[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7349 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7349
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to identify or
develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills,
competencies, and experiences of an individual, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2022
Ms. Stefanik (for herself, Mr. Allen, Mrs. Steel, and Ms. Letlow)
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 identify or
develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills,
competencies, and experiences of an individual, 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 ``Validate Prior Learning to
Accelerate Employment Act''.
SEC. 2. ASSESSMENTS TO MEASURE THE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS,
COMPETENCIES, AND EXPERIENCES OF AN INDIVIDUAL.
(a) Statewide Employment and Training Activities.--Section
134(a)(2)(B) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(a)(2)(B)) is amended--
(1) in clause (v)(VI), by striking the ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(vii) coordinating with industry
organizations, employers (including small and
mid-sized employers), training providers, local
boards, and institutions of higher education to
identify or develop assessments that--
``(I) are a valid and reliable
method of collecting information; and
``(II) measure the prior knowledge,
skills, competencies, and experiences
of an individual for the purpose of--
``(aa) awarding
postsecondary credit toward a
recognized postsecondary
credential aligned with in-
demand industry sectors and
occupations in the State;
``(bb) awarding a
recognized postsecondary
credential that is used by
employers in the State for
recruitment, hiring, retention,
or advancement purposes;
``(cc) developing
individual employment plans
that incorporate the prior
knowledge, skills,
competencies, and experiences
of an individual to identify
skills related to an in-demand
industry sector or occupation
and any upskilling needed to
secure employment in such
sector or occupation; and
``(dd) helping individuals
communicate their prior
knowledge, skills,
competencies, and experiences
to prospective employers
through skills-based profiles
or portfolios; and
``(viii) disseminating to local areas
information relating to the assessments
identified or developed pursuant to clause
(vii), including--
``(I) any recognized postsecondary
credential awarded through such an
assessment;
``(II) the industry organizations,
employers, training providers, and
institutions of higher education
located within the State that recognize
the prior knowledge, skills,
competencies, and experiences of an
individual validated by such
assessments; and
``(III) how such assessments may be
provided to, and accessed by,
individuals through the one-stop
delivery system.''.
(b) Allowable Statewide Employment and Training Activities.--
Section 134(a)(3)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(29 U.S.C. 3174(a)(3)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (xiii), by striking the ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in clause (xiv), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xv) identifying and providing to
employers information relating to best
practices on the use of assessments, including
such assessments developed or identified by the
State pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)(vii);
``(xvi) providing technical assistance to
employers seeking to use such assessments for
hiring, promotion, or upskilling of employees;
and
``(xvii) supporting employers in the State
seeking to implement a practice of hiring
individuals based on their prior knowledge,
skills, competencies, and experiences as an
alternative to relying on postsecondary degree
requirements in the hiring process.''.
(c) Authorized Local Employment and Training Activities.--Section
134(c)(2)(A)(iii) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3174(c)(2)(A)(iii) is amended to read as follows:
``(iii) initial assessment of skill levels
(including literacy, numeracy, and English
language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities
(including skills gaps), and supportive service
needs, and a determination (considering factors
including prior work experience, military
service, life experience, or education history,
and in-demand industry sectors and occupations
in the local area) of whether such an
individual would benefit from an assessment
identified by the State pursuant to subsection
(a)(2)(B)(vii) to measure the individual's
prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and
experiences to accelerate the individual in
obtaining employment that leads to economic
self-sufficiency or career advancement;''.
(d) Permissible Local Employment and Training Activities.--Section
134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (xi), by striking the ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xiii) assessments for individuals upon
initial assessment of skills (pursuant to
subsection (c)(2)(A)(iii)) or completion of
training services or other learning
experiences; and
``(xiv) providing technical assistance or
other support to employers seeking to use such
assessments for hiring, promotion, or
upskilling of employees.''.
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