On May 18, the House of Representatives passed a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by a vote of 220-196, with just four Republicans joining the Democrats in favor of the bill. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, it would replace the current WIOA rlaw that was passed by Congress in 2014. Due to differing priorities, however, it is unlikely to be brought up in the Senate this year. That said, it could serve as a blueprint for the next Congress to include in negotiations.
This bill made some changes that were very favorable to the CTE community:
- Modifies the sharing requirements for the infrastructure costs of one-stop centers by providing dedicated funding through WIOA
- Eliminates the federal mandate of the split of youth funds
- Codifies the Workforce Data Quality Initiative into law
- Authorizes additional funds for data system infrastructure improvements
- Includes a strong overall commitment to equity
The bill does need further refinements that ACTE has expressed to the House Education & Labor Committee, including:
- The definition for “eligible youth” is very narrow, raising concerns about how it would limit CTE programs’ ability to link learners to WIOA supports
- There is a lack of required CTE representation on workforce development boards (the bill does, however, encourage CTE representation)
- The bill overly restricts the use of online services provided by one-stop centers
In general, ACTE is continuing to work with policymakers to build more meaningful connections between CTE and workforce systems. Should the Senate decide to take up WIOA reauthorization this year, we will keep you updated on any changes or progress. Given the bill’s Senate prospects, however, it is most likely that we will see no further action on this bill until after the next Congress is sworn in.
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