[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 115 (Thursday, July 28, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INOUYE (for himself and Mr. Begich):
  S. 1441. A bill to provide assistance for workforce investment 
activities to unique populations in Alaska and Hawaii; to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, Mr. Begich and I recognize that Alaska and 
Hawaii's educational and workforce needs are linked to the indigenous 
cultures, learning styles, and geographical realities of our home 
States. We would like to commend the University of Hawaii Maui College 
for their hard work and dedication in developing a Remote Rural Hawaii 
Training Project. Over the years, the University of Hawaii Maui College 
has led the way in education and workforce development. Since the 
inception of the Rural Development Project in 1997, the University has 
supported 300 hundred projects. The initial projects served over 29,000 
participants. We would also like to praise Cook Inlet Tribal Council 
for their dedication and efforts relating to workforce development for 
Native Alaskans. For example, in fiscal year 2010 the Alaska's People 
Career center served 2,269 job seekers and they helped 58 people obtain 
their General Educational Development diploma. These initiatives, many 
made possible by the unique environment created by the natural 
resources of Alaska and Hawaii, have proved to be an invaluable source 
of current and future growth of workforce development and training 
programs. We are truly impressed by the innovative projects developed 
by these two organizations and we need continued support for workforce 
development in these unique populations in Alaska and Hawaii.
  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. 1441

       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 Investment for 
     Unique Populations in Hawaii and Alaska Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE TO UNIQUE POPULATIONS IN ALASKA AND 
                   HAWAII.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary of Labor is authorized to provide 
     assistance to the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Incorporated, 
     and the University of Hawaii Maui College, for the unique 
     populations who reside in Alaska or Hawaii, respectively, to 
     improve job training and other workforce investment 
     activities (as defined in section 101 of the Workforce 
     Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)).
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may 
     be necessary for each of fiscal year 2012 and each subsequent 
     fiscal year.
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