,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hfhi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #bg1 #bjbj,ms4 ,fudge 7for herself and ,ms4 ,kaptur7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to award funds to ,states and local areas for public1 subsidized employment programs for youth4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,connecting ,youth to ,jobs ,act4 #b4 ,purpose ,during periods which the national rate of youth unemployment is above the full youth employment rate and in excess of the overall national rate1 as determined by the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics1 or during a qualifying emergency or economic recession 7as determined by the ,chairman of the ,federal ,reserve71 it is the purpose of this ,act to provide-- 7#a7 youth public subsidized employment to assist in ,state and local improvement activities1 including public works1 the arts1 and community development2 and 7#b7 additional and continual funding that is targeted to high poverty areas with historically high youth unemployment rates1 particularly high minority youth unemployment rates1 for the purpose of creating such employment opportunities4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,qualifying emergency ,the term qualifying emergency means-- 7,a7 a public health emergency declared by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services pursuant to section #cai of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d72 7,b7 an event for which the ,president declared a major disaster or an emergency under section #dja or #eja1 respectively1 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj and #eaia72 or 7,c7 a national emergency declared by the ,president under section #bja of the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq474 7#b7 ,,esea terms ,the terms local educational agency and ,state educational agency have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#c7 ,high-poverty area ,the term high-poverty area means a census tract with a youth poverty rate of at least #bj percent during the most recent #e consecutive years4 7#d7 ,historically high youth unemployment levels ,the term historically high youth unemployment levels means any local area with a youth unemployment rate of at least #aj percent1 as measured over the most recent decennial censuses1 or by the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics for the most recent #e-year period for which data are available4 7#e7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74 7#f7 ,public education entity ,the term public education entities includes-- 7,a7 a local educational agency2 7,b7 a ,state educational agency2 or 7,c7 a public institution of higher education4 7#g7 ,registered apprenticeship program ,the term registered apprenticeship programs means an apprenticeship program registered under the ,act of ,august #af1 #aicg 7commonly known as the #8#8,national ,apprenticeship ,act''2 #ej ,stat4 #ffd1 chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4 #ej et seq471 including any requirement1 standard1 or rule promulgated under such ,act1 as such requirement1 standard1 or rule was in effect on ,december #cj1 #bjai4 7#h7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,labor4 7#i7 ,work-based learning ,the term work-based learning as the meaning given in section #c of the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act of #bjjf 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjb74 7#aj7 ,,wioa terms ,the terms in-demand industry sector or occupation1 individual with a barrier to employment1 in-school youth1 local area1 local board1 out-of-school youth1 outlying area1 recognized postsecondary credential1 supportive services1 ,state1 ,state board1 and unit of general local government have the meanings given the terms in section #c of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb74 ,i ,youth public employment program #aja4 ,formula grants to ,states and local areas 7a7 ,funding allotments and allocations 7#a7 ,state allotments ,for each fiscal year during a period described in section #b1 to assist ,states and outlying areas1 and to enable ,states and outlying areas to assist local areas1 in carrying out subsidized public employment programs described in subsection 7b7 for eligible youth1 from the funds appropriated under section #ajc7a71 the ,secretary of ,labor shall-- 7,a7 make an allotment in accordance with section #abg7;b77#a77;,c77ii7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cafb7;b77#a77;,c77ii77 to each ,state that meets the requirements of section #ajb or #ajc of such ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caab1 #caac72 and 7,b7 award a grant to each outlying area that complies with the requirements of title ,i of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caja et seq47 to carry out subsidized youth public employment programs for eligible individuals4 7#b7 ,within ,state allocations 7,a7 ,statewide activities ,each ,state shall reserve #be percent of the allotment received under paragraph 7#a77;,a7 to carry out statewide subsidized public employment programs described in subsection 7b74 7,b7 ,allocations to local areas ,a ,governor of a ,state that receives an allotment under paragraph 7#a71 in coordination with relevant ,state and local stakeholders1 shall use any remaining amounts 7after reserving funds under subparagraph 7,a771 to allocate funds to local areas1 as long as not less than #fe percent of such remaining amount is allocated to-- 7i7 high-poverty local areas with the highest youth unemployment rate compared to other local areas in the ,state2 and 7ii7 local areas with historically high levels of youth unemployment within the ,state4 7b7 ,uses of funds 7#a7 ,subsidized public employment programs 7,a7 ,in general ,funds allotted to ,states for statewide programs1 and funds allocated to local areas under subsection 7a71 shall be used to carry out subsidized public employment programs described in paragraph 7#c7 that-- 7i7 lead to unsubsidized1 full-time employment2 or 7ii7 provide the necessary skills and competency attainment of at least #a recognized postsecondary credential to further the education or career of youth participants4 7#b7 ,funding allocations ,of the funds described in paragraph 7#a73 7,a7 ,not less than #fj