[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4008 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4008

     To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the 
 implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce 
                   programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 2024

  Mr. Bennet introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the 
 implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce 
                   programs, 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 ``Better Jobs through Evidence and 
Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Workforce Development Innovation Fund.--
            ``(1) Program authorized.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may, on a 
                competitive basis and in accordance with subparagraph 
                (B), award workforce development innovation grants 
                described in subparagraph (C) to eligible entities to 
                enable such entities to--
                            ``(i) establish, implement, replicate, or 
                        take to scale evidence-based, field-initiated 
                        innovation programs or services for improving 
                        the design and delivery of employment and 
                        training services that generate demonstrated 
                        long-term improvements in--
                                    ``(I) the performance or impact of 
                                the workforce development system;
                                    ``(II) earnings and employment 
                                outcomes for jobseekers (including 
                                individuals with barriers to 
                                employment) and earnings for employers; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) the cost-effectiveness of 
                                such innovation programs or services, 
                                particularly for participants and 
                                communities not sufficiently served by 
                                existing models such as participants 
                                and communities in rural areas; and
                            ``(ii) rigorously evaluate, through a 
                        partnership with a third-party research 
                        organization or a third-party researcher, such 
                        innovation programs or services for 
                        effectiveness in achieving any demonstrated 
                        long-term improvements in an outcome described 
                        in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (i).
                    ``(B) Grant awards.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary--
                                    ``(I) shall award grants under 
                                subparagraph (A) on the basis of 
                                potential achievements of the 
                                innovation program or service proposed 
                                by the eligible entity with respect to 
                                demonstrated, long-term improvements in 
                                an outcome described in subclause (I), 
                                (II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(i); 
                                and
                                    ``(II) may award under subparagraph 
                                (A) different types of grants described 
                                under subparagraph (C) to an eligible 
                                entity for separate innovation programs 
                                or services that meet the relevant 
                                criteria for such different types of 
                                grants.
                            ``(ii) Duration of award.--A grant awarded 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall be awarded for a 
                        period determined appropriate by the Secretary.
                    ``(C) Description of grants.--The grants described 
                in subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent feasible, 
                include--
                            ``(i) early-phase grants for an innovation 
                        program or service supported by any level of 
                        evidence described in clause (i), (ii), or 
                        (iii) of subparagraph (D), for the purposes of 
                        funding the development, implementation, and 
                        evaluation of such program or service;
                            ``(ii) mid-phase grants for an innovation 
                        program or service supported by a moderate 
                        level of evidence or a high level of evidence 
                        (as described in clause (ii) or (iii) of 
                        subparagraph (D), respectively) for the 
                        purposes of funding the operation, expansion, 
                        and continued evaluation of such innovation 
                        program or service at a single site; and
                            ``(iii) expansion grants for an innovation 
                        program or service supported by a high level of 
                        evidence, as described in subparagraph 
                        (D)(iii), for the purposes of--
                                    ``(I) funding the operation of such 
                                innovation program or service at a 
                                single site;
                                    ``(II) expansion or such innovation 
                                program or service to another site; and
                                    ``(III) implementation of a multi-
                                site evaluation of such innovation 
                                program or service.
                    ``(D) Level of evidence standards.--The levels of 
                evidence described in this subparagraph are the 
                following:
                            ``(i) Low level of evidence.--An innovation 
                        program or service is supported by a low level 
                        of evidence if such program or service has 
                        demonstrated, through a reasonable hypothesis 
                        and credible research findings (such as a 
                        correlational study with statistical controls 
                        for selection bias), descriptive research (such 
                        as a case study), or evidence review and needs 
                        assessment, the--
                                    ``(I) ability to achieve positive 
                                effects on earnings and employment 
                                outcomes for jobseekers (including 
                                individuals with barriers to 
                                employment) and earnings for employers; 
                                or
                                    ``(II) potential to achieve such 
                                effect on such outcomes.
                            ``(ii) Moderate level of evidence.--An 
                        innovation program or service is supported by a 
                        moderate level of evidence if such program or 
                        service has demonstrated the ability to achieve 
                        sizable, but not yet conclusive, positive 
                        effects on earnings and employment outcomes for 
                        jobseekers (including individuals with barriers 
                        to employment) and earnings for employers, 
                        through--
                                    ``(I) a well-designed and well-
                                implemented experimental study of such 
                                program or service, such as a 
                                randomized controlled trial; or
                                    ``(II) a rigorous quasi-
                                experimental study of such program or 
                                service capable of drawing causal 
                                conclusions about the effectiveness of 
                                such program or service.
                            ``(iii) High level of evidence.--An 
                        innovation program or service is supported by a 
                        high level of evidence if such program or 
                        service has demonstrated, through replication 
                        of studies, the ability to achieve a 
                        substantial and statistically-significant, 
                        positive impact on earnings and employment 
                        outcomes for jobseekers (including individuals 
                        with barriers to employment) and earnings for 
                        employers, through 2 or more well-designed and 
                        well-implemented experimental studies of such 
                        program or service conducted--
                                    ``(I) at different implementation 
                                sites; or
                                    ``(II) through large, multi-site, 
                                randomized controlled trials.
            ``(2) Technical assistance and evaluation research.--Of the 
        funds made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal 
        year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 10 percent of 
        the funds to--
                    ``(A) provide technical assistance to eligible 
                entities, which may include preapplication workshops, 
                web-based seminars, support for conducting feasibility 
                studies and other planning activities, assistance with 
                methods and requirements for purposes of evaluation 
                research under subparagraph (D), and support for 
                improving grant implementation and the quality and 
                effectiveness of activities and services funded by 
                grants awarded under subparagraph (A), including the 
                use of administrative data and information to improve 
                outcomes for participants;
                    ``(B) disseminate information on low-, moderate-, 
                and high-evidence-based practices;
                    ``(C) fund staffing and other costs related to such 
                activities; and
                    ``(D) conduct evaluation research regarding 
                activities or services funded by grants awarded under 
                subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
                means an entity that is any of the following:
                            ``(i) A State workforce development board 
                        established under section 101 (29 U.S.C. 3111).
                            ``(ii) A local workforce development board 
                        established under section 107 (29 U.S.C. 3122).
                            ``(iii) An Indian tribe, tribal 
                        organization, Alaska Native entity, Indian-
                        controlled organization serving Indians, or 
                        Native Hawaiian organization that is eligible 
                        to receive an award under section 166 (29 
                        U.S.C. 3221).
                            ``(iv) An institution of higher education 
                        (as defined in section 101 of the Higher 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
                            ``(v) A State workforce agency.
                            ``(vi) An organization--
                                    ``(I) that--
                                            ``(aa) is a community-based 
                                        organization, a nonprofit 
                                        organization, or a 
                                        nongovernment organization; and
                                            ``(bb) serves an 
                                        underserved population; or
                                    ``(II) that is a national or 
                                regional organization that intends to 
                                use funds awarded under this Act to 
                                make direct grants to an organization 
                                described in subclause (I).
                            ``(vii) A consortium of any entities 
                        described in clause (i) through (vi).
                    ``(B) Field-initiated.--The term `field-initiated', 
                with respect to a program or service, means a program 
                or service in which the elements of the program or 
                service have been developed by practitioners or 
                researchers in the policy area.
                    ``(C) Innovation program or service.--The term 
                `innovation program or service' means a program or 
                service designed to demonstrate innovative and cost-
                effective ways to augment and improve employment and 
                training services.
                    ``(D) Well-designed and well-implemented 
                experimental study.--The term `well-designed and well-
                implemented experimental study' means a study that--
                            ``(i) is replicable;
                            ``(ii) uses programmatic and control groups 
                        that are representative of the type of 
                        population served by the program or service 
                        that is subject to the study, including by 
                        avoiding over-selection of participants who are 
                        highly skilled prior to participation for such 
                        programmatic group;
                            ``(iii) uses controls for aggregate shifts 
                        that might affect baseline numbers;
                            ``(iv) does not have problems with 
                        attrition of participants from the study; and
                            ``(v) is conducted in a manner that is 
                        consistent with applicable evaluation, data, 
                        and privacy standards and practices described 
                        in--
                                    ``(I) the guidelines of the Office 
                                of Management and Budget entitled 
                                `Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing 
                                the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and 
                                Integrity of Information Disseminated 
                                by Federal Agencies' (67 Fed. Reg. 8452 
                                (February 22, 2002)) (or successor 
                                guidelines); and
                                    ``(II) the Foundations for 
                                Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
                                (Public Law 115-435; 132 Stat. 5529) 
                                and the amendments made by that Act.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection, 
        such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2025 
        through 2029.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 132(a)(2)(A) of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172(a)(2)(A)) is amended by 
striking ``169(c)'' and inserting ``169(d)''.
                                 <all>