Innovation employment and training programs

(a)

Innovation employment and training program

Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)) is amended—(1)by conforming the margins of subparagraphs (C) through (J), (L), and (M) to the margin of subparagraph (A); and(2)by adding at the end the following:

(P)

Innovation employment and training program

(i)

Reimbursement of costs

Subject to the availability of funds under section 16(h)(1), on request of a State agency, the Secretary shall reimburse the State agency an amount equal to 100 percent of all costs directly incurred in carrying out a component of an employment and training program that meets 1 or more of the following requirements:(I)At the time of use, the program component is under evaluation with respect to measuring employment and earnings outcomes for participants in the employment and training program with a methodology that could, in the event that the evaluation finds positive program impacts, subsequently classify the employment and training program as having—(aa)a high or moderate causal evidence rating (as defined by the Secretary and consistent with evidence standards established by Federal agencies implementing other Federal workforce investments, including standards defined by the Secretary of Labor under section 306 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 506)); and(bb)a demonstrated capacity to improve employment or earnings outcomes for program participants.(II)The program component provides services that have already been evaluated and found to positively affect employment or earnings outcomes for employment or training program participants, with a methodology that has a high or moderate causal evidence rating (as defined by the Secretary as described in subclause (I)(aa)).(III)(aa)Subject to items (bb) and (cc), the State agency uses at least 20 percent of the funding allocated under this paragraph to the employment and training program component to enter into a performance or outcomes contract to pay for—(AA)measurable improvements in outcomes related to improved employment or earnings; (BB)credential attainment; or(CC)measurable attainment of new vocational skills for participants of the employment and training program, which shall include any reporting measures related to those outcomes that State agencies must track and report annually under regulations promulgated pursuant to this Act or any benchmarks demonstrated by credible research to be highly correlated with those outcomes if those outcomes are measured using administrative data validated by a third-party evaluator. (bb)Activities carried out under a performance or outcomes contract described in item (aa) ensure that the population served by the performance or outcomes contract in an area, as demonstrated by the State agency—(AA)is similar to the population in that area that participates in the supplemental nutrition assistance program with respect to demographics and barriers to employment; and (BB)is not selected for purposes of excluding participants in that area that are perceived as harder-to-serve.(cc)The State agency submits each request for reimbursement for payments made for activities carried out under a performance or outcomes contract described in item (aa)— (AA)not later than 60 months after the effective date of the performance or outcomes contract; and (BB)within 12 months of making the payment for which reimbursement is requested.(ii)

Administrative, technical assistance, and evaluation costs

(I)

In general

Subject to the availability of funds under section 16(h)(1) remaining after expenditure under clause (i), on request of a State agency, the Secretary shall reimburse the State agency for administration, technical assistance, and evaluation costs associated with activities eligible for reimbursement under clause (i).(II)

Amount

The Secretary shall reimburse the State agency under subclause (I) in an amount that—(aa)is not more than 20 percent of the direct costs approved for reimbursement under clause (i); and(bb)in the case of an employment and training program component that is coordinated with a program funded in part by funds authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), is not more than 30 percent of the direct costs approved for reimbursement under clause (i).(iii)

Extension of eligibility

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an individual enrolled in an employment and training program component described in clause (i) that becomes ineligible due to failure to meet a requirement described in subsection (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (i), (k), (l), (m), or (n) of section 5 shall be permitted to continue participating in the employment and training program component until the date that is the earlier of—(I)6 months after the date on which the individual would otherwise become ineligible; and(II)the date on which the individual completes the employment and training program component.(iv)

State agency requirements

(I)

Report

A State agency that receives reimbursement under clause (i) shall submit annually to the Secretary a report describing—(aa)the services provided by the applicable employment and training program component;(bb)the demographics of participants of that program component;(cc)the costs of that program component; (dd)the manner in which funds were used for that program component; and(ee)in the case of a State agency that carries out a program component described in clause (i)(I), findings from the applicable completed evaluation.(II)

Publicly available

The Secretary shall make publicly available the information submitted to the Secretary under subclause (I).

(b)

Funding for employment and training programs

Section 16(h)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)) is amended—(1)in subparagraph (A)—(A)by striking To carry out and inserting the following:

(i)

In general

To carry out

; and

(B)by adding at the end the following:

(ii)

Additional funds

In addition to funds made available under clause (i), the Secretary shall reserve for allocation to State agencies, to remain available for 24 months, from funds made available for each fiscal year under section 18(a)(1), $100,000,000 for each fiscal year to provide reimbursements under section 6(d)(4)(P).

