[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4942 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4942
To amend subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security Act to fund
additional projects that focus on competency-based training for
personal or home care aides, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 1, 2020
Mr. King introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security Act to fund
additional projects that focus on competency-based training for
personal or home care aides, 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 ``Mollie Baldwin Upskilling of
Personal and Home Care Aides Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE
PROJECTS.
Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397g) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Expansion of Health and Human Services Professions Workforce
Projects.--
``(1) Authority to award grants.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall award grants to
eligible entities to conduct projects--
``(A) that employ upskilling training models that
focus on competency-based training for--
``(i) personal or home care aides (as
defined in subsection (b));
``(ii) direct support professionals;
``(iii) home health aides; and
``(iv) nursing assistants; and
``(B) that are designed to provide eligible
individuals with the opportunity to obtain education
and training for positions as personal or home care
aides (as so defined), direct support professionals,
home health aides, or nursing assistants that pay a
living wage and are expected to either experience labor
shortages or be in high demand; and
``(C) for which grants were awarded under
subsection (a).
``(2) Selection of projects.--
``(A) Requirements for eligible entities.--An
eligible entity seeking to receive a grant under this
subsection to conduct a project shall demonstrate--
``(i) that the eligible entity has
successfully conducted the project in the past;
and
``(ii) that the project implements the core
training competencies for personal or home care
aides described in subsection (b)(3)(A).
``(B) Priority for rural areas and underserved
urban areas.--
``(i) In general.--In awarding grants under
this subsection, the Secretary shall give
priority to projects that support--
``(I) rural areas (as defined in
section 2007(f)); or
``(II) underserved urban areas
(including urban health professional
shortage areas (as defined in section
332 of the Public Health Service Act)).
``(ii) Threshold for prioritized
projects.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that not
less than 50 percent of the grants awarded
under this subsection shall be for projects
described in clause (i).
``(3) Reports and evaluation.--
``(A) Eligible entities.--An eligible entity
awarded a grant to expand a project under this
subsection shall submit interim reports to the
Secretary on the activities carried out under the
project and a final report on such activities upon the
conclusion of the entities' participation in the
project.
``(B) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall, by grant,
contract, or interagency agreement, evaluate the
projects conducted under this subsection. Such
evaluation shall include identification of successful
activities for creating opportunities for developing
and sustaining, particularly with respect to low-income
individuals and other entry-level workers, a health and
human services professions workforce that has
accessible entry points, that meets high standards for
education, training, certification, and professional
development, that provides increased wages and
affordable benefits, including health care coverage,
that are responsive to the workforce's needs, and that
is responsive to the needs of diverse racial and ethnic
communities.
``(C) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall
submit interim reports and, based on the evaluation
conducted under subparagraph (B), a final report to
Congress on the projects conducted under this
subsection.
``(4) Definitions.--Any term used in this subsection that
is also used in subsection (a) shall have the same meaning for
purposes of this subsection as such term has in such subsection
(a).
``(5) Funding.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Secretary
to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2031.''.
<all>