[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 620 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 620

   To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to support 
  community college and industry partnerships, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2017

 Mr. Franken (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) 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 Innovation and Opportunity Act to support 
  community college and industry partnerships, 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 ``Community College to Career Fund 
Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CAREER FUND.

    (a) In General.--Title I of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

             ``Subtitle F--Community College to Career Fund

``SEC. 199. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Grants Authorized.--Not later than the end of the first full 
fiscal year after the date of enactment of the Community College to 
Career Fund Act, from funds appropriated under section 199A, the 
Secretary of Labor (in coordination with the Secretary of Education and 
the Secretary of Commerce) shall award competitive grants to eligible 
entities described in subsection (b) for the purpose of developing, 
offering, improving, and providing educational or career training 
programs for workers. The grants shall be awarded for periods of 3 
years.
    ``(b) Eligible Entity.--
            ``(1) Partnerships with employers or an employer or 
        industry partnership.--
                    ``(A) General definition.--For purposes of this 
                section, an `eligible entity' means any of the entities 
                described in subparagraph (B) (or a consortium of any 
                of such entities) in partnership with employers or an 
                employer or industry partnership representing multiple 
                employers.
                    ``(B) Description of entities.--The entities 
                described in this subparagraph are--
                            ``(i) a community college;
                            ``(ii) a 4-year public institution of 
                        higher education (as defined in section 101(a) 
                        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        1001(a))) that offers 2-year degrees, and that 
                        will use funds provided under this section for 
                        activities at the certificate and associate 
                        degree levels;
                            ``(iii) a Tribal College or University (as 
                        defined in section 316(b) of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))); or
                            ``(iv) a public or private nonprofit, 2-
                        year institution of higher education (as 
                        defined in section 102 of the Higher Education 
                        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) in the 
                        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United 
                        States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the 
                        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
                        the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
                        Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic 
                        of Palau.
            ``(2) Additional partners.--
                    ``(A) Authorization of additional partners.--In 
                addition to partnering with employers or an employer or 
                industry partnership representing multiple employers as 
                described in paragraph (1)(A), an entity described in 
                paragraph (1) may include in the partnership described 
                in paragraph (1) one or more of the organizations 
                described in subparagraph (B). Each eligible entity 
                that includes one or more such organizations shall 
                collaborate with the State or local board in the area 
                served by the eligible entity.
                    ``(B) Organizations.--The organizations described 
                in this subparagraph are as follows:
                            ``(i) A provider of adult education (as 
                        defined in section 203) or an institution of 
                        higher education (as defined in section 101 of 
                        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        1001)).
                            ``(ii) A community-based organization.
                            ``(iii) A joint labor-management 
                        partnership.
                            ``(iv) A State board.
                            ``(v) An elementary school or secondary 
                        school, as defined in section 8101 of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                        (20 U.S.C. 7801).
                            ``(vi) Any other organization that the 
                        Secretaries consider appropriate.
    ``(c) Educational or Career Training Program.--For purposes of this 
section, the Governor of the State in which at least one of the 
entities described in subsection (b)(1)(B) of an eligible entity is 
located shall establish criteria for an educational or career training 
program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential for which an 
eligible entity submits a grant proposal under subsection (d).
    ``(d) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit an application containing a grant proposal, for an 
educational or career training program leading to a recognized 
postsecondary credential, to the Secretaries at such time and 
containing such information as the Secretaries determine is required, 
including--
            ``(1) a detailed description of--
                    ``(A) the extent to which the educational or career 
                training program described in the grant proposal fits 
                within an overall strategic plan consisting of--
                            ``(i) the State plan described in section 
                        102 or 103, for the State involved;
                            ``(ii) the local plan described in section 
                        108, for each local area that comprises a 
                        significant portion of the area to be served by 
                        the eligible entity; and
                            ``(iii) a strategic plan developed by the 
                        eligible entity;
                    ``(B) the extent to which the program will meet the 
                needs of employers in the area for skilled workers in 
                in-demand industry sectors and occupations;
                    ``(C) the extent to which the program will meet the 
                educational or career training needs of workers in the 
                area;
                    ``(D) the specific educational or career training 
                program and how the program meets the criteria 
                established under subsection (e), including the manner 
                in which the grant will be used to develop, offer, 
                improve, and provide the educational or career training 
                program;
                    ``(E) any previous experience of the eligible 
                entity in providing educational or career training 
                programs, the absence of which shall not automatically 
                disqualify an eligible institution from receiving a 
                grant under this section; and
                    ``(F) how the program leading to the credential 
                meets the criteria described in subsection (c); and
            ``(2) a detailed plan on how the entity will ensure that 
        the program will meet the performance measures described in 
        subsection (g), and an assurance that the entity will annually 
        submit to the Secretary information on the performance of the 
        program on the performance measures described in subsection 
        (g).
    ``(e) Criteria for Award.--
            ``(1) In general.--Grants under this section shall be 
        awarded based on criteria established by the Secretaries, that 
        include the following:
                    ``(A) A determination of the merits of the grant 