;

(2)in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting subparagraph (A)(i);(3)in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting subparagraph (A)(i); and(4)in subparagraph (E)(i), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting subparagraph (A)(i).(c)

Use of federal funding streams as matching funds

Section 16(h)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(2)) is amended—(1)by striking (2) If, in carrying out such program during such fiscal year and inserting the following:

(2)

Reimbursement of excess costs

(A)

In general

If, in carrying out an employment and training program in a fiscal year

;

(2)in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)—(A)by striking shall pay and inserting the following:

shall—(i)pay

;

(B)in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and(C)by adding at the end the following:

(ii)consider any other Federal funding used to carry out a component of an employment and training program as qualifying for the 50-percent share of the State required under subsection (a), this paragraph, and paragraph (3), unless that use of funding is specifically disallowed by law.

; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

(B)

Reporting

A State agency that incurs costs described in subparagraph (A) and uses any other Federal funding as described in clause (ii) of that subparagraph shall submit to the Secretary a report that—(i)identifies each source of those Federal funds; and(ii)describes, if applicable, how implementation of the employment and training program component is carried out in coordination with local and State entities supported by the same source of Federal funds—(I)to improve measurable outcomes for participants of the employment and training program component;(II)to streamline service delivery, colocate services, align services across employment and training programs, streamline service delivery for participants of the employment and training program component, or make it easier for those participants eligible for multiple employment and training programs to participate in cost-sharing across the programs in which they are enrolled; and(III)to otherwise partner with other entities in the area to improve employment and training program performance management.

(d)

Reimbursement for additional supportive services

Section 16(h)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(3)) is amended—(1)by striking (3) The Secretary shall also reimburse each State agency in an amount equal to 50 per centum and inserting the following:

(3)

Transportation and other expenses

(A)

In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall reimburse each State agency in an amount equal to 50 percent

; and

(2)by adding at the end the following:

(B)

Full reimbursement for transportation and other costs

On request by a State agency, the Secretary shall fully reimburse the State agency for costs directly incurred and expended in connection with transportation costs and other expenses that were reasonably necessary and directly related to carrying out an employment and training program component that meets at least 1 of the requirements described in clause (i) of section 6(d)(4)(P), subject to the availability of funding made available under paragraph (1)(A)(ii).

(e)

Employment and training data grants

Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(o)

Employment and training data grants

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall award grants to States, on a competitive basis, to create and strengthen longitudinal administrative databases and associated resources for the purpose of strengthening program quality, advancing equity, reducing burden, protecting privacy, and improving transparency in employment and training programs.(2)

Priority

In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to—(A)States that—(i)have not previously received a grant from the Secretary for the purpose described in paragraph (1); and (ii)have the greatest need with respect to improving data infrastructure; and(B)projects that—(i)strengthen the quality of an employment and training program or otherwise improve the employment and training program;(ii)facilitate co-enrollment and coordination of services between the employment and training program and other federally supported workforce development programs, including programs authorized under—(I)the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); and (II)the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Public Law 115–224; 132 Stat. 1563) and the amendments made by that Act;(iii)participate in and contribute data to the linked longitudinal data system of the State, including submitting data that, when linked with elementary, secondary, and postsecondary school data and workforce development data, provides the State with the ability to create more robust tools and analytics;(iv)encourage the use of non-Federal contributions to improve State data infrastructure and related resources;(v)support research and program improvement activities; or(vi)achieve other priorities, as determined by the Secretary.(3)

Technical assistance

The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to support the implementation of projects carried out using grants awarded under this subsection.(4)

Privacy and security standards

Data in longitudinal administrative databases and associated resources supported by a grant under this subsection shall— (A)be exempted from the disclosure requirements of subsection (a) of section 552 of title 5, United States Code, pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of that section;(B)be used in a manner that protects the identity and location of a vulnerable individual (including a victim of domestic violence) that is an applicant for, or recipient of, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits; and(C)meet security standards determined by the Secretary.(5)

Integrated data

Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use of data supported by a grant under this subsection from being used as part of a State data system or other integrated data system. (6)

Authorization of appropriations

(A)

In general

Of the funds made available under section 18(a), the Secretary shall use to carry out this subsection $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, of which not more than 10 percent shall be used to carry out paragraph (3).(B)

Supplement not supplant

Funds used under subparagraph (A) shall supplement, not supplant, other State or local funds used for developing State data systems.