percent of the funds for program year #bjba shall be used for wages and employment benefits to individuals employed in subsidized public employment programs funded under this section4 7,b7 ,not less than #cj percent of the funds for program year #bjba1 and not less than #bj percent of such funds for any program year thereafter1 shall be used to provide career services described in section #acd7;c77#b7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act1 training services1 or youth workforce investment activities4 7,c7 ,any remaining funds may be used for administrative and other allowable costs 7such as supplies1 materials1 equipment1 and health and safety resources7 incurred by the ,state or local area1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,conditions ,except as otherwise determined by the ,secretary1 the following conditions shall apply to each subsidized public employment program funded under this section3 7,a7 ,only youth residing within the ,state or local area providing funding for the program shall be employed by such program1 and the public services provided under such program1 to the extent feasible1 shall be designed to benefit the residents of such ,state or local area4 7,b7 ,priority in filling jobs available under such program shall be given to-- 7i7 eligible youth who is an individual with a barrier to employment 7including youth of color1 opportunity youth or out-of-school youth1 low-income youth1 youth impacted by the juvenile or adult criminal justice systems1 and underemployed youth72 and 7ii7 eligible youth who are recipients of public assistance 7or from a family receiving such assistance7 or who are eligible for public assistance 7or from a family eligible for such public assistance7 but not receiving such assistance4 7,c7 ,each individual employed under such program shall be a wage1 which shall at least be the highest of the following3 7i7 #ab an hour4 7ii7 ,the minimum wage under the applicable ,state or local minimum wage law4 7iii7 ,the prevailing rates of pay for individuals employed in similar occupations by the same employer4 7iv7 ,the minimum wage according to the amendments made to section #f of the ,fair ,labor ,standards ,act of #aich1 as proposed by ,h4,r4 #ehb 7#aafth ,congress74 7,d7 ,with respect to a wage determined under subparagraph 7,c71 the ,secretary may promulgate regulations to increase such wage after consideration of industry1 geographical region1 skill requirements1 and individual proficiency4 7,e7 ,an individual may self-attest to meeting the requirements to be an eligible youth1 or to receive priority consideration under subparagraph 7,b71 and verification of such eligibility may occur after the individual is employed under the program4 7,f7 ,earnings from such program shall not be regarded as income and shall not be regarded as a resource for the month of receipt and the following #ab months1 for purposes of determining the eligibility of the participant 7or the participant's spouse or family7 for benefits or assistance1 or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance1 under any ,federal program or under any ,state or local program financed in whole or in part with ,federal funds4 7,g7 ,such program shall coordinate with the workforce systems and activities promoted by the ,state or local board to connect eligible youth to educational or career opportunities4 7,h7 ,such program shall establish or expand diversity and inclusion opportunities and collect disaggregated data on related efforts4 7c7 ,eligibility ,to be an eligible youth1 an individual shall be an in-school youth or an out-of-school youth4 #ajb4 ,competitive grants to eligible entities 7a7 ,in general ,from the amounts appropriated under section #ajc7b71 the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities for activities described in subsection 7e74 7b7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that serve eligible youth who are individuals with a barrier to employment1 youth of color1 opportunity youth or out-of-school youth1 low-income youth1 and youth impacted by the juvenile or adult criminal justice systems4 7c7 ,requirements on uses of funds ,in awarding funds under this section the ,secretary shall ensure the following3 7#a7 ,direct financial assistance ,not less than #dj percent of such funds are used to provide direct financial assistance to eligible youth described in section #aja7;c7 to support such youth with financial needs with respect to entering1 remaining enrolled in1 and completing a subsidized public employment program described in section #aja7;b7 7including related costs of training1 supplies1 food and nutrition1 housing1 transportation1 child care1 mental health and substance abuse services1 payment of fines1 or other targeted costs determined allowable by the ,secretary74 7#b7 ,in-demand industry sectors or occupations ,not less than #dj percent of such funds are used to connect eligible youth described in section #aja7;c7 to employers for in-demand industry sectors or occupations1 work-based learning opportunities1 registered apprenticeship programs1 or to reconnect to a public education entity4 7#c7 ,diversity and inclusion activities ,not less than #aj percent of such funds are used for promoting1 creating1 or expanding diversity and inclusion activities for the purposes of diversifying workforce systems4 7d7 ,eligible entity defined 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity means an entity that the ,secretary determines to serve a high number or high percentage of eligible youth who are employed in a subsidized public employment programs described in section #aja7;b7 and who are from underrepresented populations4 7#b7 ,inclusions ,an eligible entity includes-- 7,a7 a community-based organization2 7,b7 a ,state and unit of general local government in a partnership with a community-based organization2 7,c7 a partnership among ,states and units of general local government1 community-based organizations1 public education entities1 registered apprenticeships1 and employers from in-demand industry sectors or occupations2 7,d7 a partnership among community-based organizations and juvenile and adult correctional facilities2 or 7,e7 a labor organization or joint labor-management organization4 7e7 ,uses of funds ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section-- 