[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8196 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8196
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to add the
Workforce data quality initiative.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 6, 2026
Mr. Baumgartner introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to add the
Workforce data quality initiative.
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 ``Workforce Data Quality Initiative
Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. WORKFORCE DATA QUALITY INITIATIVE.
(a) Reservations of Funds for Workforce Data Quality Initiative.--
Section 132(a)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(29 U.S.C. 3172(a)(2)(A)) is amended by--
(1) striking ``, 169(c) (relating to dislocated worker
projects),''; and
(2) by inserting ``, and under subsections (c) (relating to
dislocated worker projects) and (d) (relating to workforce data
quality initiatives) of section 169'' before ``; and''.
(b) Workforce Data Quality Initiative.--Section 169 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Workforce Data Quality Initiative.--
``(1) Grant program.--Of amount made available pursuant to
section 132(a)(2)(A) for any program year, the Secretary shall
use not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 percent of
such amount, and may also use funds appropriated under section
172(d) for purposes of carrying out this section, to award
grants to eligible entities to create workforce longitudinal
data systems and associated resources for the purposes of
strengthening program quality, building State capacity to
produce evidence for decision-making, meeting performance
reporting requirements, protecting privacy, and improving
transparency.
``(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application
to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary may require, which shall include--
``(A) a description of the proposed activities that
will be conducted by the eligible entity, including a
description of the need for such activities and a
detailed budget for such activities;
``(B) a description of the expected outcomes and
outputs (such as systems or products) that will result
from the proposed activities and the proposed uses of
such outputs;
``(C) a description of how the proposed activities
will--
``(i) support the reporting of performance
data, including employment and earnings
outcomes, for the performance accountability
requirements under section 116, including
outcomes for eligible providers of training
services;
``(ii) improve workforce data
standardization across programs in the State;
and
``(iii) improve the collection, accuracy,
timeliness, and usability of real-time,
economy-wide data on new and emerging skills
and in-demand occupational roles;
``(D) a description of the methods and procedures
the eligible entity will use to ensure the security and
privacy of the collection, storage, and use of all data
involved in the systems and resources supported through
the grant, including compliance with State and Federal
privacy and confidentiality statutes and regulations;
and
``(E) a plan for how the eligible entity will
continue the activities or sustain the use of the
outputs created with the grant funds after the grant
period ends.
``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under the subsection,
the Secretary shall give priority to--
``(A) eligible entities that are--
``(i) a State agency of a State that has
not previously received a grant from the
Secretary for the purposes of this subsection
and demonstrates a substantial need to improve
its data infrastructure; or
``(ii) a consortium of State agencies that
is comprised of State agencies from multiple
States and includes at least one State agency
described in clause (i) and has the capacity to
make significant contributions toward building
interoperable, cross-State data infrastructure;
and
``(B) eligible entities that will use grant funds
to--
``(i) expand the adoption and use of
linked, open, and interoperable data on
credentials, including through the development
of a credential registry or other tools and
services designed to help learners and workers
make informed decisions, such as a credential
navigation feature that allows participants and
the public to search a list of recognized post-
secondary credentials offered by eligible
providers of training services under section
122;
``(ii) participate in and contribute data
to a multistate data collaborative, including
data that provide participating States the
ability to better understand--
``(I) earnings and employment
outcomes of individuals who work out-
of-State; and
``(II) cross-State earnings and
employment trends;
``(iii) enhance collaboration with private
sector workforce and labor market data entities
and the end-users of workforce and labor market
data, including individuals, employers,
economic development agencies, and workforce
development providers;
``(iv) leverage the use of non-Federal
contributions to improve workforce data
infrastructure, including staff capacity
building; or
``(v) expand existing statewide integrated
longitudinal data systems, including such
systems receiving assistance under section 208
of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9607).
``(4) Use of funds.--In addition to the activities
described in paragraph (3)(B), an eligible entity awarded a
grant under this subsection may use funds to carry out any of
the following activities:
``(A) Developing or enhancing a State's workforce
longitudinal data system, including by participating
and contributing data to the State's data system, if
applicable, that links with elementary and secondary
school and post-secondary data.
``(B) Accelerating the replication and adoption of
data systems, projects, products, or practices already
in use in one or more States to other States.
``(C) Research and labor market data improvement
activities to improve the timeliness, relevance, and
accessibility of such data through pilot projects that
are developed locally but designed to scale to other
regions or States.
``(D) Establishing, enhancing, or connecting to a
system of interoperable learning and employment records
that provides individuals who choose to participate in
such system ownership of a verified and secure record
of their skills and achievements and the ability to
share such record with employers and education
providers.
``(E) Developing policies, guidelines, and security
measures for data collection, storing, and sharing to
ensure compliance with relevant Federal and State
privacy laws and regulations.
``(F) Increasing local board access to and
integration with the State's workforce longitudinal
data system in a secure manner.
``(G) Creating or participating in a data exchange
for collecting and using standards-based jobs and
employment data including, at a minimum, job titles or
occupation codes.
``(H) Improving State and local staff capacity to
understand, use, and analyze data to improve decision-
making and improve participant outcomes.
``(5) Administration.--
``(A) Duration.--A grant awarded under this
subsection may be for a period of up to 3 years.
``(B) Supplement, not supplant.--Funds made
available under this subsection shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, or
local funds used for development of State data systems.
``(C) Report.--Each eligible entity that receives a
grant under this subsection shall submit a report to
the Secretary not later than 180 days after the
conclusion of the grant period on the activities
supported through the grant and improvements in the use
of workforce and labor market information that have
resulted from such activities.
``(6) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the
term `eligible entity' means a State agency or consortium of
State agencies, including a multistate data collaborative, that
is or includes the State agencies responsible for--
``(A) State employer wage records used by the
State's unemployment insurance programs in labor market
information reporting and analysis and for fulfilling
the reporting requirements of this Act;
``(B) the production of labor market information;
and
``(C) the direct administration of one or more of
the core programs.''.
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