[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6756 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6756
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the
Secretary of Labor to award grants for workforce grants to assist
incarcerated or previously incarcerated individuals.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 2022
Ms. Bourdeaux (for herself, Mr. Obernolte, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the
Secretary of Labor to award grants for workforce grants to assist
incarcerated or previously incarcerated individuals.
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 Opportunity for Returning
Citizens Act'' or the ``WORC Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO ASSIST INCARCERATED OR PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS.
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 172 as section 173; and
(2) by inserting after section 171, the following:
``SEC. 172. GRANTS TO ASSIST INCARCERATED OR PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS.
``(a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under subsection
(g), the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to develop
or expand education or workforce training programs that lead to
employment opportunities for incarcerated individuals or previously
incarcerated individuals and reduce recidivism.
``(b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary
shall give priority to eligible entities that will use the grants to
develop or expand training programs described in subsection (a) that
will lead participants of such programs--
``(1) to jobs in skilled trade (such as jobs in
construction, plumbing, welding, heating and air conditioning,
or masonry); or
``(2) to the attainment of recognized postsecondary
credentials.
``(c) Application Requirements.--To receive a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
``(d) Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use such grant to develop or expand a training
program described in subsection (a).
``(e) Reports.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall annually prepare and submit to the Secretary a
report on--
``(1) the amount of the grant awarded to the eligible
entity for the preceding grant year, and how such grant was
used; and
``(2) the progress, as described in section 116, of the
eligible entity with respect to the training program developed
or expanded with such grant, including the relative rate of
recidivism of the participants of such program.
``(f) Definitions.--
``(1) Correctional institution.--The term `correctional
institution' has the meaning given the term in section
225(e)(1).
``(2) Education or workforce training program.--The term
`education or workforce training program' includes--
``(A) an apprenticeship program;
``(B) an on-the-job training program, or
``(C) a program providing classroom instruction.
``(3) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a local board;
``(B) an area career and technical education
school;
``(C) an intermediary;
``(D) an institution of higher education, including
a 2-year institution of higher education; or
``(E) a consortium of the entities described in
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
``(4) Incarcerated individual.--The term `incarcerated
individual' means an adult or juvenile who is in the custody of
a correctional institution.
``(5) Previously incarcerated individual.--The term
`previously incarcerated individual' means an adult or juvenile
who has been an incarcerated individual at any time during the
preceding 36-month period.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2027.''.
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act is amended by striking the item relating to section
172 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 172. Grants to assist incarcerated or previously incarcerated
individuals.
``Sec. 173. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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