,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cccf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ai1 #bjai,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means ,a ,,bill ,to provide grants for the conduct of demonstration projects designed to provide education and training for eligible individuals with an arrest or conviction record to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions through occupations that pay well and are expected to experience a labor shortage or be in high demand1 under the health profession opportunity grant program under section #bjjh of the ,social ,security ,act4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,demonstrating that ,empowerment ,makes ,opportunities ,act or the ,,demo ,act4 #b4 ,grants for demonstration projects to provide career pathways in the health professions for certain individuals with an arrest of conviction record ,section #bjjh of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;g7 is amended by redesignating subsection 7d7 as subsection 7e7 and inserting after subsection 7c7 the following3 7d7 ,demonstration projects ,to provide career pathways in the health professions for certain individuals with an arrest of conviction record 7#a7 ,grant authority ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 the ,secretary of ,education1 and the ,attorney ,general1 shall award grants in accordance with this subsection to eligible entities to conduct demonstration projects for the purpose of providing education and training for eligible individuals with arrest or conviction records to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions through occupations that pay well and are expected to experience a labor shortage or be in high demand4 7#b7 ,duration ,a demonstration project shall be conducted under this subsection for not less than #c years4 7#c7 ,application requirements ,an applicant seeking a grant under this subsection for a demonstration project shall submit to the ,secretary an application for the grant1 that includes the following3 7,a7 ,a demonstration that the ,state in which the project is to be conducted has in effect policies or laws that permit certain allied health and behavioral health care credentials to be awarded to people with certain arrest or conviction records 7which policies or laws shall include appeals processes and other opportunities to demonstrate rehabilitation to obtain licensure and approval to work in the proposed health careers71 and a plan described in the application which will use a legally permitted career pathway to train people with such a record to be trained and employed in such a career4 7,b7 ,a discussion of how the project or future strategic hiring decisions will demonstrate the experience and expertise of the project in working with job seekers who have arrest or conviction records or employers with experience working with people with arrest or conviction records4 7,c7 ,a demonstration that the applicant has experience working with low-income populations1 or a description of the plan of the applicant to work with a partner that has the experience4 7,d7 ,an identification of promising innovations or best practices that can be used to provide the training4 7,e7 ,a proof of concept or demonstration that the applicant has done sufficient research on workforce shortage or in-demand jobs for which people with certain types of criminal records can be hired4 7,f7 ,a plan for recruiting students who are eligible individuals into the project4 7,g7 ,a plan for providing post-employment support and ongoing training as part of a career pathway under the project4 7#d7 ,preferences in considering applications ,in considering applications for a grant under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall give preference to-- 7,a7 applications submitted by applicants who have completed a demonstration project funded under this section1 if an evaluation of the project1 which was funded by the ,secretary1 found the project to have positive outcomes in the categories of-- 7i7 graduation and credential attainment2 7ii7 job placement and retention2 and 7iii7 evidence of addressing the worker shortage or in-demand jobs described in the original application for funding for the completed demonstration project2 and 7,b7 applications which have an emergency cash fund to assist project participants financially in emergency situations4 7#e7 ,support to be provided 7,a7 ,required support ,a project for which a grant is made under this subsection shall include access to legal assistance for project participants for the purpose of addressing arrest or conviction records and associated workforce barriers4 7,b7 ,allowed support ,the goods and services provided under a project for which a grant is made under this subsection may include the following3 7i7 ,a reserve fund for financial assistance to project participants in emergency situations4 7ii7 ,assistance with programs and activities1 including legal assistance1 deemed necessary to address arrest or conviction records as an employment barrier4 7#f7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary shall provide technical assistance-- 7,a7 to assist eligible entities in applying for grants under this subsection2 7,b7 that is tailored to meet the needs of grantees at each stage of the administration of projects for which grants are made under this subsection2 and 7,c7 that is tailored to meet the specific needs of eligible entities in carrying out the projects4 7#g7 ,evaluations 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall1 by grant1 contract1 or interagency agreement1 conduct rigorous and well-designed evaluations of the demonstration projects for which a grant is made under this subsection1 which shall include identification of successful activities for creating opportunities for developing and sustaining1 particularly with respect to low-income individuals with arrest or conviction records1 a health professions workforce that has accessible entry points1 that meets high standards for education1 training1 certification1 and professional development1 and that provides increased wages and affordable benefits1 including health care coverage1 that are responsive to the needs of the workforce4 7,b7 ,rule of interpretation ,evaluations conducted pursuant to this paragraph may include a randomized controlled trial1 but this paragraph shall not be interpreted to require an evaluation to include such a trial4 7#h7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means any of the following entities that demonstrates in an application submitted under this subsection that the entity has the capacity to fully develop and administer the demonstration project described in the application3 7i7 ,a local workforce development board established under section #ajg of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act4 7ii7 ,a ,state or territory1 a political subdivision of a ,state or territory1 or an agency of a ,state1 territory1 or such a political subdivision4 7iii7 ,an ,indian tribe1 a tribal organization1 or a tribal college or university4 7iv7 ,an institution of higher education 7as defined in the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife74 7v7 ,a hospital 7as defined in section #ahfa7;e774 7vi7 ,a skilled nursing facility 7as defined in section #ahai7;h77#a77;,a774 7vii7 ,a ,federally qualified health center 7as defined in section #ahfa7;aa77#d774 7viii7 ,a nonprofit organization described in section #eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf1 a labor organization1 or an entity with shared labor-management oversight1 that has a demonstrated history of providing health profession training to eligible individuals4 7ix7 ,an opioid treatment program 7as defined in section #ahfa7;iii77#b774 7,b7 ,eligible individual ,the term eligible individual means an individual whose income does not exceed #ach percent of the ,federal poverty level4 7#i7 ,appropriation ,out of any funds in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states not otherwise appropriated1 there are appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this subsection #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj4 4 #c4 ,effective date ,the amendment made by this ,act shall take effect on ,october #a1 #bjai4