[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13786-S13787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. MURRAY:
  S. 2923. A bill to provide funding for summer and year-round youth 
jobs and training programs; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2923

       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 ``Youth Jobs Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. SUMMER AND YEAR-ROUND YOUTH JOBS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) a $1,500,000,000 investment in summer and year-round 
     employment for youth, through the program supported under 
     this section, can create up to 450,000 temporary jobs and 
     meaningful work experiences for economically disadvantaged 
     youth and stimulate local economies;
       (2) there is a serious and growing need for employment 
     opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth (including 
     young adults), as demonstrated by statistics from the Bureau 
     of Labor Statistics stating that, in November 2009--
       (A) the unemployment rate increased to 10 percent, as 
     compared to 6.8 percent in November 2008;
       (B) the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds rose to 
     26.7 percent, as compared to 20.4 percent in November 2008; 
     and
       (C) the unemployment rate for African-American 16- to 19-
     year-olds increased to 49.4 percent, as compared to 32.2 
     percent in November 2008;
       (3) research from Northwestern University has shown that 
     every $1 a youth earns has an accelerator effect of $3 on the 
     local economy;
       (4) summer and year-round jobs for youth help supplement 
     the income of families living in poverty;
       (5) summer and year-round jobs for youth provide valuable 
     work experience for economically disadvantaged youth;
       (6) often, a summer or year-round job provided under the 
     Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is an economically 
     disadvantaged youth's introduction to the world of work;
       (7) according to the Center for Labor Market Studies at 
     Northeastern University, early work experience is a very 
     powerful predictor of success and earnings in the labor 
     market, and early work experience raises earnings over a 
     lifetime by 10 to 20 percent;
       (8) participation in a youth jobs program can contribute to 
     a reduction in criminal and high-risk behavior for youth; and
       (9)(A) youth jobs programs benefit both youth and 
     communities when designed around principles that promote 
     mutually beneficial programs;
       (B) youth benefit from jobs that provide them with work 
     readiness skills and that help them make the connection 
     between responsibility on the job and success in adulthood; 
     and
       (C) communities benefit when youth are engaged 
     productively, providing much-needed services that meet real 
     community needs.
       (b) References.--
       (1) Certificate; credential.--In subsection (d), references 
     to the terms ``certificate'' and ``credential'' have the 
     meanings prescribed by the Secretary of Labor.
       (2) Youth-related references.--In this Act, and in the 
     provisions referred to in subsections (c) and (d) for 
     purposes of this Act--
       (A) a reference to a youth refers to an individual who is 
     not younger than age 14 and not older than age 24, and meets 
     any other requirements for that type of youth; and
       (B) a reference to a youth activity refers to an activity 
     covered in subsection (d)(1) that is carried out for a youth 
     described in subparagraph (A).
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor for youth 
     activities under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
     U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), $1,500,000,000, which shall be 
     available for the period of January 1, 2010 through June 30, 
     2011, under the conditions described in subsection (d).
       (d) Conditions.--
       (1) Use of funds.--The funds made available under 
     subsection (c) shall be used for youth jobs and training 
     programs, to provide opportunities referred to in 
     subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), and (F) of section 129(c)(2) of 
     such Act (29 U.S.C. 2854(c)(2)) and, as appropriate, 
     opportunities referred to in subparagraphs (A) and (G) of 
     such section, except that no such funds shall be spent on 
     unpaid work experiences and the opportunities may include 
     learning described in paragraph (3)(B).
       (2) Limitation.--Such funds shall be distributed in 
     accordance with sections 127 and 128 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
     2852, 2853), except that no portion of such funds shall be 
     reserved to carry out 128(a) or 169 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
     2853(a), 2914).
       (3) Priority.--In using funds made available under 
     subsection (c), a local area (as defined in section 101 of 
     such Act (29 U.S.C. 2801))--
       (A) shall give priority to providing--
       (i) work experiences in viable, emerging, or demand 
     industries, or work experiences in the public or nonprofit 
     sector that fulfill a community need; and
       (ii) job referral services for youth to work experiences 
     described in clause (i) in the private sector, for which the 
     employer involved agrees to pay the wages and benefits, 
     consistent with Federal and State child labor laws; and
       (B) may give priority to providing--
       (i) work experiences combined with linkages to academic and 
     occupational learning, so that the experiences and learning 
     provide opportunities for youth to earn a short-term 
     certificate or credential that has value in the labor market; 
     and
       (ii) work experiences combined with learning that are 
     designed to encourage and maximize the likelihood of a 
     participant's return to, or completion of, a program of study 
     leading to a recognized secondary or postsecondary degree, 
     certificate, or credential.
       (4) Measure of effectiveness.--The effectiveness of the 
     activities carried out with such funds shall be measured, 
     under section

[[Page S13787]]

     136 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2871), only with performance 
     measures based on the core indicators of performance 
     described in section 136(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I) of such Act (29 
     U.S.C. 2871(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I)), applied to all youth served 
     through the activities.
                                 ______