,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gghh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bd1 #bjbj,mr4 
,smucker introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
temporarily enable qualified training   
providers to provide online and virtual 
training services1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,enabling ,online   
and ,virtual ,workforce ,training ,act4 
#b4 ,temporary provision of eligibility 
for certain training providers  7a7 ,in 
general ,during the period beginning on 
the date of enactment of this ,act and  
ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbj1         
notwithstanding section #abb of the     
,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity 
,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caeb71 a covered   
provider of training services described 
in subsection 7b77#a7 that is approved  
by a ,state board or local board to be  
eligible to receive funds provided under
 section #acc7;b7 of the ,workforce     

,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #cagc7;b77 for the provision  
of such training services in a local    
area in the ,state shall be deemed so   
eligible4  7b7 ,covered provider defined
 ,in this section1 the term covered     
provider means an entity that-- 7#a7    
offers a program of training services   
that leads to a recognized postsecondary
 credential2  7#b7 has been in existence
 for not less than #b years prior to    
receiving approval under subsection 7a72
 and  7#c7 as of ,june #a1 #bjbj1 was   
included1 in at least #b ,states1 on the
 list of providers of training services 
described in subsection 7d7 of section  
#abb of the ,workforce ,innovation and  
,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caeb7 
determined to be eligible to offer a    
program of training services under such 
section #abb4  7c7 ,priority ,in        
approving covered providers under       
subsection 7a71 a ,state board or local 
board shall be encouraged to consider   
providers of qualified online training  

services 7as defined in section         
#abb7;b77#e7 of the ,workforce          
,innovation and ,opportunity ,act1 as   
added by this ,act74  #c4 ,providers of 
qualified online training services      
,section #abb of the ,workforce         
,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #caeb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in   
subsection 7a77#c71 by adding at the end
 the following3 ,a provider of qualified
 online training services shall be      
included and maintained on the list of  
eligible providers of training services 
described in subsection 7d7 so long as  
such provider complies with the         
criteria1 information requirements1 and 
procedures established under this       
section42 and  7#b7 in subsection 7b71  
by adding at the end the following3     
7#e7 ,provider of qualified online      
training services  7,a7 ,in general ,in 
establishing criteria1 information      
requirements1 or procedures under this  
section1 a ,governor1 ,state board1 or  
local board may not require a provider  

of qualified online training services1  
in providing such qualified online      
training services1 to-- 7i7 maintain a  
physical presence in a ,state or local  
area2 or  7ii7 in the case of a provider
 that is an organization described in   
section #eja7;c7 of the ,internal       
,revenue ,code and is exempt from       
taxation under section #eja7;a7 of such 
,code1 be a provider described in       
subsection 7a77#b74  7,b7 ,qualified    
online training services ,in this       
subsection1 the term qualified online   
training services means training        
services that-- 7i7 are provided over   
the internet or through other forms of  
electronic communication2 and  7ii7 lead
 to a recognized postsecondary          
credential4  4  #d4 ,sense of ,congress 
,it is the sense of ,congress that--    
7#a7 the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has       
created significant challenges in the   
nation's labor market that will likely  
have lasting effects2  7#b7 millions of 
individuals cannot enroll or participate

 in workforce training programs due to  
restrictions on movement related to the 
pandemic2  7#c7 online and virtual      
training services can help workers learn
 new skills1 particularly during        
pandemic-related closures and for       
in-demand industry sectors such as      
information technology and              
cybersecurity2  7#d7 ,congress has      
previously recognized the need to ensure
 access to online and virtual training  
services1 including through section     
#abb7;b77#a77;,b7 of the ,workforce     
,investment and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #caeb7;b77#a77;,b772  7#e7    
some ,state governments1 ,state         
workforce boards1 or local workforce    
boards have established eligibility     
criteria or other procedures that make  
it difficult or impossible for providers
 of online and virtual training services
 to qualify as eligible training        
providers1 such as physical presence    
requirements2 and  7#f7 all ,state      
governments1 ,state workforce boards1   

and local workforce boards should move  
promptly to make programs of online and 
virtual training services available to  
individuals residing in their areas4    
#e4 ,definitions ,except as otherwise   
provided1 the terms in this ,act have   
the meanings given the terms in section 
#c of the ,workforce ,innovation and    
,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb74