,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #faff ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,november #a1 #bjbc,ms4 ,stefanik 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,allen1 ,mrs4 ,steel1 and ,ms4 ,letlow7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act to identify or develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge1 skills1 competencies1 and experiences of an individual1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,validate ,prior ,learning to ,accelerate ,employment ,act4 #b4 ,assessments to measure the prior knowledge1 skills1 competencies1 and experiences of an individual 7a7 ,statewide employment and training activities ,section #acd7;a77#b77;,b7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cagd7;a77#b77;,b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7v77,,vi71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in clause 7vi71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7vii7 coordinating with industry organizations1 employers 7including small and mid-sized employers71 training providers1 local boards1 and institutions of higher education to identify or develop competency-based assessments that are a valid and reliable method of measuring and collecting information on the knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of individuals who are adults or dislocated workers for the purpose of-- 7,i7 awarding1 based on the knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of such an individual-- 7aa7 a recognized postsecondary credential that is used by employers in the ,state for recruitment1 hiring1 retention1 or advancement purposes2 or 7bb7 credit toward a recognized postsecondary credential aligned with an in-demand industry sector or occupation in the ,state2 7,,ii7 developing individual employment plans under subsection 7c77#b77;,a77xii77,,ii7 that identify-- 7aa7 in-demand industry sectors or occupations that require knowledge1 skills1 and abilities that are similar to the knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of such an individual to secure employment in such sectors or occupations2 and 7bb7 any upskilling needed to secure such employment2 or 7,,iii7 helping such an individual communicate the knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of the individual to prospective employers through skills-based resumes1 profiles1 or portfolios2 and 7viii7 disseminating to local areas and employers information relating to the assessments described in clause 7vii71 including-- 7,i7 any credential or credit awarded pursuant to items 7aa7 and 7bb7 of clause 7vii77,i72 7,,ii7 the industry organizations1 employers1 training providers1 and institutions of higher education located within the ,state that recognize the knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of such an individual that are validated by such assessments2 7,,iii7 how such assessments may be provided to1 and accessed by1 such an individual through the one-stop delivery system2 and 7,,iv7 information on how the development of the individual employment plans under subsection 7c77#b77;,a77xii77,,ii7 can include an identification of the information described in items 7aa7 and 7bb7 of clause 7vii77,,iii74 4 7b7 ,allowable ,statewide employment and training activities ,section #acd7;a77#c77;,a7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cagd7;a77#c77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7xiii71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in clause 7xiv71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7xv7 supporting employers in the ,state seeking to implement skills-based hiring practices to evaluate individuals based on the demonstrated knowledge1 skills1 and abilities of such individuals1 as an alternative to relying on postsecondary degree requirements in the hiring process1 which may include-- 7,i7 technical assistance on the use and validation of employment assessments1 such as the competency-based assessments identified or developed by the ,state pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,b77vii72 and 7,,ii7 support in the creation of skills-based job descriptions4 4 7c7 ,authorized local employment and training activities ,section #acd7;c77#b77;,a7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cagd7;c77#b77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7iii71 by inserting before the semicolon the following3 1 including a determination 7which shall consider factors including prior work experience1 military service1 education1 and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the local area7 of whether such an individual would benefit from a competency-based assessment identified or developed by the ,state pursuant to subsection 7a77#b77;,b77vii7 to accelerate the time to obtaining employment that leads to economic self-sufficiency or career advancement2 and 7#b7 in clause 7xii77,i77aa71 by inserting before the semicolon the following3 1 including a competency-based assessment identified or developed pursuant to subsection 7a77#b77;,b77vii74 7d7 ,permissible local employment and training activities ,section #acd7;d77#a77;,a7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cagd7;d77#a77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7ix77,,ii7-- 7,a7 in item 7cc71 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 in item 7dd71 by inserting and at the end2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7ee7 technical assistance or other support to employers seeking to implement skills-based hiring practices1 which may include technical assistance on the use and validation of employment assessments1 including competency-based assessments developed or identified by the ,state pursuant to subsection 7a77#b77;,b77vii71 and support in the creation of skills-based job descriptions4 2 7#b7 in clause 7xi71 by striking and at the end2 7#c7 in clause 7xii71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7xiii7 competency-based assessments for individuals upon the initial assessment of skill levels pursuant to subsection 7c77#b77;,a77iii71 or upon completion of training services or other learning experiences4 4