On March 31, Democratic House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Higher Education Workforce Investment Subcommittee Chair Frederica Wilson (D-FL) introduced a new bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill, H.R. 7309, is titled the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022.
WIOA was last reauthorized in 2014, and Congress has been working on new legislation for quite some time, including by holding Committee hearings and negotiating potential language. This is the first comprehensive proposal to be introduced this reauthorization cycle, and it is tentatively scheduled to be considered by the House Education and Labor Committee on Tuesday, April 5.
In introducing the legislation, Chairman Scott said, "For decades, WIOA programs have strengthened our economy and helped workers find more sustainable and better-paying jobs. Now, as Americans across the country are getting back to work, it is more critical than ever that we expand access to high-quality job training opportunities. This legislation would finally invest serious federal funding in our nation’s workforce development and help ensure that all workers—including women, people of color, and justice-involved individuals—have access to the resources they need to find rewarding careers.”
We are still working to analyze the legislation and will be weighing in with the Committee with more detailed comments before the markup. However, early reviews indicate that there are some positive changes included in the legislation in line with our priorities. For example, the new bill:
- Eliminates the requirement to spend the majority of youth funds on out-of-school youth, which could make it easier for CTE programs to coordinate with WIOA youth programs.
- Proposes a potential solution to funding the one-stop system's infrastructure costs, replacing the cumbersome memorandum of understanding provision in current law.
- Codifies the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants, Workforce Data Quality grants, and a new sector strategies program.
We will be providing more details as the bill moves through the legislative process!
April 6 Update:
The House Education and Labor Committee considered the WIOA reauthorization bill on April 5 and approved it on a party-line vote of 29-21. In advance of the markup, ACTE and Advance CTE sent this letter to committee leaders outlining positive aspects of the bill and areas where we think more work is needed.
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