[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 109 (Thursday, June 27, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4634-S4635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen):
  S. 2036. A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
to provide grants to States for summer employment programs for youth; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I would like to call the Senate's 
attention to the Youth Summer Jobs and Public Service Act of 2019 that 
I am introducing today with my colleague from Maryland, Senator Van 
Hollen. This legislation authorizes the Department of Labor to award 
Summer Employment for Youth grants to connect youth with jobs that 
serve their local communities and private businesses over the summer 
months.
  Since the mid-1990s, my home city of Baltimore has organized the 
Youth Works program out of the Mayor's Office of Employment 
Development. The Youth Works program provides individuals between the 
ages of 14 to 21 with a summer job with employers ranging from private 
businesses, local community nonprofit organizations, to city and State 
government agencies throughout the City. At these summer jobs, 
participants are provided with meaningful work experiences, are able to 
learn to develop the attitudes and grit necessary to compete in the 
workforce, gain exposure to a variety of career fields, and have a 
safe, stable environment over the summer months during the day. For the 
2019 Youth Works session that begins next week, Baltimore youth 
participating in the program will have a job for five days a week, five 
hours per day from July 1st through August 2nd and be paid a minimum of 
$10.10 per hour for their service.
  This program has grown to be one of the largest youth summer 
employment programs in the Nation. After the unrest in my home city in 
April 2015, the Federal Department of Labor provided the Maryland 
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and the Baltimore City's 
Mayor's Office of Employment with a $5 million grant to develop 
innovative job training strategies and work opportunities for youth and 
young adults across Baltimore. This Federal grant increased the number 
of individuals able to be served by the Youth Works program from an 
historic average of 5,000 participants to the more than 8,000 served 
today. Last year, Youth Works provided 8,600 Baltimoreans with jobs at 
more than 900 different worksites across my home city. I'm proud to say 
that some of those individuals who participated in the Youth Works 
program over the course of multiple summers while in high school have 
recently graduated and were hired by State agencies such as the 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Baltimore youth and their 
families clearly see the value of this program, with more than 14,000 
individuals applying for Youth Works slots this upcoming summer.
  Unfortunately, due to the lack of funding between the partnership 
between the City, State, private business, and philanthropic ventures, 
more than 5,000 Baltimore City youth who sought summer employment will 
be denied the opportunity to gain experience in the workplace, foster 
confidence that they are capable of being successful in a new 
environment, and lose the security of a safe environment over the 
summer. We can and must do more to help individuals willing and eager 
to start their careers.
  The Youth Summer Jobs and Public Service Act would seek to eliminate 
the waiting list for Baltimore students seeking to participate in Youth 
Works or other summer employment programs around the Nation. If 
enacted, my legislation would allow States to compete for Summer 
Employment for Youth grants to serve communities like Baltimore that 
have high concentrations of eligible, low-income youth. The grants 
would be utilized by local communities to carry out programs like the 
Youth Works program that provide summer employment opportunities that 
are directly linked to academic and occupations learning by providing 
meaningful work experiences. States competing for grants would be 
required to partner with private businesses to the extent feasible and 
to prioritize jobs and work opportunities that directly serve their 
communities, such as through summer employment with local community 
nonprofit organizations and city and State government agencies. This 
additional Federal funding can boost existing programs such as Youth 
Works and allow other communities across Maryland to establish their 
own programs and develop Maryland's next generation of workforce.
  I am proud to lead this Senate effort with my colleague from Maryland 
and appreciate the work of Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana 
who initially led this effort in the U.S. House of Representatives and 
will shortly introduce companion legislation this Congress. I urge my 
Senate colleagues to join with me in this effort to connect youth with 
summer employment opportunities and start their journey towards 
fulfilling, successful careers.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Congressional Record following my remarks.
  There being no objections, so ordered.

                                S. 2036

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page S4635]]

  


     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Youth Summer Jobs and Public 
     Service Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUTH.

       Section 129 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
     (29 U.S.C. 3164) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(d) Grants to States for Summer Employment for Youth.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this Act, from the amount appropriated under paragraph (2), 
     the Secretary shall award grants to States to provide 
     assistance to local areas that have high concentrations of 
     eligible youth to enable such local areas to carry out 
     programs described in subsection (c)(1) that provide summer 
     employment opportunities for eligible youth, which are 
     directly linked to academic and occupational learning, as 
     described in subsection (c)(2)(C). In awarding grants under 
     this subsection, a State shall--
       ``(A) partner with private businesses to the extent 
     feasible to provide employment opportunities at such 
     businesses; and
       ``(B) prioritize jobs and work opportunities that directly 
     serve the community.
       ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out this subsection 
     for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.
                                 ______