
                    ``(A) have formal agreements or partnerships with 
                qualifying manufacturing training course providers; and
                    ``(B) 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.
    ``(c) Activities.--
            ``(1) In general.--Activities to be carried out under the 
        scholarship program established under this section 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.
            ``(2) State and local board discretion.--For purposes of 
        scholarship awards distributed by a State or local board, such 
        board shall define the term `manufacturing'.
            ``(3) 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.
    ``(d) Limitations.--
            ``(1) Monetary award limit.--Scholarship funding for any 
        dislocated worker or unemployed individual may not exceed 
        $2,000 per year.
            ``(2) Eligibility limit.--Scholarship funding for any 
        dislocated worker or unemployed individual may not exceed 2 
        years.
            ``(3) Scholarship use limit.--A scholarship awarded under 
        this section may only be used for payment towards qualifying 
        manufacturing training courses.
            ``(4) Supportive services limit.--A scholarship awarded 
        under this section may not be used for supportive services.
    ``(e) Qualifying Manufacturing Training Course Defined.--The term 
`qualifying manufacturing training course'--
            ``(1) means any course or job training activity that is 
        offered by a postsecondary educational institution, area 
        vocational education school, or other eligible provider that--
                    ``(A) 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
                    ``(B) offers credits or other credentials to 
                enrollees for completion of the program; and
            ``(2) may include internships or apprenticeships that 
        provide credit or other credentials for completion of the 
        program.''.
    (b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
1(b) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 171 the following new 
item:

``Sec. 171A. Manufacturing worker transition scholarship program.''.
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