7#a7 shall use the grant to match eligible youth to subsidized public employment programs funded under title ,i1 and provide hands-on work experience that does not supplant the work of existing employees2 and 7#b7 may use a grant received under this section to carry out #a or more of the following3 7,a7 ,establish or expand diversity and inclusion opportunities and collect disaggregated data on related efforts4 7,b7 ,provide 7directly or through partnerships7 technical assistance and supportive services to eligible youth and their families to help navigate supportive services and other ,federal and ,state assistance programs to support the recruitment1 retention1 and completion of a program funded under title ,i4 7,c7 ,coordinate partnerships with programs funded under title ,i to connect eligible youth to educational or career opportunities1 including to employers for in-demand industry sectors or occupations1 work-based learning opportunities1 registered apprenticeship programs1 or to reconnect to a public education entity4 7,d7 ,form comprehensive youth service delivery systems to improve education and employment outcomes for youth and to strategically connect local sectors1 systems1 and resources by strategically coordinating resources and public1 private1 and nonprofit funding to create youth pathways to further the education1 skills1 and access to jobs and successful careers1 by-- 7i7 conducting and improving outreach to underrepresented youth and families with respect to the programs funded under section #aja2 7ii7 making appropriate use of existing education1 child welfare1 social services1 and workforce development data collection systems to facilitate the entity's ability to recruit youth participants2 and 7iii7 developing wide-ranging higher education or employment pathways for youth4 7,e7 ,assist in the transition between subsidized youth public employment programs and unsubsidized employment or education4 7,f7 ,in the case of an eligible entity described in subsection 7d77#b77;,d71 assist in the transition from incarceration with the goal of reducing rates of recidivism and ensuring incarcerated youth and formerly incarcerated youth have access to employment and educational opportunities4 #ajc4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated-- 7#a7 #cj1jjj1jjj1jjj to carry out section #aja2 and 7#b7 #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj to carry out section #ajb1 of which #e percent may be used by the ,secretary to the build capacity to carry out such section4 #ajd4 ,performance evaluation1 data collection1 and accountability 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the first grant is awarded under section #aja1 and annually thereafter1 each program funded under section #aja shall be evaluated by the ,state board of the ,state receiving an allotment under section #aja to carry out such program or the local board of the local area receiving an allocation under section #aja to carry out such program4 7b7 ,performance data collection ,the ,secretary of ,labor shall collect data on-- 7#a7 the performance of each program using the disaggregated indicators of performance in section #aaf7;b77#b77;,a77i7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cada7;b77#b77;,a77i772 7#b7 the completion rates of the program2 7#c7 the rate of full-time unsubsidized employment after program completion2 7#d7 the rate of reconnection to public education entities after program completion2 and 7#e7 the diversity and equal opportunity in such programs4 7c7 ,accountability metrics ,the ,secretary shall establish a youth work-readiness indicator4 #aje4 ,report to congress ,not later than ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,labor shall submit a publicly available report to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate that includes-- 7#a7 a review and assessment of all information related to the programs funded under this ,act2 7#b7 any relevant guidance issued by the ,secretary with respect to such programs2 and 7#c7 an analysis of equity1 diversity1 and inclusion activities1 best practices1 and recommendations for improvement with respect to increasing the success of such programs and outcomes for youth1 and participant demographics 7while maintaining privacy protections71 disaggregated by race1 ethnicity1 sex1 age1 and subpopulations described in subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c7 of section #abi7;a77#a7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act4 ,,ii ,,gao ,report #bja4 ,,gao report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of the published report in section #aje1 and every #d years thereafter1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct an independent evaluation of the activities funded under this ,act and submit to ,congress a report that shall be made publicly available4 7b7 ,evaluation ,in conducting the evaluation under subsection 7a71 the ,comptroller ,general shall consider1 as applicable and appropriate1 information from the report under section #aje4 7c7 ,report ,the report described in subsection 7a7 shall review1 assess1 and provide recommendations1 as appropriate1 on the following3 7#a7 ,compliance with the requirements established under this ,act4 7#b7 ,the effectiveness of the requirements established under this ,act1 associated challenges1 and trends in the youth progress made toward the goals described in section #aja7;b77#a77;,a74 7#c7 ,federal guidance1 best practices1 and funding recommendations for related ,federal youth employment activities and any innovative ,state and local actions that improve or further the education or career of youth participants1 including employment opportunities that lead to long-term1 unsubsidized employment4 ,,iii ,youth ,student ,income ,exclusion ,under the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program #cja4 ,youth student income excluded under the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh ,section #e7;d77#g7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;d77#g77 is amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following3 and income earned by a household member who is less than #bb years of age1 who is an elementary or secondary school student1 and who lives with a natural1 adoptive1 or stepparent 4