[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1446 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1446
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
February 21, 2025
Mr. Allen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 ``and'' at the end;
(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 competency-based
assessments that are a valid and reliable
method of measuring and collecting information
on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of
individuals who are adults or dislocated
workers for the purpose of--
``(I) awarding, based on the
knowledge, skills, and abilities of
such an individual--
``(aa) a recognized
postsecondary credential that
is used by employers in the
State for recruitment, hiring,
retention, or advancement
purposes; or
``(bb) credit toward a
recognized postsecondary
credential aligned with an in-
demand industry sector or
occupation in the State;
``(II) developing individual
employment plans under subsection
(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II) that identify--
``(aa) in-demand industry
sectors or occupations that
require knowledge, skills, and
abilities that are similar to
the knowledge, skills, and
abilities of such an individual
to secure employment in such
sectors or occupations; and
``(bb) any upskilling
needed to secure such
employment; or
``(III) helping such an individual
communicate the knowledge, skills, and
abilities of the individual to
prospective employers through skills-
based resumes, profiles, or portfolios;
and
``(viii) disseminating to local areas and
employers information relating to the
assessments described in clause (vii),
including--
``(I) any credential or credit
awarded pursuant to items (aa) and (bb)
of clause (vii)(I);
``(II) the industry organizations,
employers, training providers, and
institutions of higher education
located within the State that recognize
the knowledge, skills, and abilities of
such an individual that are validated
by such assessments;
``(III) how such assessments may be
provided to, and accessed by, such an
individual through the one-stop
delivery system; and
``(IV) information on how the
development of the individual
employment plans under subsection
(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II) can include an
identification of the information
described in items (aa) and (bb) of
clause (vii)(III).''.
(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 ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (xiv), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xv) supporting employers in the State
seeking to implement skills-based hiring
practices to evaluate individuals based on the
demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities
of such individuals, as an alternative to
relying on postsecondary degree requirements in
the hiring process, which may include--
``(I) technical assistance on the
use and validation of employment
assessments, such as the competency-
based assessments identified or
developed by the State pursuant to
paragraph (2)(B)(vii); and
``(II) support in the creation of
skills-based job descriptions.''.
(c) Authorized Local Employment and Training Activities.--Section
134(c)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(c)(2)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (iii), by inserting before the semicolon the
following: ``, including a determination (which shall consider
factors including prior work experience, military service,
education, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in
the local area) of whether such an individual would benefit
from a competency-based assessment identified or developed by
the State pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B)(vii) to accelerate
the time to obtaining employment that leads to economic self-
sufficiency or career advancement''; and
(2) in clause (xii)(I)(aa), by inserting before the
semicolon the following: ``, including a competency-based
assessment identified or developed pursuant to subsection
(a)(2)(B)(vii)''.
(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 (ix)(II)--
(A) in item (cc), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in item (dd), by inserting ``and'' at the end;
and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ee) technical assistance
or other support to employers
seeking to implement skills-
based hiring practices, which
may include technical
assistance on the use and
validation of employment
assessments, including
competency-based assessments
developed or identified by the
State pursuant to subsection
(a)(2)(B)(vii), and support in
the creation of skills-based
job descriptions.'';
(2) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(3) in clause (xii), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(xiii) competency-based assessments for
individuals upon the initial assessment of
skill levels pursuant to subsection
(c)(2)(A)(iii), or upon completion of training
services or other learning experiences.''.
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