                proposal submitted by the eligible entity involved to 
                develop, offer, improve, and provide an educational or 
                career training program to be made available to 
                workers.
                    ``(B) An assessment of the likely employment 
                opportunities available in the area to individuals who 
                complete an educational or career training program that 
                the eligible entity proposes to develop, offer, 
                improve, and provide.
                    ``(C) An assessment of prior demand for training 
                programs by individuals eligible for training and 
                served by the eligible entity, as well as availability 
                and capacity of existing (as of the date of the 
                assessment) training programs to meet future demand for 
                training programs.
            ``(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretaries shall give priority to eligible entities that--
                    ``(A) include a partnership, with employers or an 
                employer or industry partnership, that--
                            ``(i) pays a portion of the costs of 
                        educational or career training programs; or
                            ``(ii) agrees to hire individuals who have 
                        attained a recognized postsecondary credential 
                        resulting from the educational or career 
                        training program of the eligible entity;
                    ``(B) enter into a partnership with a labor 
                organization or labor-management training program to 
                provide, through the program, technical expertise for 
                occupationally specific education necessary for a 
                recognized postsecondary credential leading to a 
                skilled occupation in an in-demand industry sector;
                    ``(C) are focused on serving individuals with 
                barriers to employment, students who are veterans, 
                spouses of member of the Armed Forces, incumbent 
                workers who are low-skilled and who need to increase 
                their work-related skills;
                    ``(D) include any eligible entities serving areas 
                with high unemployment rates; and
                    ``(E) are eligible entities that include an 
                institution of higher education eligible for assistance 
                under title III or V of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.; 20 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
    ``(f) Use of Funds.--Grant funds awarded under this section shall 
be used for one or more of the following:
            ``(1) The development, offering, improvement, and provision 
        of educational or career training programs, that provide 
        relevant job training for skilled occupations, that lead to 
        recognized postsecondary credentials, that will meet the needs 
        of employers in in-demand industry sectors, and that may 
        include registered apprenticeship programs, on-the-job training 
        programs, and programs that support employers in upgrading the 
        skills of their workforce.
            ``(2) The development and implementation of policies and 
        programs to expand opportunities for students to earn a 
        recognized postsecondary credential, including a degree, in in-
        demand industry sectors and occupations, including by--
                    ``(A) facilitating the transfer of academic credits 
                between institutions of higher education, including the 
                transfer of academic credits for courses in the same 
                field of study;
                    ``(B) expanding articulation agreements and 
                policies that guarantee transfers between such 
                institutions, including through common course numbering 
                and use of a general core curriculum;
                    ``(C) developing or enhancing student support 
                services programs; and
                    ``(D) establishing policies and processes for 
                assessing and awarding course credit for work-related 
                learning.
            ``(3) The creation of career pathway programs that provide 
        a sequence of education and occupational training that leads to 
        a recognized postsecondary credential, including a degree, 
        including programs that--
                    ``(A) blend basic skills and occupational training;
                    ``(B) facilitate means of transitioning 
                participants from non-credit occupational, basic 
                skills, or developmental coursework to for-credit 
                coursework within and across institutions;
                    ``(C) build or enhance linkages, including the 
                development of dual enrollment programs and early 
                college high schools, between secondary education or 
                adult education programs (including programs 
                established under the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et 
                seq.) and title II of this Act);
                    ``(D) are innovative programs designed to increase 
                the provision of training for students, including 
                students who are members of the National Guard or 
                Reserves, to enter skilled occupations in in-demand 
                industry sectors;
                    ``(E) support paid internships that will allow 
                students to simultaneously earn credit for work-based 
                learning and gain relevant employment experience in an 
                in-demand industry sector or occupation, which shall 
                include opportunities that transition individuals into 
                employment; and
                    ``(F) develop competency-based education programs 
                that offer an outcome-oriented approach through which 
                recognized postsecondary credentials are awarded based 
                on successful demonstration of skills and proficiency.
            ``(4) The development and implementation of--
                    ``(A) a Pay-for-Performance program that leads to a 
                recognized postsecondary credential, for which an 
                eligible entity agrees to be reimbursed under the grant 
                primarily on the basis of achievement of specified 
                performance outcomes and criteria agreed to by the 
                Secretary; or
                    ``(B) a Pay-for-Success program that leads to a 
                recognized postsecondary credential, for which an 
                eligible entity--
                            ``(i) enters into a partnership with an 
                        investor, such as a philanthropic organization 
                        that provides funding for a specific project to 
                        address a clear and measurable educational or 
                        career training need in the area to be served 
                        under the grant; and
                            ``(ii) agrees to be reimbursed under the 
                        grant only if the project achieves specified 
                        performance outcomes and criteria agreed to by 
                        the Secretary.
    ``(g) Performance Measures.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish 
        performance measures for the programs carried out under this 
        section.
            ``(2)  Measures.--The performance measures shall consist 
        of--
                    ``(A) indicators of performance, including the 
                number of program participants who are in unsubsidized 
                employment during the second quarter after exit from 
                the program; and
                    ``(B) a level of performance for each indicator 
                described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Monitoring progress.--The Secretary shall monitor the 
        progress of eligible entities that receive grants under this 
        section in ensuring that their programs meet the performance 
        measures.

``SEC. 199A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out the program established by 
section 199. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall remain 
available until the end of the 5th full fiscal year after the date of 
enactment of the Community College to Career Fund Act.
    ``(b) Administrative Cost.--Not more than 5 percent of the amounts 
made available under subsection (a) may be used by the Secretaries for 
Federal administration the program described in that subsection, 
including providing technical assistance and carrying out evaluations 
for the program described in that subsection.
    ``(c) Period of Availability.--The funds appropriated pursuant to 
subsection (a) for a fiscal year shall be available for Federal 
obligation for that fiscal year and the succeeding 4 fiscal years.

``SEC. 199B. DEFINITIONS.

    ``For purposes of this subtitle:
            ``(1) Community college.--The term `community college' has 
        the meaning given the term `junior or community college' in 
        section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058(f)).
            ``(2) Educational or career training program.--The term 
        `educational or career training program' means--
                    ``(A) a career pathway program, as defined in 
                section 3; or
                    ``(B) a program with an integrated education and 
                training approach, as defined in section 203.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents for the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended by inserting after the items 
relating to subtitle E of title I the following:

             ``Subtitle F--Community College to Career Fund

``Sec. 199. Community college and industry partnerships program.
``Sec. 199A. Authorization of appropriations.
``Sec. 199B. Definition.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--This Act, including the amendments made by 
this Act, takes effect as if included in the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act.
                                 <all>